Following are several short excerpts taken from live recordings. Due to the large nature of audio files, it was necessary to reduce thesampling rate which, unfortunately, reduces the overall sound quality.
Brahms Sonata for Two Pianos in F Minor, Op. 34b, Mvt. I
Schubert Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 103
One of the greatest works in the classical literature,this piece stands as a landmark in the duo medium. Its four distinctsections mirror symphonic form which attests to the immense scope of thiswork. Never melodramatic, Schubert's sentiment, here, is one of profoundreflection as the piece's plurality of mood shifts from a boundless, hauntingcalm to an amorous dialogue to a titanic struggle of voices in the finalfugue which abruptly yields to the ever-present sublimity of the initialtheme....A remarkable commentary similar, in spirit, to Beethoven's thirdperiod.
A four-movement work, Debussy's charming PetiteSuite combines lyricism with pastel harmonies to produce a gentletexture. Unlike other pieces by this composer which seem to produceswirling vague colors of sound, this particular work is rather direct withminimal harmonic blur. Though firmly grounded harmonically, thiscomposition has a lightness throughout, similar to Faure's DollySuite. From its gently undulating introductory movement toits vigorous salon-like closing, Debussy's Petite Suite is a light-hearted, picturesque work with considerable variety.
Mozart Fantasyin F Minor,KV 608
Originally composed for the "Orgelwalze," or mechanicalmusical instrument, Mozart's Fantasy in F Minor has been reworkedseveral times in its long history. Written in 1791, its content isstunningly profound as its harmonic and emotional scope provide a vividsummary of the composer's late style. Much of the piece's intensitygrows out of its fierce opening material and powerful fugal writing. The Fantasy's B section provides a single reprieve with itsunexpected lyricism before a bolstered return of the A section. FerrucioBusoni's magnificent arrangement of this piece for two pianos has elevatedits importance since the early Twentieth Century.
Just one of the many Hungarian Dances byJohannes Brahms, this piece combines satirical humor with melodramaticwit as it portrays Brahms’s impressions of the histrionic Hungarian violinistshe often encountered. Their comical nature draws a sharp contrastbetween the more comedic side of Brahms and his stereotypically serious,more dramatic musical persona. In reality, he was a consummate prankster—a side of Brahms that is exquisitely portrayed in the always-entertainingHungarian Dances.
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