16 PIANO TWINS Should you distance yourself from the orchestral versions when you play such celebrated works as La Mer, La Valse and Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune on the piano? Wilhem Latchoumia: I’ve always thought that we should take our inspiration from the orchestra, and then idealise it and imagine different timbres. For example, to suggest the flute in Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, we need to look for a certain lightness of touch and, above all, to invent a specific sound on the piano. In the end, with a transcription, you’re creating a new orchestra, different from the original. Vanessa Wagner: We have to bear in mind that a piano will never sound like an orchestra and that, consequently, the piece is no longer the same when played on two keyboards. Transcription gives it another dimension: it can bring out elements that the orchestral mass may not necessarily allow listeners to distinguish or, on the contrary, can attenuate others. Through skilful use of the art of compromise, you can succeed in conceiving a truly original work. That’s also reflected in the choice of tempi, which sometimes differ from one version to the next, insofar as they don’t work in the same way on the piano as with 120 musicians. Wilhem Latchoumia: It was this search for new insights that prompted us to play Caplet’s remarkable transcription of La Mer for two pianos, rather than Debussy’s version for four hands. In fact, Debussy thought his friend’s version was the better of the two.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTAwOTQx