Another outing for Czerny's Piano four-hand Concerto

[Mark Thomas]

...coupled with a Mozart Double Piano Concerto. Initial details here, but no audio extracts yet.

[Alan Howe]

Yes, I saw that too. An encouraging release from one of the older 'major' labels. Wonder if it'll be an improvement on the recording now on Christophorus?

[Mark Thomas]

There's only one way to find out....

[Alan Howe]

FIGHT! (With apologies to Harry Hill.)

[Mark Thomas]

I think it's Harry Hill who needs to do the apologising (I've seen the show).

[Alan Howe]

Whereas I've seen it - and love it. Puerile, me? 

[ewk]

Hi all,

A time ago, I was quite fascinated by the idea of four-hand piano music with whatever accompaniment, i.e. Concertos for piano four-hand (or three-hand (left hand only at one piano) or similar things) or chamber music with this instrumentation.

I found some works of this category and listened to the czerny concerto as well (I found it somewhere on youtube).

For chamber music I was wondering why there was not more of this written for this scoring – my personal answer was that it is often already difficult to balance e.g. strings and the piano – if there are two players playing on the piano, it would most surely be even more difficult to make sure that the piano is  not too loud.

However, for both concertos and chamber music my conclusion was – as sad as it sounds – that it isn't worth the effort, money etc. to employ two pianists as it doesn't sound very different to me – if you are honest, would you be able to distinguish whether the Czerny Concerto was played by one or two pianists if you listened to it without knowing what kind of piece it is? At least I couldn't I think – for me it sounded just as a (maybe difficult) concerto for one player.

What do you think about this? What was your opinion when you listened to the czerny concerto?

ewk

[Martin Eastick]

Czerny's Op153 surely could never be mistaken, even at a first hearing, for a concerto for just the usual 2 hands, even if it were one of the most difficult! The texture immediately gives the game away IMHO! Furthermore, it has to be acknowledged that Czerny's understanding of the piano is first-rate and whilst there are some who may be of the opinion that he falls short in musical inspiration  (just let us remind ourselves again of the sheer quantity of his endeavours!), his piano duet writing (of original works rather than the endless sets of variations!) includes some of his most inspired work, e.g. his Op10 & Op178!

[Martin Eastick]

First impressions from the brief audio extracts available indicate that this is THE recording to have of this work by far!

[edurban]

There's something encouraging about this duo's return to Czerny, and the studio, especially on Sony.  Their 1990 disc of Czerny 4 hands music, also on Sony, was a winner.  Good to see they're still fighting the good fight and Sony finds time and money for a composer about as far from the Silk Road as you can imagine...

David