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Rating: During the first listen to this album, I cried. I don't know why. Perhaps it's because Genesis is and will always be one of the bands I absolutely love the most, perhaps it's because their music has long become a part of me, indelibly... I don't have particular memories linked to their albums, so it's not nostalgia; I believe it's simply the realization of how their compositions have changed the lives of many people, many individuals who, like me, were present during Harold's escapades, the battle in the Epping Forest, Rael's adventures, or the hunt for the charming Squonk.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the Norwegian Yngve Guddal was there with us during these and a hundred other events narrated sometimes by Peter, sometimes by Phil, and so, driven by passion towards the legendary group's creations and studying at the University of Music in Berlin, he began a long time ago to rearrange the works of Genesis to be performed on the piano. Around the same time, the same thing was happening at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, but this time the will behind all this effort carried (and still carries) the name of Roger T. Matte. For years, the two musicians attempted to revive those sounds they both loved so much, through their pianos, but, whether due to the complexity of the songs or the challenge of effectively covering five instruments (including vocals) with just one, they didn't succeed in their intent... At least, until fate brought them face to face.
In 2002, after joining forces, their attempts finally took on a defined shape, called "Genesis for Two Grand Pianos", highlighting the exclusive use of two Steinway Grand Pianos for executing all the pieces, closely resembling, in both style and sound, Igor Stravinsky's works for two pianos.
I can't say if it was the magnificent initial crescendo of "The Fountain of Salmacis" or the warm and dreamy airs of the splendid "Mad Man Moon" that emotionally struck me, but the fact remains that, while the words "...so I pretended to have wings for my arms..." formed in my mind, tears welled in my eyes... and only through a superhuman effort, did I hold back, still unaware I'd only postponed the inevitable. Yes, because if surprise is the first thing that captivates the senses during the listen to "Can-Utility and the Coastliners" (it's incredible how this rendition can sound perfect for such an intense and complex piece), the intimacy and infinite sweetness of the succeeding "One for the Vine" once again brought me to the brink of my self-control.
The determined tones of "Down and Out" illustrate how the skills of the two pianists can also manifest in more rhythmic territories, originally dominated by Phil's drum off-beats, while "Duke's Travel" marries so well and so immediately with the sound of the pianos that it almost seems to have been conceived solely for this re-performance (the piece was centered on Tony's keyboards, so it was indeed to be expected). This successful homage finally concludes with "Evidence of Autumn" and it was while I imagined Phil singing "...she came in like an angel, into your lonely life..." that something inside me exploded, and I found myself in a flood of tears (fortunately the album then ends, otherwise the situation would have taken on much more dramatic tones).
In the end, what can I say? Recommended to every music connoisseur perhaps with classical tendencies, warmly recommended to piano enthusiasts, and highly recommended to all fans of the work of Peter, Phil, Mike, Tony, and Steve.
I challenge every Genesis fan devoted to listening not to sing along...
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