While it may never be the preferred way to hear Mendelssohn's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream, the composer's version of the work for four-hand piano will still be a different way to hear the work -- a quality that will be deeply appreciated by those listeners who've known the music for decades. Of course, the four-hand version's freshness will be offset by its conspicuous lack of color. From the Overture's magical woodwind chords through the Scherzo's impish strings and the Nocturne's evocative horns to the "Wedding March"'s triumphant brass, the brilliant colors that have always seemed intrinsic to the score are gone, replaced by the black and white of the piano. Within that limitation, however, the players here turn in readings that retain the freshness and, surprisingly, much of the nuance of Mendelssohn's music. The Hungarian
Duo Egri & Pertis not only nails the music's notes, they express its innocence, wonder, and otherworldly beauty. And even though the colors are missing, the musical essence of the piece remain -- its themes, harmonies, rhythms, and forms -- the
Duo Egri & Pertis realize them as fully and completely as the best symphony orchestra. The remainder of the pieces on the disc are lesser music but only a bit less appealing and anyone who enjoys four-hand piano music will surely enjoy this disc. Hungaroton's sound is clean and clear when the dynamics are mezzo forte or below, but harsh and clattery when they're forte or above.