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'In their performance of the Rite, Moore and Crawford-Phillips capture so
much of the spirit of the work, so much of its archetypal, mythical
quality, so much of its sense of sacred renewal, that an innocent hearer
would surely not suspect that it was a mere 'version' of a
work more famous in another musical medium. They are never underpowered,
never less than fully responsive to the emotional range of this
ceaselessly astonishing piece.'
'The Firebird was in my view worth the price of this disc alone.'
'The three Firebird movements brim with propulsive energy. If it weren't for the sheer complexity of the textures, you could be
forgiven for thinking you were hearing one pianist.'
'With no Stravinsky
four-hand transcription of The Firebird available, Philip Moore
undertook the project of arranging the work for four hands, recorded here
for the first time. As with all of these works, the music has a directness
and logic which almost transcends the instrumentation used, but Moore's
arrangement is more than mere transcription. ...
I am seriously impressed
by this duo, and this new recording mixes it well with other established
names in this repertoire.'
'One of the pleasures of a disc such
as this is that it sends one back to the orchestral works as a better
listener, a listener with ears and mind more fully alert to those
structures which can sometimes be partially lost behind the mass of
orchestral detail.'
'The duo's ensemble is astonishingly good - and there are plenty of challenges
in The Rite of Spring, which must be the duettists' equivalent of
climbing Everest. The sheer panache of these performers makes this a
most satisfying release with a unique feature.'
'The interplay between Moore
and Crawford-Phillips is absolute, so that one readily forgets that
there are two performers, so complete is the integration of their
contributions.'
'This
CD offers listeners the chance both to enjoy a fresh perspective on
three orchestral masterpieces and to hear an outstanding piano duet
at work.'
(For the reviews in full, please click here)
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