Customer Reviews

Mozart, Brahms, Saint-Saens, Reger: Variations

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From first note to last, this album is pure delight. I bought it mainly for the Saint-Saëns (long a favorite from an old LP), which receives flawless, sparkling treatment here -- as fine a reading as one could wish for (the theme, incidentally, comes from the third movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata 18 in E-flat, Op. 31/3).

The rest of the program is no less captivating. The Mozart and Brahms performances equal the very best I've heard. I am especially grateful that these artists have introduced me to the Reger (if you know his stupendous solo-piano Variations & Fugue on a Theme of Telemann, Op. 134, you'll hear echoes of its fugal finale in the comparable section of this two-piano work. In fact, the Telemann Variations are only two opus numbers beyond this set). Reger takes his theme from the opening variation movement of Mozart's A-major Piano Sonata, K. 331 (which ends with the famous *Rondo alla turca*).

Bartlett and Marchand bring just the right touch of vivid characterization to each work. There's not a false gesture anywhere, and their playing communicates conviction, boundless energy, and joy. I do hope they record more four-hand repertoire (how about some Schubert?). Their love for the music and their exceptional interpretive skill shine through every note. The recording is clear and bright without being clinical or harsh, and the engineers have recorded the pianos at a comfortable listening distance that nicely captures the acoustic space while allowing even the most complex passagework to emerge clearly.

In short, this one's a real winner. If you love superior piano playing, welcome these superlative musicians to your collection. You'll be glad you did.

McGill faculty Dale Bartlett and Jean Marchand collaborated in 2002 to create this recording of variation sets written for two pianos by Mozart, Brahms, Saint-Saens and Max Reger. The most famous piece here is Brahms' Haydn Variations, well-known in its orchestrated version. I bought the disc for the Beethoven Variations by Camille Saint-Saens, which I had read about and are fairly hard to find. Saint-Saens took a thematic group from one of Beethoven's Op. 31 sonatas (it's an unusual structure, since two Beethoven themes are used as the subject, not just one) and varies it. It's a decent piece but I wouldn't say top echelon Saint-Saens. Max Reger's Variations and Fugue on a theme from Mozart, on the famous theme from the A-major sonata, itself the subject for variations, is the most recent piece here, dating from 1914. It contains the usual aggressive modulations. I found the long concluding fugue to be remarkable, with many exotic harmonic and coloristic touches. Bartlett and Marchand start off with a brief Mozart variations set (K. 501).

The piano playing is quite good. It doesn't have the finish and perfection of a truly first-rate performance, with some unpolished octave accents scattered through the last three variation sets. I also thought some of the music could have been interpreted in a more luscious way, such as the beautiful Variation 7 from the Brahms, which was a tad insipid. The sonics are good, although recorded at a curiously low level - perhaps a sign that the recording was done in a "home-brew" setting - so your system amplifier will need to be up to the task. For these reasons, I am assigning it a 4-star rating. But Bartlett and Marchand are quality professional pianists and deliver a fine, satisfying performance. A good disc.