The main interest in this issue lies in the piano-duet version of La mer and one must say at once that it is rather a disappointment. Certainly the work was initially laid out in this form (in March 1905), but to call it ''extremely pianistic'' as the sleeve-note does is misleading and indeed the somewhat laboured playing of the numerous trills, shimmering tremolandos and repeated-note passages reveals that even a worthy attempt such as the Crommelynck Duo offer here is of not much more than curiosity value, in no way to be compared, in terms of effective piano music, to (say) Ravel's two-piano transcription of La valse made after the original orchestral version. The performance also sounds rather as if it had been prepared especially for this recording and lacks real conviction, spontaneity and point, as well as having some slowish tempos, for example in the central ''Jeux de vagues''. One or two tiny variants between this and the orchestral score may be noted, such as the final quaver B (for C sharp) four bars after fig. 41 and the incorporation of the chromatic descending brass motif between figs. 59 and 60 which though usually played today was surely an afterthought and is not in the published orchestral score.
The Marche ecossaise on the Earl of Ross's theme fares better but still fails really to march with verve and vigour compared to the performance by Werner Haas and Noel Lee and these two artists are also superior in the Petite suite and the Six epigraphes antiques. The opening of ''En bateau'' as played here by the young Belgian duo rather sums up their style overall in this composer, which while conscientious seems not very positive, though they find and project some of the character and lilt of the music, notably in the final ''Ballet'' of the Petite suite. Certainly the Epigraphes antiques (which they seem to know well) have some charm. But these performances are not distinguished and despite digital and DMM techniques and sound is oddly limp and muffled. In this repertory I cannot help feeling that the Haas/Lee mid-price Philips LP, including the masterly En blanc et noir and with a good sound quality also, is much preferable unless you really want to sample La mer in this piano version.'