Piano Duo Music

[amanfang]

I'm looking for some good piano duo music for a recital.  Any suggestions? 

[Floristan]

Try using the search function.  Look for "piano four hands" and "two piano".  I seem to recall this topic has been covered multiple times, so it's worth checking the archives.

[SteinwayTony]

Since I'm listening to some right NOW, I thought it was worth mentioning.

Check out these:

Schubert: Allegro in A minor "Lebensstuerme"; Fantasy in F minor D.940; Grand Sonata in C major

Mozart: he wrote some great duet sonatas

Beethoven: Grosse Fuge (arrangement of the Grosse Fuge string quartet, Op. 133)

And if you've got 2 pianos:

Rachmaninoff: Suites for 2 pianos (there are 2)

Arensky: Suites for 2 pianos (also 2)

Mozart: Fugue for 2 pianos in C minor, KV 426 - lesser played but cool! -- he also wrote a few sonatas for 2 pianos

Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Haydn (St. Antony Chorale), Op. 56b -- possibly my favorite 2 piano work...the orchestral arrangment which came first (op. 56a) is stunning also.

[SteinwayTony]

If you're into Schubert, he wrote a good deal of four-hand music.  Henle had to put it into three nauseatingly expensive volumes.

[amanfang]

I'm interested in two piano music.  The Rach Suites and Mozart sonatas have been done very recently.  I will look into the fugue though.  I am interested in some Liszt (I am looking at the Don Juan).  I don't really want Gershwin.  I am also looking for some 20th century stuff, but preferably not Poulenc.  I'll be sure to check out the Arensky.

[SteinwayTony]

More options --

Liszt's transcription of Beethoven 9 is a two-piano arrangement.

Chopin wrote a Rondo for 2 pianos, Op. 73, in C major, that's not performed often.  I like it, though it's kind of dry.

There is Debussy's "En Blanc et Noir" for 2 pianos.

Poulenc wrote a Sonata for 2 pianos.

Mozart's D major 2 piano Sonata in KV 448, it's my favorite.

Brahms transcribed his Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, to a two-piano arrangement (Op. 34b).  I own it but I have not had a chance to listen to it.

[bernhard]

Have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5639.msg54695.html#msg54695

Best wishes,
Bernhard

[ehpianist]

Debussy/Ravel: Fetes
Lutoslawski: Variations on a Theme by Paganini
Ravel: La Valse
Stravinsky: Rite of Spring/Petroushka
Saint-Saens: Variations on a Theme by Beethoven
Brahms: Sonata in F minor (2 piano version of his piano quintet, composed by Brahms for 2 pianos before he turned it into the quintet, a fabulous piece for this medium), Variations on a theme by Haydn


There are innumberable amounts of contemporary compositions for 2 pianos, all you have to do is look!

Good luck.  Let us know what program you decide on.  Who are you playing with?

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[amanfang]

I am looking for recordings of Clementi's sonatas for two pianos.  Does anyone know where this is available?

[SteinwayTony]

If not at your local music store, then try Amazon and eBay, and try to get yourself a bargain.  If not there either, Arkiv (www.arkivmusic.com) should have something.  I save them for a last resort because they're not really a discount store.  Another good music store is MDT (www.mdt.co.uk).  Their prices and their shipping prices are decent, even to the U.S. (they are U.K. based).

[sirpazhan]

I'd go with Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin -- fantastic duo.

-as

[chopinguy]

If you're looking for something simple, easy, and fun, I'd reccomend the Diabelli Duets in C and G major.  They're soooo much fun to sightread with a friend, and the audience will get a kick out of them!

[amanfang]

I am looking at Reminiscences of Don Juan (Liszt) for two pianos.  I forget who arranged it.  I like Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens too.  We are trying to decide what to do for 20th century.  Lowell Liebermann was commissioned by the Dranoff Competition and he wrote Three Lullabies for piano duo, but it is not published yet.  I like his music, and would like to see this.  We may throw in something like one of the Clementi sonatas so that the program is not all heavy.  I like Jamaican  Rumba by Arthur Benjamin as an encore.  We'll see.  My duo partner and I will get together soon and sight-read through more things and listen to more things.

[Regulus Medtner]

Don't overlook Medtner's op. 58 (no.1 Russian Round Dance and no.2 Knight Errant).

[minimozart007]

Don't forget:

Schumann's Op. 66 Impromptus (Bilder Aus Osten)
Debussy's Petite Suite

[earthward]

Lutoslawski: Variations on a Theme by Paganini
Ravel: La Valse

These are definite crowd pleasers and really fun to play by all accounts.  I played the Lutoslawski and had a blast doing it.  It's not too hard either, at least my part wasn't, but it sounds incredibly cool.

[ehpianist]

It's not too hard either, at least my part wasn't, but it sounds incredibly cool.

You were obviously playing Second Piano.  The First piano part is much much much harder.  It seems that Lutoslawski's friend whom he played with at the cafes in Warsaw during the German occupation did not have very good technique so Lutoslawski wrote his part to be a lot easier.  But it just goes to show how good he was that the audience doesn't perceive any real difference in difficulty between the two pianos. By the way, they played in cafes because Germans had banned public concerts.

Kind of sad to think that he made hundreds of transcriptions for 2 pianos during this time but this piece is the only one that has survived.

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[anda]

Don't forget:

Schumann's Op. 66 Impromptus (Bilder Aus Osten)
Debussy's Petite Suite

these are for 4-hands.

[anda]

how about

schumann - andante con variazioni
infante - dansas andalusas
shostakovitch - concertino
poulenc- sonta, or elegie
tchaikovski - the nutcracker suite

(sorry if any of these were already mentioned - i read the other posts, but you know, as you grow older, you tend to forget things )

[Nu-Steinway-Player]

I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned the Bartok Mikrokosmos for two pianos -- he arranged 6 of them -- they're brilliant and fun.  Also, a rather serious and HUGE work, the Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion -- an amazing piece.  He also wrote a suite for 2 pianos.  There is also an amazing piece by Benjamin Britten for two pianos.  Also, a great thing to start a duo recital with is the Sheep May Safely Graze of Bach, arranged for two pianos -- very beautiful.  Also, look into the Brahms Hungarian Dances -- some seriously fun and entertaining repertoire for piano duet -- The Rachmaninoff suites mentioned earlier are some of my favorites.

[ericlc]

Hi amanfang, would you mind sending me a copy of the two-piano score for the Liszt Don Juan? My colleague and I have been looking everywhere for it but to no avail! We would very much appreciate your hlep. Thank you!

Eric
ericlc@stanford.edu

[lenny]

naxos has an ongoing series of 2 piano recordings of brahms' music

he transcribed , it seems, pretty much everything he wrote for 4 hands!