La Valse for Piano Duet

Various composers

Philip Moore - piano
Simon Crawford Phillips - piano

Playing time 60 mins.

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BBC Music Magazine, October 2001

Performance - 5 Stars
Sound - 5 Stars

The Kontarskys, the Labeques, the Ogdons - often successful piano duos seem to benefit from being related, or at least married to one another. Philip Moore and Simon Crawford-Phillips are to the best of my knowledge neither of these but they have that crucial quality of appearing to think with one brain, moving their fingers in response to a single artistic impulse. The effect is deceptive; rather like the Aztecs who regarded a Spaniard on a horse as being a single entity, it seems that we are listening to just one artist. This composite pianist plays Debussy's Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune with immense grace and sensitivity to the weight of silence. In Bizet's Jeux d'enfants he is innocent and full of enchantment, and plays with such charm as to persuade that this is the most delightful piece ever written for the medium. Similarly in Ravel's Ma mere l'oye, childlike simplicity and technical sophistication go hand in hand. Nothing trips him up, not even the exhausting and slightly pointless gymnastics of Ravel's La valse. A remarkable young pianist: look out for him.
Christopher Wood.

Sunday Times, 26th August 2001

THESE two young players made their Proms debut last week in Stravinsky's Concerto for Two Pianos, and here they offer an enjoyable, well-arranged sequence of French music for four-hand piano. Ravel's fascinating transcription of Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune articulates the evanescent orchestral substance of the original with analytical precision while retaining a magical limpidity and flow. The profundity of this opening item is matched by and contrasted with that of the final one, Ravel's seductively catastrophic La Valse (in Lucien Garban's transcription). In between comes the wistfully remembered innocence of Bizet's Jeux d'enfants - beginning in a reverie, it ends in a (sparklingly played) gallop - and Ravel's immaculate Ma mère l'Oye suite.
Paul Driver.

Classic FM Magazine, October 2001

The piano duet repertoire has tended to get short shrift from the recording industry, which is a pity and can be partly attributed to the prevalence of orchestral versions of the music. The music here is better known on full orchestra and it's fun to spot the way different details can emerge in the piano [duet] version. Moore and Crawford-Phillips perform with unfailing beauty. For a taster, listen to this month's cover disc.
Jessica Duchen.