In the years following her triumph at the Seventh International Chopin Piano Competition in 1965, Martha Argerich—the “whirlwind from Argentina”—soon became known as a pianist who never played it safe. Each musical outing became for Argerich “a new, high-risk adventure, another opportunity to discover interpretative possibilities in the moment,” noted Caleb Bach. “While this profound need to constantly test limits and resist predictability always charged her performances with great vitality, her restless, impulsive nature was not always conducive to stability in her private life.”

In this, the second episode of a two-part program, Adriaan Fuchs takes a closer look at Argerich’s relationships with conductor Charles DuToit and pianist Stephen Kovacevich, discusses her phenomenal technique, shares some of the qualities that have made her a living legend, and looks at the insecurities and fears that have plagued her career. He also touches on Argerich’s brave struggle with cancer, and her triumphant, now legendary, concert at Carnegie Hall in 2000.