Jeff's Music Corner. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3.

Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto is famous, of course, notoriously difficult, a favorite at competitions for the virtuosity that must be displayed. But most importantly, it is achingly beautiful. There are many remarkable recordings, perhaps the best by Horowitz with the New York Philharmonic. You can hear Rachmaninoff himself play it with the Philadelphia Orchestra. But this concert by Martha Argerich has always been a personal favorite. She is powerful and expressive, exacting and judicious on the pedal, and it is fun to watch her succumb to what every pianist does when climbing this Mount Olympus of concerti--she mumbles to herself. She tackles the cadenza at 11:05, the huge ten-fingered chords, in spectacular rapid-fire succession with gusto leaving even her conductor smiling in awe. (It is fun to note that Argerich and Ricardo Chailly were probably dating at the time.) She has precision and grace and fire and, yes, ice.

When you've the time, listen to the entire performance. But for now, at least listen to the First Movement. I always think of it as a battle of two melodies. It begins with the sad little Russian peasant tune that breaks free in a whirlwind of variations. Then Rachmaninoff introduces the second melody in fractures, giving us glimpses of it for the next twelve minutes, turning it inside out and upside down, each time you hear it think he is fully realizing it, but he is not. When he finally gives it its full voice, its due, its moment at 12:40, it feels like redemption, like the glory of the simplest moment in the history of the world. Sometimes, I can't even take it, it's so beautiful.