Beethoven, Schumann, Franck

On paper, Renaud Capuçon’s supreme Gallic poise and elegance would seem almost diametrically opposed to Martha Argerich’s incendiary Latin spontaneity, yet put them together (especially live, as here) and the musical sparks really start to fly. Schumann’s late *Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor* fizzes with excitement and passion, putting an end to any suggestion that Schumann’s creative powers were waning fast. So too Beethoven’s *Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, “Kreutzer”*, in which Argerich and Capuçon hurl themselves into the fray with virtuoso relish, leaving the listener with no doubt that the piano is first among equals. Finest of all is the Franck *Violin Sonata in A Major*, in which these two great players at the top of their game surf the music’s surging emotional tide with charismatic aplomb.