Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448/375a | Fantasie for Piano Four Hands in F Minor, D. 940

Album review

Scholtes and Janssens were just 18 and 19 years old when they first ventured to play Mozart's Sonata for two pianos. They had only been playing together for a year at the time. Schubert's Fantasy in F followed shortly afterwards. Now, 17 years on, they are finally brave enough to record these two iconic works. Over recent years, these two works have taken on the role of critical teachers, sources of inspiration and motivation for them to keep on developing, as a duo certainly, but also and mainly as individual musicians. Scholtes and Janssens have been challenged by legendary recordings made by the likes of Radu Lupu & Murray Perahia, Josef & Rosina Lhevinne, and father and son Neuhaus to discover our own sound, both in this music and elsewhere.

From the beginning seventeen years ago, Scholtes and Janssens have been forced to face up to the fact that a good duo doesn't just happen when you put two good pianists together, and certainly not in Mozart or Schubert. Every note that's slightly misplaced, every chord that's not properly balanced can tarnish the performance. And every phrase when you don't breathe together.

They gradually became more and more convinced that piano duo players have to be soloists, chamber musicians and an orchestra at the same time. As a duo, the aim is to have the freedom and virtuosity of a soloist, the ear and connectivity of a chamber musician and the tonal palette and nuanced subtlety of a symphony orchestra. © Challenge Classics