Schubert's Late Piano Duets by Chamayou and Andsnes

Tonight, I am listening to Schubert's late piano duets, released on Erato on November 21st, performed by Bertrand Chamayou and Leif Ove Andsnes.

The tracklist is as follows.

A piano duet by these two incredible artists. It is a dream collaboration, though albums like this are actually quite common. Moreover, these Schubert duet works are in a class of their own within the duet repertoire, which likely explains why.
Both Chamayou and Andsnes speak about the unique nature of piano duets. First, the roles of the primo (first player, handling the treble) and secondo (second player, handling the bass) are completely different. Sometimes the treble takes the lead with the left hand playing the melody, creating an exquisite imbalance. They also mention that when playing the upper part, it can feel like there are too many notes, which is something I sometimes feel while listening as well. They note that it takes time to get used to this density in Schubert's duets. They also mention that the pedaling is extremely difficult.

This album also selects works from Schubert's final year, 1828. In 1827, he produced Winterreise, the three piano sonatas, the song collection Schwanengesang, the four impromptus, and the String Quintet. Amidst such a wealth of masterpieces, the works included on this album are also all masterpieces.
Also, as is often said, it is suggested that Schubert became more refined in his later years or wrote works conscious of death, but I wonder if Schubert ever dreamed he would die at 31, or if he even realized he was suffering from such a serious illness. Rather than viewing him through the stereotype of his late-life state of mind, I think we can see a Schubert who was still developing and had much more to offer.

Now, let's listen.
First is the Fantasia in F minor, D. 940. It is one of the greatest masterpieces of Schubert's later years. Here, Andsnes takes the primo part, and Chamayou takes the secondo. A melancholic theme appears quietly over gloomy chords, but it contains a softness and a melody that seems to gaze quietly inward. This deep sound is quintessentially Andsnes. And the balance of the inner voices is truly excellent. I often have the opportunity to hear this piece live, and it can sometimes sound noisy and cluttered, but as expected from these two virtuosos, the balance is truly superb. In the development section and elsewhere, the music of the two soloists intersects, with moments of sharp collision and heightened emotion. Yet, each note sounds transparent, and at the same time, they do not interfere with each other. Truly impressive.
In the second part, the Largo, the exchange of dramatic trills and sharp dotted rhythms highlights the sounds these two possess. In the next section, they brilliantly change the tone color, engaging in a dialogue of melodies within a soft texture. The contrast between forte and piano, and the wide dynamic range, could even be called modern.

The third part, the Scherzo, is at a brisk tempo. This part also tends to become noisy, but as if a conductor were present, the motifs emerge from each piano as if in relief. It is extremely dynamic. The way the tone color changes subtly with the shifts in tonality is also masterful.
And the fourth part is a recapitulation of the first, but what I want to focus on here is that it has become a very contrapuntal piece of music. Schubert is characterized by beautiful melodies and floating harmonies, but before he died, he sought advice from the teacher and composer Simon Sechter and had a deep interest in counterpoint. The fugue included on this album was born from that, but the fourth part of this Fantasia also develops contrapuntally, and one can feel the drama. The two performers are likely playing with this in mind, as each part intertwines equally, creating a dramatic resonance.

The following Allegro is a large-scale work that, despite being a single movement with intense emotion and momentum, takes over 15 minutes to perform. Here, the dramatic outbursts of emotion that suddenly appear in Schubert's late works and the warm, soft music are repeated in contrast. This piece is titled 'Lebensstürme' (Storms of Life), but as is often the case, this title was not given by the composer himself, but by the publisher. The opening section certainly feels that way, but I would rather not be too bound by that.
Here, Chamayou is on primo and Andsnes on secondo. Or rather, to be honest, I can't tell. Even when they switch, the intensity of the dynamics is amazing, and the lyrical parts are beautiful. They must be matching their musical sensibilities, tone colors, touch, and breathing so that there is no difference in sound between the primo and secondo parts. As they get into the spirit of it, the tempo pushes forward little by little, but they are so in sync that it sounds as if a single pianist is playing.
And the sound produced by 20 fingers is gorgeous. Usually, I would find it noisy, but even though the two sounds are asserting themselves, there is a sense of unity. Especially in the dynamic theme repeated in this piece, it feels like they are fully utilizing the piano.

In the Fugue in E minor, D. 952, Chamayou is on primo and Andsnes on secondo. This is a short piece where the aforementioned interest in counterpoint in Schubert's later years is clearly evident. Many composers tend toward counterpoint as they age. If Schubert had lived longer, he might have composed more complex music of that type.
If you listen to this piece without knowing anything, you might wonder for a moment if it is Bach. However, as it progresses, it still has a lyricism and a romantic fragrance that is different from Bach. But judging by this piece, I wonder if Schubert was not quite serious about engaging with counterpoint.
The performance is such that each voice is clearly independent and audible without muddiness, and the recording is also superb. The moment the bass begins to sound the theme majestically at the end is moving.

The final Rondo in A major, D. 951, is a beautiful work with a bright, Schubertian melody, and harmonies and melodies that change in various ways. However, since it is a duet, the resonance is full, and it feels packed with chords. I wonder if it was difficult for the two of them, who usually perform as soloists, to grasp the sense of balance here.
Here, Andsnes is on primo and Chamayou is on secondo. Listening to it this way, it seems Andsnes takes the primo for lyrical works, and Chamayou takes the primo for dynamic pieces. Conversely, does that mean Andsnes handles the dynamic bass?
Schubert's works around this time create a strange effect through the repetition of melodies. A unique sense of time, as if leading to eternity... However, the two performers sometimes subtly change the speed, adding variation to that detached music, but I wonder if that slightly interferes with the strange eternity that Schubert possesses. Perhaps it would be fine to play it as it is, without too much dramatic staging. I wonder if, when the two of them play, it inevitably becomes a drama with a climax. Of course, that is also interesting.

The recording is by John Fraser, who has captured Andsnes's deep sound. It was recorded in a church in London, and the two pianos emerge clearly within the rich, church-like resonance. It was a beautiful recording where you can feel the height of the ceiling.

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