Enough people were there from various Lists, so you will get different
points of view plus those of the professional reviewers...however:

I've seen Martha Argerich in concerts several times before. I think she
may have given the performance of her life - and considering her USUAL level,
this is saying something!

Just a few comments: I'll write more when I have more time later today.
Her Bach Partita (no 2 in C minor). Several people commented to me, during
intermission and afterwards "of course she played Romantic Bach". Not so at
all, I thought. Since the harpsichord cannot change volume with speed of key
depression, performers in Bach's time could only produce emphasis by varying
time duration - agogic accents. Martha was doing this consistently in slower
passages: keeping the volume steady and varying time duration of notes. Back
in the 1950's, there was James Friskin at Juilliard, an apostle of absolutely
rigid Bach playing, which I think was utterly NON-authentic, aside from being
deadly boring (although the man's utter commitment had its own emotional
impact). That said, Argerich's performance had also the expected high velocity
and perfect articulation where appropriate. Of course, the final chord never
had a chance to finish, before being drowned out by the roar of applause and
full-throated cheering. (I thought only rock stars and Liszt could make an
audience go that wild...)

The Chopin Barcarolle: I'd commented earlier about what was really quite a
fine performance by Marc-Andre Hamelin of this piece, saying that, while each
bar taken by itself was beautifully played, the whole did not seem to work
quite as perfectly. It's very hard to put into words exactly what was missing,
and Argerich showed me ! Wonderful conception; expressiveness that kept the
audience absolutely motionless, I think without a single cough. By the way,
doesn't this take care of the gender question once and for all? Incidentally,
any performer who wears clothing meant to be noticed is ASKING for a reviewer
to to mention it. This particular "Ms World-Famous Pianist" had on a plain
black dress, since her playing and musicianship was so superlative as to need
nothing mare.

The rest later ! Neil McKelvie