Darius Milhaud - Music for two Pianos (Stephen Coombs; Artur Pizarro)

Information

Composer: Darius Milhaud

• (01) Scaramouche, Op. 165b
• (04) Kentuckiana, Op. 287
• (05) La Bal Martiniquais, Op. 249
• (07) Les Songes, Op. 237
• (10) Carnaval à la Nouvelle-Orléans, Op. 275
• (14) La Libertadora, Op. 236A
• (19) Le Bœuf sur le Toit, Op. 58a

Stephen Coombs, piano
Artur Pizarro, piano

Date: 1998
Label: Hyperion
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67014

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Review

If you like two-piano music, you’ll love this disc. Even if you have no special affinity for the medium, you’ll probably still love it. There is simply so much to enjoy. Imaginatively deployed, four hands, whether at one piano or at two, enable an expanded range and complexity of accompanying figures, and a subtlety of counterpoint and melodic voicing. In good hands, and with a partnership of mutual understanding, the possibilities for quasi-orchestral layering of sound allow a variety of colour and melodic highlighting.

Milhaud was an inveterate traveller, and he absorbed influences from many national styles, illustrated by titles such as Kentuckiana, Le bal martiniquais and “Brazileira” (from Scaramouche). The music exudes infectious dance impulses, languid geniality, knockabout humour and sheer joie de vivre. It may inhabit a limited expressive sphere, but providing you don’t expect introspection or searching profundity you won’t be disappointed. There is enjoyment at every turn, whether in the foot-tapping “Brazileira”, the Satie-esque simplicity of the “Valse” fromLes songes, or the breezy music-hall atmosphere of Le boeuf sur le toit, with its forays into polytonality and its wonderfully imaginative piano writing.

The performances are exemplary. Stephen Coombs and Artur Pizarro both enjoy the byways of the piano repertory, and, even if Pizarro is the more starry soloist, they are well matched as a duo. Coombs’s top part is suitably bright and sharply lit, and is offset by Pizarro’s more subtle colouring. They clearly revel in the protracted playfulness of Le boeuf sur le toit (the only work here for piano duet, incidentally, although there is if anything a greater wealth of inner detail than in the two-piano works), where their feeling for Hispanic exoticism is matched by their brilliant virtuosity. Indeed, their spirits remain undimmed throughout. The recorded sound is excellent, as are Robert Matthew-Walker’s accompanying notes. In short, piano discs as uninhibited and infectious as this are few and far between.

-- Tim Parry, Gramophone

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Darius Milhaud (4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor and teacher. He was a member of Les Six and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century; his opus list ended at 443. Milhaud composed for a wide range of genres. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality. His most popular works include Le bœuf sur le toit, La création du monde, Scaramouche, and Saudades do Brasil. Milhaud taught at Mills College and the Paris Conservatoire. The jazz pianist Dave Brubeck was one of Milhaud's most famous students, along with popular songwriter Burt Bacharach.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_Milhaud

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Stephen Coombs (born July 11, 1960 in Birkenhead, near Liverpool) is an English pianists. He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal College of Music. Coombs is one of the leading English pianists of his generation, active not only as a soloist and recitalist but also as a chamber player and duo pianist. While his repertory includes mainstream compositions, he has become particularly well known for his interpretations of works by lesser-known late-Romantic composers. Coombs has achieved acclaim for his recordings in the massive Hyperion series The Romantic Piano Concerto.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stephen-coombs-mn0002342760/biography

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Artur Pizarro (born 1968 in Lisbon) is a Portuguese pianist of international acclaim. Pizarro began his early piano studies in Lisbon with Campos Coelho. At age five, he began studying with Sequeira Costa, and continued working with him until 1990. Pizarro also worked with other teachers, including Aldo Ciccolini. He performs internationally in solo recitals, in duos, with chamber music groups, and as a soloist with the world's leading orchestras. Pizarro has an extensive discography available on Linn Records, as well as on Naxos, Hyperion, Collins Classics, and other labels. He is a Yamaha-International Artist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artur_Pizarro

http://www.arturpizarro.pt/biography/

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