Schubert - Piano Duets

Schubert: Allegro in A minor 'Lebensstürme', D947T
Rondo in A major, D951
Fantasie in F minor for piano duet, D940
Variations in A flat major on a original theme, D813

Piano 4 Hands
(Joseph Tong & Waka Hasegawa)

Quartz CD QTZ2068

This is a fine disc by duo partners who have given us great pleasure in concert.

They have a judicious way of maintaining pulse with no excessve rubato, and shape longer movements with variations of tension and dynamic levels. A nice touch is that we are told who is playing primo and secondo (with the all important control of the pedal) in each item. They play a Steinway and moderate its power successfully.

The notes are interesting and help to focus listening to some of the greatest music in the one-piano duet literature, most of it intended for domestic playing at home, rather than in concert. I hope that in the future they will consider playing their earlier duet repertoire on a period fortepiano?

The duo has an enterprising new piano duo festival at Bristol in mid-October: http://www.pianoduofest.org.uk

Peter Grahame Woolf