Mozart: Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K. 448; Schubert: Fantasia for Piano, 4 Hands in F Minor, D 940 [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Franz [Vienna] Schubert (Composer), Radu Lupu (Performer), Murray Perahia (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia
• Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz [Vienna] Schubert
• Audio CD (September 30, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000CF330
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,613 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #8 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Fantasies
  • #46 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Sonatas
  • #77 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Full Keyboard - More Mozart and Schubert!, July 13, 2006

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mozart: Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K. 448; Schubert: Fantasia for Piano, 4 Hands in F Minor, D 940 (Audio CD)

The credentials of both of the two soloists here - Murray Perahia and Radu Lupu - are impeccable as individual interpreters of the works of both Mozart and Schubert and so it should come as no surprise that as they sit at the same keyboard the result is nothing less than satisfying.

For this listener the highlight of this recording is the splendid composition by Schubert - the 'Fantasia for piano, 4 hands in F minor', D. 94. The work contains some of his most haunting melodies in his oeuvre and Perahia and Lupu find that degree of harmony that makes the piece truly sing.

The Mozart works (Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K 375), the Fantasia for mechanical organ in F minor, K. 608 and Variations on an original theme for piano, 4 hands in G major, K. 501) are of interest not only because they are rarely heard, but also because of the intelligent music making Perahia and Lupu bring to their interpretations. Without a score in hand it is difficult to know which exposed parts are being played by which soloist and that is as it should be. The two pianists mirror each other and respect the performances in a way that is a welcome unified sound.

Works for extended piano keyboard, whether that be on the same keyboard or on two pianos, are too infrequently performed for obvious reasons. But here we have two of our finest pianists on a CD that is available at the press of a button. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, July 06

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transcendent Music, Perfectly Played, August 30, 2008

By 

Joseph Isenbergh (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mozart: Sonata in D Major for Two Pianos & Schubert: Fantasia in F Minor for Piano, Four Hands, D. 940 (Op. 103) - Expanded Edition (MP3 Download)

Schubert's F minor Fantasy is the greatest work for piano 4-hands. To my ears, indeed, it comes close to the summit of all music. The piece is beyond imagining. You cannot believe that there is music this beautiful until you actually hear it. Some say that listening to Mozart will make you smarter. Maybe so -- and that's great -- but listening to Schubert (and in particular the F minor Fantasy) will make you happier.

The F minor Fantasy has always drawn great artists to it and has been much and well recorded, by such duo pianists as Eschenbach-Frantz, Richter-Britten, Aebersold-Neiweem, Gilels (Emil)-Gilels (Elena), Levin-Bilson, Schnabel (Helen)-Schnabel (Karl), the Paratore brothers, the Pekinel sisters, and Brendel-Crochet, to name only a few. I own more than 30 recordings of the piece. Astonishingly, all are rewarding; many are sublime.

Even within this lofty group, the Lupu and Perahia recording stands out. Their playing combines clarity and rhythmic propulsion with a kind of dreamy relaxation. This may sound impossible, but Lupu and Perahia accomplish it with supple inflection and finely shaded dynamics in the musical lines, while maintaining rigorous metrical exactitude. The closing section (a combination of recapitulation and coda wrapped around a driving fugato) is perhaps the greatest 5 minutes of recorded music that I have heard. The tempi here are slower than in many other recordings. This is ideal, because the overwhelming feeling you get from this music is to want it to last forever. The perfect tempo is the slowest one that maintains strong forward movement. Lupu and Perahia achieve this effect, among many artful touches, with the elasticity of their phrasing. Also, the sound is impeccable. I doubt the F minor Fantasy can be played better or recorded with greater fidelity.

The clincher here is that Amazon.com sells the entire F minor Fantasy (almost 20 minutes of music) as a single mp3 file for 99 cents. Moreover, Amazon.com is the only online music store where you can buy this recording of the F minor Fantasy without buying the entire album. So buy it. Pound for pound, it will be the best 99 cents you ever spent.

That said, the rest of the album is superb as well, including an exemplary recording of Mozart's D major sonata for two pianos.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly rated, July 21, 2005

By 

Alan Lekan (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mozart: Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K. 448; Schubert: Fantasia for Piano, 4 Hands in F Minor, D 940 (Audio CD)

A superb collaboration of two great pianists recently remastered for better sound quality. Masterful music but perhaps a divergent coupling. This performance was given high marks by major reviewers (Gramophone). See original CD issue for more reviews on Amazon.