This new collection of music for two pianos by Mozart features pianists Ivo Varbanov and Fiammetta Tarli, alongside the English Chamber Orchestra and Muhai Tang. Renowned for their wide-ranging careers as soloist and ensemble players, Varbanov and Tarli present performances of Mozart's Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra K. 365 and Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra K. 242. Recording in the beautiful Henry Wood Hall in London, Varbanov and Tarli chose to use Steingräber Phoenix pianos, as these magnificent, handcrafted pianos are ideal for performing repertoire requiring extreme finesse and nuance of sound. Apart from their unusual appearance, as they were made in a warm blonde wood colour, the Steingräber Phoenix sounds very different from the usual, bright grand piano. Listeners will find, particularly in the higher register, the sound much more mellow and perhaps a little closer to that of a period instrument. For the two-piano concertos by Mozart of this recording the result is striking: thanks to the less aggressive tone, many more details of Mozart’s experimental two-piano writing come to the fore.
