Varese, Edgard; Feldman, Morton

Ameriques; Piece for Four Pianos. Five Pianos

Label: Wergo Country: Germany

"Amériques" - a symbol of renewal, adventure, and discovery - is a symphonic eruption that earned a place in the twentieth century's list of scandals at its premiere. The version on this CD for two pianos, eight hands introduces the musical world to a work of extreme pianistic virtuosity, both delicate and ecstatic, a work whose wild activity could not be more different from the almost motionless introspection of the Feldman pieces.As Feldman said: "Instead of inventing a system like Schoenberg, Varèse invented a music that speaks to us with its incredible tenacity rather than its methodology. When listening to Varèse, we ask ourselves, 'How did he do it?' and not 'How was it done?'"-Wergo

Helena Bugallo writes about her edition of "Amériques":

"Edgard Varèse's arrangement of 'Amériques' for two pianos, eight hands, resurfaced in 2004, during the cataloguing of his posthumous papers at the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel. The edition prepared for the present recording is based on Varèse's manuscript and incorporates dynamics, articulations, and character indications taken from his 1921 orchestral score. Only occasionally was it necessary to modify the original division of parts among the players due to practical performance considerations. A few bars corresponding to solo percussion were added to complete the score."