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The esteemed piano virtuoso Martha Argerich has withdrawn from further performances in Austria and Germany this August, citing illness, according to official statements from the organizers of the events. At the age of 82, Argerich, who is widely regarded as one of the preeminent pianists of our time, was slated to perform a sequence of concerts alongside the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Daniel Barenboim.
Martha Argerich reluctantly abandoned two of the scheduled engagements while retaining two performances in Salzburg and Berlin on the agenda. However, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra released a statement expressing that, despite her optimistic hope for a swift recovery, Argerich has found it necessary to relinquish the remaining appearances for health-related reasons. In her stead, German pianist Igor Levit has been called upon to occupy her place at the concerts. Unfortunately, no further specifics regarding Argerich’s health condition have been divulged at this time.
Often referred to as the “lioness” due to her striking long, grey mane of hair, Argerich’s illustrious career began in Buenos Aires, where she was born on June 5, 1941. Aa a child prodigy, she commenced her piano studies at the tender age of three, leading to her orchestral debut at just eight years old. After relocating to Europe with her family in 1955, Argerich studied with some of the continent’s most distinguished pianists. Remarkably, she triumphed in two major music competitions in Bolzano, Italy, and Geneva within a mere span of 10 days at the age of 16. Later on, she became a naturalized Swiss citizen.
Argerich’s international acclaim has led her to concert halls around the globe, where she has released now-legendary recordings of works by composers such as Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Prokofiev, Ravel, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky. In 1965, she clinched the prestigious Chopin piano competition in Poland. Despite her undeniable success, Argerich has, at times, shied away from the limelight. From the 1980s onward, she largely refrained from solo performances for nearly two decades, admitting that they evoked feelings of loneliness. Her collaborations were primarily with orchestras and chamber ensembles until a sold-out recital at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2000, performed in support of a cancer charity.
Argerich’s personal battles with cancer in the 1990s and subsequent concert cancellations for health reasons in 2017 lend a somber context to her latest withdrawal, serving as a stark reminder of the fragility of even the most towering artistic figures. Her absence from the stage will undoubtedly be felt keenly by audiences and fellow musicians alike.
Béatrice Moreau
With AFP.
