The Canadian duo piano team of Anne Louise-Turgeon and Edward Turgeon are doing their part to get more music for two pianos out there with this disc of works by Latin American composers. Most of the pieces here were originally written for two pianos, including some unpublished works by Francisco Mignone, received by Duo Turgeon from the composer's widow. The disc starts out excitingly with
Piazzolla's Le Grand Tango, then moves onto a series of works that sound like cousins of late Romantic French music: Ponce's Idilio Mexicano uses Impressionistic colorings, Pinto's charming Scenas Infantis is often equated to
Debussy's Children's Corner, and Guastavino's evocative Romances Argentinos is reminiscent of Chabrier's music. The Mignone and Lecuona works are rooted more in the popular music of Brazil and Cuba, respectively. The Duo Turgeon is an excellent team that does great ensemble work, is well-matched in sound and musical instincts, and plays these works with good energy and a good sense of the idiomatic rhythms of the music. If anything, their sound is almost too polished for the more fiery moments in the music. With the exception of the Pinto suite, an innocent depiction of a child's life, the music here is able to stand up to a lot more drama and rawness. As well as the Duo Turgeon plays these works, it could make it even more redolent with Latin spiciness.