CONCERT REVIEW. Cape Town Concert Series Presents: Spina & Benignetti Piano Duo. (Four Hands at One Piano). At The Baxter Concert Hall, Cape Town. On 15 February, 2025. ALBERT COMBRINK reviews.
Programme: “Transcriptions” – works by Franck, Liszt, Wagner and Ravel.
Pianist Charles Owen writes: “The day to day life of a solo pianist is a highly demanding one, a strange existence of intensely focused practice hours, navel gazing and solitary concert travels.” The life of two concert-pianists on one piano, must bring with it its own unique set of challenges. Apart from the issues of numbers: one keyboard, four hands, three pedals and four feet, not to mention two heads and individual artistic minds, there are issues with the repertoire, to complicate matters further.
There are many works originally conceived and composed specifically for a duo, and then there are many, many examples of existing orchestral repertoire being arranged for the format – and with mixed success. Of the various debates sparked by the concert, the question of repertoire was a heated one. The use of “Duo” versus “Duet” was another.
What was not in question, was that the performers were superb, polished and refined, giving exceptionally musical and well-crafted performances of their chosen works. The “Duo” (the term for two players performing together), played “Duets” (the term for repertoire written for performance by two players) that were, in all cases, transcriptions of existing works. It is a purely ideological debate whether you prefer your duets to be original works – in chich case you will be extremely limited in real quality works – or creative re-imaginings i.e. “transcriptions” of existing works, often by the composers themselves or close allies. Composers arranged their own music: it was the only way to advertise, in those days.
There was a growing market for arrangements as the piano became a middle-class home-entertainment center. Arrangements were also a study-tool: since there were rarely live performances to attend, one’s only hope of encountering a Wagner opera or a Beethoven Symphony, might actually be in some form of transcription. My take on it is not to exclude anything until you have given it a fair chance, in ideal circumstance in an ideal performance.
And a superb performance it was. Awarded with the Gold Medal at the Manhattan International Music Competition in New York and at the Global Music Awards (USA), the duo were winners of numerous competitions dedicated to chamber music and piano duo, including the Pietro Argento Competition (Italy), London Piano Masters – Royal College of Music (UK), Virtuoso Grand Prize Competition (France) Concours Musical de France (France), International Artists Competition in Vienna.
Flawless and virtually note-perfect
The duo brought the experience of their many years of giving concert and recording CDs, to provide a flawless and virtually note-perfect rendition of music from their latest CD, “Transcriptions for Piano 4-Hands: Ravel, Wagner & Liszt” recorded for “Piano Classics”. See here.
The programme opened with the 1862 Prélude, Fugue and Variation Op. 18 by César Franck (1822 – 1890), originally composed for organ, presented here, in the World-Premiere of the transcription by Abel Marie Decaux. The exquisite sound of the Duo was immediately apparent, as was the absolute clarity of sound and pedalling. The playing was so clear that a reverse-transcription would have been possible, with every nuance and detail carefully lifted out for the audience’s delectation. There was something of the feeling of a “Masterchef” at work, from the composer’s thoughtful choice of melody, to the arranger’s thoughtful choice of pianistic colour, to the thoughtful presentation by the pianists.
A 20-minute Symphonic Tone Poem followed: Les Préludes by Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886), presented in the composer’s own transcription – which stabs the notion in the neck, that the orchestral version is 1) better, 2) clearly the preferred option, or 3) the only version the composer had in mind.
In fact, Liszt created both a Duet-version and a Two-Piano version. The version for piano four-hands, maintains the grandiose character of the composition, exploiting all the registers of the piano to bring out the different Elements that constitute its subdued movement. There was virtuosity to spare, but never frivolous display. Given that the geography of the piano essentially confines one pianist to the Bass section and the other pianist in the stratospheric Piccolo-range, the genius of Liszt is in how he manages to recreate the ebb and flow of those orchestral textures.
The Ouverture to Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883), followed. Wagner’s music often expresses conflict between earthly sensuality and lofty spiritual ideals, and none so much as this opera, which even has characters ( Venus and Elisabeth), who personify the opposing poles. Having conducted the premiere performance of the prelude to Tristan und Isolde, Hans von Bülow was clearly conversant with that dimension of the composer’s music and translated that conflict into his nuanced overture transcription. From the dignified opening theme, pacing with an unhurried unfolding, the music flowed to a powerful and grandiose apotheosis, in which the pianists put out a considerable volume, but never overplayed the piano.
The second half of the programme included transcriptions by Lucien Garban, of two works by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): Valses Nobles et Sentimentales from 1911, and the 1920 La Valse. Garban, both a student of Gabriel Fauré and close friend of Ravel, was closely familiar with the idiom, and worked closely with the composer on these arrangements. Ravel even performed them. The is an intimacy and “instant” quality in the Duo-versions that is far removed from the ominous and underworldly visions conjured up in the orchestral version. The dreamlike flow was convincing and perhaps one or two climaxes could have conjured more apocalyptic visions – to my taste. Ravel was forever scarred by his experience as an ambulance-driver in the First World War and I personally feel that a good performance must reflect this side of the French experience as well as the perfumed proto-impressionism.
We were treated to a welcome encore: Salut d’amour by Edward Elgar (1857-1934). I asked the piano tuner Garth Hammer (from Ian-Burgess-Simpson Pianos), who services and tunes the flagship Steinway of the concert-series, if he had done anything special to the piano to produce the exceptionally beautiful tone, and he replied that he had done his usual work on the instrument. This means that the exceptionally beautiful tone, lyrical sound and complete lacking of aggressive or banging playing, was all in the four hands on stage. The “Salut to Cape Town” left the audience with a smile on the face and the kind of glow in the heart when you have just spent precious time with someone precious.
These concerts ARE precious. Our city would simply not be the same without them, and to think: a seventy year heritage still going strong.
A long-awaited, but exceptionally welcome Cape Town Concert Series debut.
The next Cape Town Concert Series recital
12 April, 2025 at The Baxter Concert Hall at 11am. Percussion in Concert: Celebrated marimbist Magda de Vries is joined by Eugene Trofimczyk from the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra along with Stephan Galfin and Dylan Tabisher for a varied and dynamic programme of chamber music around the world of percussion.
Book here.
Stay up-to-date with acoustic concerts in Cape Town by following Louise Howlett ‘s UNPLUGGED Newsletter on https://www.ctconcerts.co.za/ctcs-2025-for-your-diary…/
Follow the Spina – Benignetti Piano Duo on the rest of their 2025 South African Tour:
- 15 February – Cape Town Concert Series – @ctconcertseries
- 16 February – UNISA Concert Series – @unisa_universityofsouthafrica
- 22 February – Seabrooke Concert Series – Wits University @wits_music
- 23 February – Glenshiel Concert Series – Johannesburg
- 27 February – Odeion Concert Series – Bloemfontein – @odeionschoolofmusicufs
- 2 March – OAK Hermanus Concert Series
- 15 April – Palazzetto Bru Zane – Venezia @palazzettobruzane
What: Spina & Benignetti Piano Duo review
Reviewer: Albert Combrink
WS
