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Presented by Ian Skelly

Two of the most respected young pianists in Britain join forces to a selection of Schubert's works for piano duo. Schubert himself obviously loved playing piano duets with friends in the salons of Vienna, but the pieces he's left us are not just fun to play, they also take the genre to new heights of emotional expression. These are not arrangements of orchestral works or expanded pieces for solo pianist - but music specially written to use all the drama and dynamic possibilities afforded by two pianists at one piano. Recorded at London's Wigmore Hall in January.

Allegro in A minor D947 Lebensstürme (Allegro ma non troppo)
Variations in B minor D823 (Andantino)
Fugue in E minor D952 (Allegro moderato)
Rondo in A D951 (Allegretto quasi andantino)
Variations on an Original Theme in Ab D813 (Allegretto)
Fantasie in F minor D940 (Allegro molto moderato)

Paul Lewis and Steven Osborne (piano duo)

Followed by a focus on sacred music. Ian Skelly is joined by Harry Christophers, conductor of The Sixteen, to explore some of the music featured in the ´óÏó´«Ã½4 series Sacred Music.

Faure: Ave Maria
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers (conductor)
UCJ 4766295, Tr 11

Faure: Requiem
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers (conductor)
CORO COR 16057, Tr 8-14

John Rutter: Requiem – ‘Out of the Deep’ and ‘Pie Jesu’
Polyphony
Stephen Layton (conductor)
HYPERION CDA 66947 Tr 2-3