Unplayed Stories ... in 40 Fingers in Bloomington, MN

Not all the works here feature 40 fingers (two pianos, four pianists), but three of them do, and all are pretty much unplayed; all are world premiere recordings. Two of the three big works, the
Liszt
version
of
Schubert
's
Wanderer Fantasie
and
Les Contrastes (Grand Duo)
Ignaz Moscheles
, are presented in arrangements that increase the number of pianists. It is hard to imagine that a 19th century audience would have found much to complain about in what has been done here, which is generally a lot of fun and all but unknown. The
Fantaisie and Variations on a theme by Weber
is a genuine rarity, devised collaboratively between
Mendelssohn
Moscheles
; the notes go into the process in detail. Also intriguing are the closing
Grandes Marches, D. 819
, of
, arranged for eight hands in the 19th century by
Franz Pauer
, a student of
Franz Xaver Mozart
. These work well, with the eight hands keeping their defined roles in the playing of the
MultiPiano Ensemble
. The only piece that feels a bit overstuffed is the arrangement of the
, which is the work of members of the ensemble. In general, though, this is a program that an audience of
's time, or
's, would have not only accepted but enjoyed. ~ James Manheim