Martha Argerich: biography, awards, personal life

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Martha Argerich is a well-known pianist from Argentina in musical circles. In 1965, in Warsaw, at the Chopin Music Competition, she won a triumphant victory, and the girl was talked about in the media. Everyone was interested in the question of who she is and where did this Martha Argerich come from?

Biography before 1965

The future pianist was born on June 5, 1941 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although at the time of her performance in the Polish capital she was only 24 years old, by that time she had already passed a gigantic creative path. The girl began to play the piano when she was only three years old. Marta performed for the first time in front of the public at the age of eight with a Mozart concerto. In Argentina, the girl studied music with the best Argentine pianists V. Scaramuzza and F. Amikarelli.

In 1955, Martha and her parents moved from Argentina to Europe. In Europe, outstanding masters of piano music became teachers of young talent. Argerich studied with Friedrich Gould, N. Magalov, Stefan Ashkenazy and Arturo BenedettiMichelangeli. These talented people formed the unique style of the pianist, combining the nobility, temperament and depth of Marta's thought. In 1957, Argerich took part in the Geneva International Music Competition and the Busoni International Piano Competition. In both competitions, the girl receives the main prize. The sixteen-year-old pianist from Argentina attracted not only the jury members, but also the audience with her artistry, charm, and musicality. Nevertheless, connoisseurs of classical music could not help but note that the girl's style has not yet been fully formed. Her interpretations of the pieces were controversial, and her acting was somewhat uneven.

Marta didn't stop studying music. She took lessons from Bruno Seidlhofer in Austria, Stefan Askinase in Belgium, Michelangeli in Italy and Horowitz in the USA. The process of learning music from the girl was somewhat delayed. Due to the huge number of teachers, the pianist's talent was in no hurry to show itself to the fullest. On her first disc, pianist Martha Argerich performed works by Chopin and Brahms. The recording did not live up to the expectations of classical music connoisseurs.

Career turning point - 1965

In 1965, Martha takes part in the fateful competition for her in Warsaw. Here her talent is revealed in full force. The girl not only receives the main prize of the competition, but also many additional awards - for performing w altzes, mazurkas and others.

Argerich's performance in Warsaw was considered a triumph. Martha Argerich, biography, personal life of a pianistsuddenly become interesting to all world music publications. Argerich is on the same level with the most famous performers of that time. Numerous tours are organized for the pianist, she is invited to record classical music.

At the peak of popularity

Martha Argerich has been pleasing fans with her performance of classical compositions for decades. She is rightfully one of the best pianists of our time. Her performances are deep and serious and at the same time young and full of charm.

The pianist's repertoire is constantly updated with new works. Most often, as before, she performs works by romantic composers such as Bach, Tchaikovsky, Scarlatti, Beethoven, Prokofiev. Martha doesn't have too many records. Argerich takes his work seriously and strives to ensure that each of her recordings is performed at the highest level. Those interpretations in which Argerich performs famous works still do not cease to amaze even the most sophisticated listeners. The unpredictability of the performance makes the performances of the pianist attractive to a large number of her fans.

Disease

A fact from the life of Argerich, which is not often mentioned in the press, is about the pianist's illness. In 1990, Martha began to have he alth problems. Doctors discovered that she had malignant melanoma. The pianist agreed to the operation at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. As a result of surgery, the woman had part of her lung removed. Thenintensive care was carried out and an experimental vaccine was prescribed. As a result of treatment, the disease almost completely receded.

Private life

Martha Argerich, whose personal life was not distinguished by cloudless happiness, was officially married twice. Martha's first husband was the conductor and composer Robert Chen. Their marriage did not last long. Already in 1964 they divorced. In a marriage with Chen, Martha had a daughter. The girl was named Lida Chen-Argerich. Lida became a violinist.

The second time the pianist married in 1969. This time for the conductor Charles Dutot. The marriage broke up four years later. The daughter from the second marriage of the pianist is Annie Dutot. Annie often performs and records with her mother.

Failing in her second marriage, Martha strikes up a relationship with pianist Steve Kovacevich. From him, Martha's third daughter, Stephanie, is born.

Awards

Among the awards, pianists single out the Grammy Award and the Imperial Prize of Japan as the greatest achievements.

"Grammy" Marta received in 2005 for the best performance of chamber music. This refers to the compositions of Prokofiev and Ravel, performed by Argerich together with the Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev.

In 2006, Argerich received another Grammy Award for Best Performance with Orchestra. At that time, the pianist, together with the Italian conductor Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Orchestra, performed a work by Beethoven.

Marta received the Imperial Prize of Japan in 2005.