Franz Liszt’s two-piano transcriptions of his 12 symphonic poems have emerged from oblivion during the past decade. The Chicago-based duo Georgia and Louise Mangos made the cycle’s premiere recording between 1993 and 1996. The series came out on three individual discs, which are now bundled together as a set. Each work is presented in order of composition. This allows us to trace Liszt’s growing mastery of the sprawling genre he virtually invented. Likewise, the pianists gain idiomatic confidence and fluidity of ensemble as the series progresses. Compare, for instance, the sisters’ rather literal-minded, headstrong traversal of Liszt’s first symphonic poem (Ce qu’on entend sur la montagne) with the rhetorical splendor and dynamism they bring to the final four selections. Volumes 2 and 3 benefit from better engineering than the comparatively shallow-sounding first installment. From what I’ve been able to hear, competing versions from the Budapest Piano Duo (Hungaroton) offer broader, more nuanced readings that pay more heed to the music’s introspective undercurrents. Their cycle, however, takes up four full-priced discs, whereas Cedille offers a three-disc set for the price of two. All told, duo piano aficionados owe a debt of gratitude to Georgia and Louise Mangos for this enterprising and valuable project.
