The works on this album are not exactly piano duets but works for two pianos, and pianists
Louis Lortie
and
Helene Mercier
, the latter a protegee of the former, are a well-oiled machine in this medium. The whole repertory of two-piano music is underappreciated nowadays, but in
Debussy
's time, it was essential. These balanced, detailed performances of some of his music in this genre are most welcome. Sample the intricate and surprising
Six epigraphes antiques
from
's last decade; the clarity of
Lortie
Mercier
's work here is notable. The earlier works are also beautifully done, with the pair capturing the way
's mature language seems to be straining to break out of the late French Romantic language in which he was trained. One might wonder why arguably the greatest
two-piano work of all, the rather grim World War I-era
En blanc et noir
, was not included, but maybe it is on the way in a future release, and its omission makes room for some transcriptions of
's orchestral music. One may also wonder about the value of hearing
La Mer
, among the most beautifully orchestrated piano works in the entire classical repertory, on two pianos, but the version here, by
Andre Caplet
, was certainly known to and approved of by
, and it is worth putting oneself in the frame of mind of its first hearers. With excellent sound from the Snape Maltings concert hall capturing the considerable colorism of which this duo is capable, this is another strong release from
. ~ James Manheim