Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Full Keyboard - More Mozart and Schubert!, July 13, 2006
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
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Transcendent Music, Perfectly Played, August 30, 2008
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.
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-Cochet, 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. I realize that this sounds impossible, but they 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. 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 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.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly rated, July 21, 2005
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.
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~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
~ Johannes Brahms
~ Ferruccio Busoni
~ Radu Lupu
~ George Frederick Handel
- the new music site from IMDb and Amazon.
