Beethoven
Theodosia Ntokou, *Martha Argerich (piano)
Warner Classics 9029516403 65:37 mins
Martha Argerich has mentored Greek virtuoso Theodosia Ntokou for over a decade now, and on the evidence of this engaging performance of former
Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung editor Selmar Bagge’s piano duet arrangement of the
PastoralSymphony, they have been learning from each other. The key here is Ntokou’s dramatically poised, Classically aware, emotionally supple, refreshingly unhurried reading of the
Tempest Sonata. While most pianists make the outer movements conform to a
Sturm und Drang style, Ntokou reminds us that Beethoven was one of music’s supreme thinkers, as she subtly articulates the music’s structural narrative rather than coming over all moody and ‘tempestuous’ at the slightest provocation. As a result, the sublime central