The small pieces for multiple pianists added as encores–the tiny Sonata for Piano Four-Hands, Élégie for Two Pianos, and L’Embarquement pour Cythère–add to this disc’s attractions, but don’t change the fact that this coupling has been done before, and better. That distinction goes to Eric Le Sage on RCA. The Aubade offers the best performance–it usually does, but in the Piano Concerto Lortie and Gardner seem a bit embarrassed by the luscious first movement’s second subject. It’s just a touch rushed, and in the finale’s opera buffa tune the solo and the orchestra disagree on how to play the grace notes. Romance and charm remain in short supply.
The Concerto for Two Pianos comes off better. Hélène Mercier partners Lortie well, and my only complaint is that the Balinese coda of the first movement needs firmer articulation and greater fullness of tone. The players’ very soft, disembodied approach is interesting but just not very effective. The Mozartian slow movement and jazz-cartoon finale go swimmingly, however. Edward Gardiner’s accompaniments are just fine; indeed, in the Piano Concerto he sounds more comfortable at times than Lortie, and the sonics are excellent. Not bad then, but anything less than the best in this music is like day-old bread.
