Franz Schubert, Leonid Desyatnikov in Bloomington, MN

Recordings of
Schubert
's
Fantasia for piano four hands in F minor, D. 940
, are abundant; this is one of the masterpieces from the end of
's life that broke all the musical boundaries of the time. There is much, however, to recommend this 2024 release by pianists
Pavel Kolesnikov
and
Samson Tsoy
. First is the fact that the two have been playing together since they were students; there is a level of coordination in quite complex music that often comes from long acquaintance. The performance of the
Fantasia
is broad and multi-layered. Second is the presence of an important world premiere, that of
Leonid Desyatnikov
Trompe-l'oeil
, which is based on
-- in
Desyatnikov
's words, "the follow-up to, or the rough draft of
Fantasy
." It puts the work through a funhouse mirror, with sharp contrasts added to
's material and sudden shifts in dynamics. Better still, the third work on the program,
Divertissement à la hongroise, D. 818
, is not terribly common, and it fits beautifully with the other two.
Kolesnikov
Tsoy
give this a dramatic reading that links it to the
work, which in turn is linked to the
. The result is a highly cohesive program that looks at
in fresh ways. Accurate sound from the Gustav-Mahler-Hall in Dobbacio, Italy, is another plus. ~ James Manheim