Swiss composer Hans Huber (1852-1921) wrote a set of 12 Preludes and Fugues that may well be the largest cycle of its ilk composed for piano duet. Although Huber drew inspiration from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier (he refers to Book II’s B-flat minor fugue subject in his own D minor fugue, and also cribs from the famous D minor Toccata & Fugue BWV 565), I don’t hear much Bach in this opus. Its musical language recalls Mendelssohn or Schumann at their most obtuse and pedantically devotional. None of the movements are particularly lengthy, minute-and-second-wise, yet they seem to go on forever. Not even Huber’s numerous tempo changes in the C-sharp major fugue, for example, can make his contrapuntal ideas less boring to behold. At least Adrienne Soós and Ivo Haag play these pieces with more conviction, authority, and care than the music warrants, and they receive excellent sonics. My rating, therefore, reflects this release’s high standard of performance and sound. As for the music, I only recommend this beautifully produced disc to those interested in obscure four-hand piano fare.
