Seiji Ozawa | News | Seiji Ozawa & Martha Argerich - Four decades of friendship & musical partnership brings two titans of classical music together again

Decca Classics announce the second official joint recording from Seiji Ozawa and Martha Argerich, presenting Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.2 in his 250th anniversary year, and Ozawa’s first-ever recording of Grieg’s Holberg Suite. Following the unprecedented success of their debut collaboration in 2018, the inimitable artists reunite for their next album, released on 8th May 2020. Recorded live in concert in Japan in May 2019, it includes a bonus track from Mozart’s Divertimento K.136.

Argerich and Ozawa first performed together over 40 years ago, when Argerich made her sensational Boston Symphony debut. Since then, the artists have developed a deep creative friendship, lighting up concert halls around the world and achieving critical acclaim. In 2018 they recorded their first ever album: Beethoven’s First Symphony with the Mito Chamber Orchestra who also feature on this new release. 

The recording is Ozawa’s second international release with Mito Chamber Orchestra: a hand-picked ensemble of international players drawn from Japan, Europe and North America. The orchestra was established in 1990 under Ozawa’s direction and has since collaborated with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians – from Szymon Goldberg to Mstislav Rostropovich and Andras Schiff.

Seiji Ozawa first recorded Beethoven half a century ago (the 5th with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1968). He studied Beethoven with Hideo Saito, the celebrated Japanese conductor, cellist and teacher who had studied in Berlin and Leipzig in the late 1920s with Emmanuel Feuermann among others. Ozawa famously went on to study with Herbert Von Karajan in Berlin and as Leonard Bernstein’s assistant at the New York Philharmonic in the early 1960s.

Martha Argerich continues to be one of the most extraordinary pianists performing today. Together with Seiji Ozawa, this magnificent duo bring spontaneity and insight into Beethoven’s iconic work.

 Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op.19 (1–3)

 Mozart: Divertimento in D, K.136 (4)

 Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40 (5–9)

MARTH ARGERICH, piano