On Apr 6, 2025 at 6:36:09 PM EDT, "DeepBlue" <dan.koren@gmail.com> wrote:

On Sun, 6 Apr 2025 16:16:10 +0000, PPeso wrote:

On 4/6/2025 4:45 AM, DeepBlue wrote:

One does not have to be a strict literalist. I
actually prefer D.940 to be performend on 2
pianos rather than 4 hands on one piano.

No literalism involved. Schubert never wrote for
two pianos, always for 4 hands, and quite simply
he knew better.

How is this not "strict literalism", and how did he
know "better"? Today's instruments are nothing like
the pianoforti and the fortepiani of his time. Could
any compawsers living in those times have imagined
the sound of a 9' Boisendorfer, Fazioli, or Yamaha?

Concert venues were also much smaller than today's.

At the very least, the biggest difference is obviously
the approach to pedaling, centralized with 4 hands and
decentralized with two pianos.

I very much prefer to hear different sound, different
color palettes, and different expression and phrasing
from the two pianists rather than a homogenuous sound
mix. To my ears the latter is more bland. Here is an
exampla:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J2WyyF_t2I

This is a blandissimo as blandissimo can be. In piano
duets I like to hear two distinct individuals rather
than a four handed pianist. The link I posted earlier
to a Martha Argerich + Mikhail Pletnev live perfornabce
is a perfect example of what I like in this work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH3EjKOqSmA

By comparison the Jussen brothers sound like a sewing
machine. They cannot even make it sound like two sewing
machines! ;-)

Then again, no worries if one prefers a transcription
to the real thing.

How again is this not "strict literalism"? A performance
of a 4 hand piano work on 2 pianos is not a transcription
unless the score has been modified. If one followed your
reasoning to its logical conclusion performing the work
on any instrumenti that are however different from Franz'
spinet would create a "transcription".

Today is national carbonara day and many restaurants
make it with pancetta rather than guanciale, far from
optimal but de gustibus non disputandum est.

Except this is not kosher and there is no room for debate!

Cheers!

I like it. I think the traditional format is that way because of space
(rather: lack of). This is a nice big hall and fits the space well. While you may be able to distinguish the difference in sound due to placement, I think there are a whole lot of other factors which affect piano sound to a much greater extent. Another advantage to this (when the pianos are fitted with
open lids) is that the performers are closer together and easier to signal to each other.

-Owen

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