British Music for Piano Duo

I bought this CD because I was curious about the two piano version of "the planets", but I found a beautiful surprise in the piano duet version of Elgar's Serenade in E-minor Op-20. This is a musical gem.Some critics think that this is the best piece of music that Elgar wrote and I am not surprised to hear this. This disc is worth the price just for this piece.The Serenade starts with a captivating melody in E-minor where the two pianos play with elegance, eloquence, energy and charm, just producing beautiful music. This movement lasts 2 minutes and 53 seconds and I have probably played it over 50 times ever since I bought this CD. It is wonderful music played beautifully. The second movement is a Larghetto, equally elegant and beautifully played.The music by Frank Bury and Edgar Baiton are a great companion.The Planets is a very interesting two piano version of the piece and written by Holst himself. I was impressed by the the tight musical relationship between the two players. The entire piece is captivating and you can understand the orchestral version much better by listening to this tow piano versions. Especially beautiful is the concept of Neptune played in the two piano version, it is a passage to another world, another dimension.Any lover of two piano literature should snap this CD in a rush. I would not hesitate.

I fully agree with the earlier reviewer, the piano duet arrangement of The Planets does inject new life into this over-played work.