Bartók, Rachmaninoff & Debussy: Transcriptions for Two Pianos

This recording offers a kaleidoscopic perspective: three composers, three works and three distinct aesthetics, united by a common thread. Each was written for symphony orchestra and reduced for two pianos by the composer himself. Such transcriptions are common, and sometimes even predate the orchestral version, growing from a sketch in which every musical idea, harmony, rhythm and texture is already present in embryo. Some were intended for the concert hall, as with Rachmaninov and Debussy. Others, like Bartók’s ballet score, served dancers in rehearsal and choreographic work.

Working always from the original two-piano text, the performers have enriched it wherever it was physically and pianistically possible, without resorting to overdubbing. They draw on ossias indicated by the composers and on details taken from the orchestral scores. Every addition rests on careful analysis, with the aim of preserving the full richness of each work and narrowing the sonic gap between two pianos and a full symphony orchestra. Attentive listeners will discover these touches as the music unfolds.

All three composers were formidable pianists whose musical thinking often began at the keyboard. Rachmaninov and Debussy composed seated at the piano, while Bartók wrote at his desk and checked every passage at the instrument straight away. It is no surprise, then, that their music, like that of Ravel and Stravinsky, so often exists in several guises: for piano, for two pianos and for orchestra. Heard in these versions, familiar works reveal themselves from fresh angles.

Ángel Huidobro – piano
Pascual Jover – piano