Legendary it may be, tempting it certainly is (some male Argerich fans would probably pay full price just for the cover photo), but it’s not difficult to see why this recording has not previously been released from the EMI archives.
The opening of the B minor Sonata is surprisingly restrained, not at all like the stereotypical image of Argerich as thoroughbred racehorse champing at the bit. Every phrase suggests suppressed temperament, which certainly keeps you listening, and the comparatively low level of intensity guards against the danger of the broader structure falling apart; never is there any doubt that here is a colossal pianistic and interpretative talent on display. Yet by the standards Argerich was soon to set, she sounds slightly ill at ease, and the overall impression is of a sketch of a great interpretation rather than the definitive article. The recording quality is also surprisingly crude – the piano too distant, the ambience unappealing.
Argerich re-recorded most of this programme two years later for DG, and the later versions show a striking gain in ease of delivery and daring individuality, as well as far superior sound quality. Here the Polonaise really comes to the boil, the Scherzo is volatile and compelling rather than artificial and unsettled, the Mazurkas proud rather than merely gingered up. The three DG discs offer three times as much of Argerich’s Chopin, including the Preludes and the Second Sonata, plus a whole disc of her scintillating Bach. EMI has got some nerve issuing a mere 52 minutes of less than wonderful Argerich at full price.