It was in Geneva in 1981 that Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich made their studio recordings of the Debussy and Franck Sonatas for EMI‚ two inspirational artists who plainly struck musical sparks from each other. Here‚ in live recordings made in concerts in Kyoto‚ Japan in November 2000‚ they renew their collaboration over the same two works‚ adding for full measure the Chopin Sonata and Polonaise brillante. Once again the magnetism of both artists is clear from first to last‚ musicians whose very presence commands attention‚ but alas‚ the self­indulgence which has often afflicted the performances of such highly individual artists has here become obtrusive‚ not so much with Argerich – who regularly has the job of matching the vagaries of her wilful partner – but of Maisky‚ who on this showing seems to find it very hard to maintain a steady speed in almost any music for more than a bar or so. One might argue that the Franck gains from such freedom‚ a work which in the first and third movements is rhapsodic to the point of being improvisational. In their earlier recording the freedom was beautifully judged in rapt‚ concentrated playing‚ but here in live performance the pulling about of phrase and tempo is so extreme it is almost grotesque‚ hardly persuasive despite the powerful presence conveyed by obviously charismatic artists. Even in the dash­ing Scherzo the unsteadiness of tempo is distracting‚ and in the finale the result is almost scrappy‚ even though predictably they build up to an exciting climax. The Debussy‚ even more improvisational in its highly original inspiration‚ fares rather better‚ though again their earlier studio account is the more satisfying‚ with cleaner textures. The Chopin Sonata brings some inspired moments‚ as in the haunting central trio section of the second movement Scherzo‚ and many will applaud the observance of the long exposition section in the first movement. Yet here‚ too‚ the reluctance of Maisky ever to adopt a steady tempo is distracting. My comparisons in the Chopin have been with the version which Jacqueline du Pré recorded with Daniel Barenboim not long before her tragic illness forced her to abandon playing. Freely expressive as du Pré’s playing is‚ she never indulges that freedom here in the way Maisky does. That is perfectly illustrated in the soaring cantilena of the brief Largo‚ where the relative simplicity of du Pré is so much more moving than the lurching phrasing of Maisky. A pity when artists of this calibre have so much to give. The recording has plenty of weight‚ but lacks a degree in inner clarity‚ particularly in relation to the studio versions of the Franck and Debussy.