Please watch this video of Martha Argerich performing the Ravel Piano Concerto in g Major at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.  You can see close-ups of her hands in the wonderful videography in the first movement; then in the second movement, you will hear a beautiful example of balancing sound between melody and accompaniment!

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I'm sure it is no surprise to my students that I have regarded the playing of Martha Argerich so highly.  I missed a chance to hear her perform live in the Musikverein in Vienna (no tix available; went to the hall anyway and was at least able to see and hear her play from a small screen on the wall in the gift shop....oh dear, how sad!)  I did get to hear her perform in Cleveland's Severance Hall a few years ago, playing Prokofiev duets with Sergei Babayan.....I will never be able to tell you how thrilled I was that you got tix for us, Kate!).  Anyway, this morning I happened upon a recent performance in a youtube post playing the first work I ever heard her play on record - the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto.  Please listen here to a live performance in Buenos Aires (she is from Argentina).  The sound is somewhat meh, but I am grateful to be able to see and listen, nonetheless!  Let me know what you think!

Anyone know the term "Lisztomania"?  According to a Wikipedia article, "Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on April 25, 1844, discussing the 1844 Parisian concert season. Lisztomania was characterized by intense levels of hysteria demonstrated by fans, akin to the treatment of celebrity musicians today – but in a time not known for such musical excitement.
Lisztomania is a 1975 British surreal biographical musical comedy film written and directed by Ken Russell about the 19th-century composer Franz Liszt. The screenplay is derived, in part, from the book Nélida by Marie d'Agoult (1848), about her affair with Liszt."  All of these references are interesting, but my favorite new reference is in this fun, interesting video done by Ben Laude with Tonebase.  Some speedy fingers here, no doubt!
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