A century ago, very few music lovers had the opportunity of hearing Wagner in the opera house, and piano transcriptions took the place of today's radio and CD in propagating new music. Max Reger first encountered Wagner in piano form and determined to make his own arrangements after discovering the difficulty of Liszt's concert paraphrases.
So these are excellent straight transcriptions, very well played by this capable duo, who don't attempt over-the-top Lisztian fireworks but manage the scales which accompany their dignified presentation of the Pilgrims' melody in Tannhauser confidently enough. They use a good deal of rubato, properly treating this as evocative concert music - Wotan's farewell is very gentle and tender, and the central section of Die Meistersinger Overture is very free - but the result gives the music plenty of character; only in the Tristan Liebestod is there a want of unrestrained passion. The recording is excellent.'