The highlight of this sophomore effort from the Duo d'Accord is a piano, four-hands arrangement of Schumann's Piano Quintet, made by Clara Schumann. And what a highlight it is. None of the energy, excitement, or appeal is lost, and if it weren't so well known in its original instrumentation it would be hard to believe that it wasn't meant for piano duet. What is hard to imagine is that it can all fit so well on the one keyboard without the two pianists tripping over each other. Shao-Yin Huang and Sebastian Euler give hardly ...
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The highlight of this sophomore effort from the Duo d'Accord is a piano, four-hands arrangement of Schumann's Piano Quintet, made by Clara Schumann. And what a highlight it is. None of the energy, excitement, or appeal is lost, and if it weren't so well known in its original instrumentation it would be hard to believe that it wasn't meant for piano duet. What is hard to imagine is that it can all fit so well on the one keyboard without the two pianists tripping over each other. Shao-Yin Huang and Sebastian Euler give hardly any sign that this version is any more or less difficult than the original (there is a bit of confusion in the passage in the second movement with the duple-vs.-triple rhythm, not with the rhythms, but with the voicing of the lines in relation to each other). The two pianists both have an even tone that makes one wish at times for more brashness and sharpness, and a more intense contrast in dynamics and emotion, but otherwise they have the energy and strength to pull off the quintet...
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