Piano arrangements and transcriptions were extremely
popular in the 19th century. These included lavish
fantasias on operatic and orchestral works made by famous pianists,
such as Liszt and Thalberg, in order to display their phenomenal
technique. The obvious intention was to make both the artists
and the compositions themselves more accessible to a wider musical
public. Equally obvious is the reason why the enthusiasm for piano
versions of symphonic and vocal works declined: the improvements
made during the 20th century in sound recording. Nowadays
it may well be curiosity that prompts us to listen to them. Both
works on this disc present special problems for the listener as
well as the players
Brahms made a number of transcriptions of his
orchestral and vocal works for two pianos, of which these two
may well be the most technically daunting, and though the brilliant
orchestration is missing, neither can be dismissed as ‘Hamlet
without the Prince’. The majestic outlines of the Symphony are
subtly preserved, and the Tragic Overture retains its power
and drama. One can but admire the skill of the transcription and
the subtlety of the pianists who play it, but a feeling of loss
for the originals is unavoidable. Needless to say Brahms was fully
equal to the task of arranging his own music, but it is doubtful
whether, had he been able to hear present-day orchestral recordings,
he would have bothered.
Roy Brewer
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Silke-Thora Matthies; Christian
Köhn (pianos) 
