Scharwenka’s ingenious four-hand versions of the Beethoven symphonies are not easy to carry off. They may have been intended for less virtuoso pianists than Liszt’s two-hand transcriptions were, but Scharwenka took advantage of – or was seduced by – his medium, filling out the textures with more doublings and tremolos than could fit under 10 fingers. Such sonic luxury, especially emerging from a single instrument, can swamp the details. As a result, while Scharwenka’s transcriptions require less digital prowess than Liszt’s, they demand more scrupulous balance. Then, of course, as in all four-hand music, the cramped quarters put pressure on coordination.

There are no complaints, however, about the forthright performances by Tessa Uys and Ben Schoeman. Jeremy Nicholas praised the earlier instalments in this series, calling attention to the ‘clarity’ and ‘conviction’ of the playing (A/21); and those qualities re-emerge here. Uys and Schoeman cut through the clutter with impressive unanimity; and their finely gauged handling of dynamics and their rhythmic drive – especially in the Seventh (try the feral snap of the third movement) – assure that the symphonies emerge with their shape intact, even shorn of orchestral colour. It all sounds idiomatic, both as Beethoven and as piano music.

Yet you have to wonder. Originally, such transcriptions made the symphonic literature familiar to music lovers without access to orchestral concerts. Nowadays, they’re regaining popularity for the opposite reason: by offering a new perspective, they make the standard repertoire seem less familiar. But if we’ve reached the point where the canon needs to be refreshed, why cure our restlessness by seeking new ways of framing overplayed classics, rather than by looking for alternatives? It seems counterproductive to celebrate Scharwenka for his recasting of Beethoven while most of his own music remains forgotten.

On its own terms, though, this is an imposing recording, well engineered. Robert Matthew-Walker’s notes centre on Beethoven rather than on Scharwenka, but as expected, they’re knowledgeable and illuminating.