Imperial Valley press., 1940-12-03

Two distinct personalities har-
moniously blended to produce flaw
less music, jacques Fray and Mario
Braggiotti Monday night more
than lived up to their reputation
as one of the finest, if not the
finest, two-piano teams in the
country.
They were presented in concert
in the high school auditorium un-
der the auspices of the Imperial
Valley Music Teachers association.
For the first time stamping of
feet and calls for more" were
heard at a valley concert, the two
pianists receiving tremendous
and well-deserved ovation.
From Bach to Irving Berlin, they
proved themselves masters of the
entire field, playing the lighter
numbers with the same brilliant
technique characterized by color,
by wonderful rhythm and by
delicate tonal shadings, that they
gave to their most serious numbers.
In their concert they proved their
contention that two-piano music
has remarkable possibilities in that
many of the limitations of one
piano compositions can be avoided,
the two-piano arrangements per-
mitting additional richness and col
or and the effect of piano or voice
with orchestral background.
In illustration of this point, the
beautiful "Love-Death" from Wag-
ner's Tristan and Isolde" which
they played brilliantly, demonstrat-
ed perfectly the added richness of
two-piano music, the transcription
creating the illusion of voice and
orchestra mingling together in this
great song.
In their playing, each has a dis
tinctive style Of his own but their
work is so we'll synchronized, their
precision, their rhythm are so per-
feet that the individual is lost
sight of, although there is no ques-
ton but what each is a fine mu-
sician in his own right.
The program was arranged to
include some composition which
everyone in the audience might en-
Joy, whether a devoJee of the clas-
Sical school, or like the youngsters,
of swing, the two believing that
the latter has real place in music
of today.
Their first number was the love-
ly Bach Organ Fantasy in G.. Mi
nor which was followed by the
'Liebestod" from Tristan and
Isolde,' the electric stirring "Coro-
nation Scene from Moussorgskys
Boris Godounoff,' and the NAL
aguena," by the modern Lecuona.
Two DebuSsy and two Ravel num-
bers constituted their second group:
Debussy's descriptive La Cathe-
drale Engloutie" and the equally
descriptive, brilliant "L1sle JOY
euse," and Ravers stately La
Pavanne Pour Une Enfante De-
funte' and the famous "Bolero'
which was brilliantly done.
Their third group was in lighter
mood, opening with a waltz med
ley, the Wien, Wien" of "Sleynski'
and the Live, Laugh and Love" of
Heymann, marked by the gay
bright tempo characteristic of the
Viennese waltz.
Gershwins famous Rhapsody in
Blue" was given a masterful rem
dition, the two-piano version hav-
ing the complete effect of the piano
and orchestra combination.
Believing that humor has its own
place in music, their last number
was Braggiottis arrangement, five
delightful caricatures on the theme
of yankee Doodle" The theme
was played first, the five carica-
lures following, each variation be-
ing presented in the characteristic
treatment of Bach, Beethoven, Cho-
pin, Debussy and Gershwin, the
Chopin caricature revealing unsuS-
pected beauties in this simple tune.
Remarkably generous with the