Franz Schubert
Pieces for piano four hands

About Franz Schubert's Pieces for piano four hands

Schubert was not the first composer to write music for piano four hands, but he is unusual in that some of his greatest works are written for this setting. His catalog of works for piano duet begins and ends with fantasies – the Fantasie in G major, D.1, is in fact his earliest known work among all genres, composed when he was only 13. The Fantasy in F minor, D. 940, was composed just before he died in 1828, and is perhaps one of the most famous pieces for four hands of all time.

Several of these works were written during stays at Count Esterházy’s house at Zseliz, Hungary, in 1818 and 1824, where he gave piano and singing lessons to two young Countesses, Caroline and Marie. He wrote over ten sets of marches for four hands inspired by Hungarian folk idioms and styles. The Sonata in C major, Grand Duo, D. 812 (1824), also written in Esterházy’s house, remains one of the most famous pieces for piano four-hands. Schubert wrote two other sonatas and one sonatina for piano four hands, but none of them are as extensive as this work. Schumann described the piece as a “symphony arranged for the piano.”

Schubert also wrote four variation works and two sets of Divertissements for piano four hands, inspired by French and Hungarian motifs respectively. During the last year of his life – in addition to the F minor Fantasy – he composed the little-known Fugue in E minor, D. 952, the sunny A major Rondo, D. 951 and the magnificent, poetically named Lebensstürme, D. 947 (Storms of Life), perhaps intended as the first movement of a sonata.

ID:310
Preview TitleKey Year Level
Fantasy - for four hands D. 1 in G Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAB Fantasy - for four hands D. 123 G Major 1810
Fantasy - for four hands D. 9 in G Minor by Schubert piano sheet music AAC Fantasy - for four hands D. 924 G Minor 1811
Fantasy - for four hands D. 48 in C Minor by Schubert piano sheet music AAD Fantasy - for four hands D. 482 C Minor 1813
4 Polonaises - for four hands Op. 75 D. 599 by Schubert piano sheet music AAE 4 Polonaises - for four hands Op. 75 D. 599 N/A 1818
3 Marches Héroiques - for four hands Op. 27 D. 602 by Schubert piano sheet music AAF 3 Marches Héroiques - for four hands Op. 27 D. 602 N/A 1824
Rondo - for four hands Op. 138 D. 608 in D Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAG Rondo - for four hands Op. 138 D. 6087 D Major 1818
Grande Sonate - for four hands Op. 30 D. 617 in B-flat Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAH Grande Sonate - for four hands Op. 30 D. 61733 B-flat Major 1818
German Dance with 2 Trios - for four hands 618a in G Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAI German Dance with 2 Trios - for four hands 618a23 G Major 1818 5
2 Ländler - for four hands 618b in G Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAJ 2 Ländler - for four hands 618b23 G Major 1818 6
Variations on a French Song - for four hands Op. 10 D. 624 in E Minor by Schubert piano sheet music AAK Variations on a French Song - for four hands Op. 10 D. 62414 E Minor 1818
Overture - for four hands D. 668 in G Minor by Schubert piano sheet music AAL Overture - for four hands D. 66824 G Minor 1819
Overture - for four hands Op. 34 D. 675 in F Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAM Overture - for four hands Op. 34 D. 67517 F Major 1819
3 Marches Militaires - for four hands Op. 51 D. 733 by Schubert piano sheet music AAN 3 Marches Militaires - for four hands Op. 51 D. 733 N/A 1818
Grand Duo - for four hands Op. 140 D. 812 in C Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAO Grand Duo - for four hands Op. 140 D. 8121 C Major 1824
Variations on an Original Theme - for four hands Op. 35 D. 813 in A-flat Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAP Variations on an Original Theme - for four hands Op. 35 D. 81327 A-flat Major 1824
4 Ländler - for four hands D. 814 by Schubert piano sheet music AAQ 4 Ländler - for four hands D. 814 N/A 1824
Divertissement à la hongroise - for four hands Op. 54 D. 818 in G Minor by Schubert piano sheet music AAR Divertissement à la hongroise - for four hands Op. 54 D. 81824 G Minor 1824
6 Grandes Marches - for four hands Op. 40 D. 819 by Schubert piano sheet music AAS 6 Grandes Marches - for four hands Op. 40 D. 819 N/A 1824
3 Divertissements on French motifs - for four hands D. 823 by Schubert piano sheet music AAT 3 Divertissements on French motifs - for four hands D. 823 N/A 1827
6 Polonaises - for four hands Op. 61 D. 824 by Schubert piano sheet music AAU 6 Polonaises - for four hands Op. 61 D. 824 N/A 1826
Grand Funeral March - for four hands Op. 55 D. 859 in C Minor by Schubert piano sheet music AAV Grand Funeral March - for four hands Op. 55 D. 8592 C Minor 1825
Grande Marche Héroique - for four hands Op. 66 D. 885 in A Minor by Schubert piano sheet music AAW Grande Marche Héroique - for four hands Op. 66 D. 88530 A Minor 1826
2 Marches Caractéristiques - for four hands Op. 121 D. 886 in C Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAX 2 Marches Caractéristiques - for four hands Op. 121 D. 8861 C Major 1826
Variations on a theme by Ferdinand Hérold - for four hands D. 908 in C Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAY Variations on a theme by Ferdinand Hérold - for four hands D. 9081 C Major 1827
Children's March - for four hands D. 928 in G Major by Schubert piano sheet music AAZ Children's March - for four hands D. 92823 G Major 1827
Fantasy - for four hands Op. 103 D. 940 in F Minor by Schubert piano sheet music ABA Fantasy - for four hands Op. 103 D. 94018 F Minor 1828 8
Allegro (Lebensstürme) - for four hands Op. 144 D. 947 in A Minor by Schubert piano sheet music ABB Allegro (Lebensstürme) - for four hands Op. 144 D. 94730 A Minor 1828
Rondo - for four hands Op. 107 D. 951 in A Major by Schubert piano sheet music ABC Rondo - for four hands Op. 107 D. 95129 A Major 1828
Fugue - for four hands Op. 152 D. 952 in E Minor by Schubert piano sheet music ABD Fugue - for four hands Op. 152 D. 95214 E Minor 1828
Allegro moderato and Andante (Sonatine) - for four hands D. 968 in C Major by Schubert piano sheet music ABE Allegro moderato and Andante (Sonatine) - for four hands D. 9681 C Major 1818
Variations on an Original Theme - for four hands D. 968a in B-flat Major by Schubert piano sheet music ABF Variations on an Original Theme - for four hands D. 968a33 B-flat Major 1824