Search - Pierce and Jonas :: Rare Works for Two Pianos and Orchestra

The indefatigable explorers Pierce and Jonas score a new win

Discophage | France | 01/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had enjoyed the previous Pierce and Jonas disc devoted to compositions for two pianos and orchestra by Walter Piston, Quincy Porter and Morton Gould (American Music for Two Pianos and Orchestra), and I am very much into the music of Roy Harris these days, so this was the obvious next step. As it turns out the duet of indefatigable discoverers, have scored a new winner, at least with Dubois and Harris.



Pierre Max Dubois (1930-1995), though a prolific composer, is an obscure figure of the 20th Century music world, even in his native country France. When, after the war, composers of his generations launched themselves with a vengeance in the explorations of new music paths, he was content to remain in a tonal idiom, true to his master Milhaud. To him music was first and foremost entertainment. Within those limits his Two-Piano Concerto is a highly enjoyable work and a fine discovery. The outer movements have the dynamic boisterousness of Poulenc and rich and dynamic interplay between both solo instruments, and there is a touching wistfulness and simplicity in the second movement.



The music of Roy Harris is a fairly recent discovery to me (see my reviews of Barber: Capricorn Concerto; Copland: Saga of the Prairies; Harris: Symphony No. 6 "Gettysburg", Roy Harris: Symphony 1933; Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; Symphony No. 5 and Roy Harris: Concerto for Piano & Strings), and I love it. I recognize the formulas - the dynamic exuberance of the outer movements, the triumphant perorations, the simple harmonic progressions, the quasi-chorales of scorching lyrical intensity, the solemn dialogues of strings and brass: take a Harris Symphony, add two pianos, and you have the Two Piano Concerto from 1946 - but that's what they call "a style" with other composers, so why not with Harris, as long as the style is as appealing and as uniquely personal as Harris'? The Two-Piano Concerto is a great work.



Arthur Benjamin's "North American Square Dance Suite" (1950) is not so memorable a composition. Its title describes it. It aims at entertainment - a little too much so for my taste: Broadway music for Two Pianos and orchestra, which may appeal to many listeners, but seems as nourishing as cotton candy to me.



Still, for Dubois and even more for Harris, this is a great discovery. Good sound, TT an acceptable 55'.



"

Lovely recording of unique works.

EKO | 01/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Crystal clear recording of very listenable contemporary music. Amazingly a Czech Orchestra can perform Roy Harris so well. This will probably never be recorded again. Try this -- you won't be disappointed by either the music or the quality of the playing!"