It’s always a joy to hear these inspired Dvorák cycles in their original piano duet incarnation. The composer wrote more idiomatically for the piano than is generally known, and his affinity for the duet medium manifests itself in rich, diverse keyboard textures plus sensitive deployment of registers. Moreover, Dvorák eschews those endless tremolos and excessively thick chords that typify many 19th-century four-hand piano arrangements. Renata and Igor Ardasev bring tremendous verve, flexible phrasing, and ensemble finesse to the music, allowing each selection to tell a story. Tempo changes are effected with the utmost ease, as in From the Bohemian Forest’s final movement, “In Troubled Times”. Listen too for the feather-light articulation and subtle rubato in the third Legend (boy, does it swing!), Silent Woods’ shimmering primo/secondo balances, plus the supple chord playing throughout. Once you put this disc in your CD player, you’ll be reluctant to take it out. Pure pleasure!
