???Piano Duets

[ludwig]

  I haven't played much of them, except for piano arrangements of piano concertos for 2 pianos. I've got a list, does anyone know which one is better? thanks:


Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream for Piano Four Hands
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 for Two Pianos/Four Hands
RACHMANINOV: THE PIANO DUETS: Six pieces Op 11, Suite No. 1 & 2
Dvorak: Polka (Piano Duet)
Dvorak: Slavonic Dances Op.72 Books 1 and 2 (For Piano, 4 Hands)
Saint Saens - PAS REDOUBLE,OP.86
Mussorgsky - SONATA (1860)
Schubert - GRAND RONDEAU OP.107
        ALLEGRO (LEBENSSTURME) OP.144
       FANTAISIE OP. 103
       DIVERTISSEMENT A HONGROISE OP.54
       GRAND DUO OP.140
Rimsky-Korsakov - Sheherezade op.35
Grieg- NORWEGIAN DANCES OP.35:
       NO.1 IN D MINOR
       NO.2 IN A MAJOR
       NO.3 IN G MAJOR
       NO.4 IN D MAJOR
       
       WALTZ-CAPRICES OP.37:
       NO.1 IN C-SHARP MINOR
       NO.2 IN E MINOR

       PEER GYNT SUITE NO.1:
       MORNING MOOD
       AASE'S DEATH
       ANITRA'S DANCE
       IN THE HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING
       
       PEER GYNT SUITE NO.2:
       THE ABDUCTION OF THE BRIDE
       ARABIAN DANCE
       PEER GYNT'S JOURNEY HOME
       SOLVEIG'S SONG

[martin_s]

Oh, if you're talking 2 pianos there is MASSES of great pieces... some favourites:
Mozart, 2pno sonatas, adagio & fugue c minor, concerto for 2pno & orchestra in Eb (no.10)
Brahms, sonata f minor op.34b (or is it 34a?)
Brahms, Haydn variations
Rachmaninov, suites
Poulenc, sonata, concerto 2pno & orch., and a sweet little piece called "l'embarquement pour Cythere" (excuse my french!)
Debussy, En blanche et noir
Stravinsky, "Concerto per due pianoforti soli"
Infante, Danses Andalouses
Milhaud, Scaramouche
Lutoslawski, Paganini variations (the best 2pno piece??)
Messiaen, Visions de l'Amen
And many many many more...

and if we're talking 1pno, four hands...
Mozart, sonatas again, and fantasy in f minor
Schubert, fantasy in f minor (a very popular key when 4 hands are involved it seems!)
Poulenc, sonata

And, again, much more than that...
Anyone got anymore suggestions?? Anyone played Schumann Andante & Variations for 2pno, 2vlc & french horn?? There is also a shorter version for 2pnos.

[ludwig]

Rachmaninov, suites
Milhaud, Scaramouche
Lutoslawski, Paganini variations (the best 2pno piece??)
Messiaen, Visions de l'Amen

thanks, do you have any more info on the rach suites? The other ones sounds good.

[martin_s]

Rach suites: Boosey and Hawkes
Milhaud: Editions Salabert
Lutoslawski: can't remember, possibly UMP
Messiaen is on Durand

Good luck!

[Diabolos]

Don't forget these ones:

Chopin: Rondo for two hands
Gershwin: I got Rhythm

Ever thought of playing a Ravel piece?

Well, good luck.

[ludwig]

I wouldn't actually mind to do something over-played, such as Gershwin's rhapsody. it'll be fun..But I suppose to the extreme of that I'd like to do something pretty unconventional, something unique yet nice sounding.

thanks guys for the info.

[martin_s]

Again: Manuel Infante - Trois danses andalouses
-now that is The Piece that you are looking for, believe me!!! Especially no.3 - El Vita
Editions Salabert again I should think.

Since Ravel has already been mentioned: There is a very good transcription by the composer of La Valse. Strongly recommended!

[Mandy]

Debussy's Petite Suite is beautiful and not too difficult.

If you're looking for something really fun, there is an arrangement by Randall Compton called: C.S. Theme and Variations".  It's basically a glorified chopsticks, and dedicated to Victor Borge, which is really popular with students.  It's perfect for an end of year recital.

[Karin]

I found an arrangement for Pachelbel's _Canon in D_ for 1 piano, 4 hands.

Weekley & Arganbright

I picked it up at a 2nd hand bookstore - it's great, notes and fingerings are written in already!!

I know it is not written for the instrument and that's a *no-no*.  

[ludwig]

Pachelbel's _Canon in D_ for 1 piano, 4 hands.

:shudder:

hehe, believe me, i don't worry about not written for the piano...

I'm actually lookin for something pretty challenging, something a little more difficult, Debussy and Ravel duet? Sounds interesting, I'll look into that, and Infante is the one i'm looking for? :p okay, i'll see if i could find that too....thanks guys, reponse overwelming for my first post yay, alcohol for all.

[foxglove]

I see everybody's leaving out 20th century.  The most fun 4-hand piece I ever played was Rite of Spring, and a great crowd-pleaser.  A wonderful 2-pno work that incorporates extremely clever allusions to Steve Reich and to the "Wind over the Grave" mvmt of the Chopin is Monument, etc. by Gyorgy Ligeti.  The LaBecque sisters recorded a delightful bit of 19th century arcana by Luciano Berio's grandfather, I don't recall its name.   Grab a drummer and play the Bartok Sonata, also popular and a lot of fun to play.  Ives wrote something I played for 2 pnos tuned a quarter-tone apart, cute and easy.  I can think of other things, but they're a lot more demanding.   And don't forget Debussy 6 Epigraphes and Chabrier, and the various Brahms Waltzes and Haydn Var.!  

[rachfan]

Hi Ludwig:

You mentioned the Rachmaninoff "Suites" Op. 5 and 17.  But you missed the "Symphonic Dances" Op. 45 for two pianos, which is superb!  Most people immediate think of the orchestral version.  But the fact is that R wrote the duo piano version of the dances first.  Actually, I prefer it to the orchestral.  If you don't have a recording, get the one by Argerich and Rabinovitch--extraordinary!

On Ravel, there's the charming "Ma Mere L'Oye".  Here again, the piano duet preceded the orchestral transcription.  By the way, if you do this one, you owe it to yourself to also learn Charlot's solo transcription of Ravel's duet.  He did a masterful job in integrating the two parts and totally preserves the intent, integrity and idiom of Ravel's duet score.  (Examine the duet and solo side by side, and you'll see that Charlot was clever indeed.)  This way, if you have no partner, but feel like playing the piece, you can do it solo anytime.  I loved playing it.

[MzrtMusic]

If you are looking for something with some flare, go for the second Rachmaninoff suite... I played the "Introduction" from that last year, and it's very hard... The "Tarantelle" is also among my favorite Rachmaninoff pieces... As far as two piano literature goes, I think that these are about tops!!!

Love,

Sarah

[amee]

How about trying one of Brahm's Hungarian Dances?  Rachmaninoff has some lovely duets as well.  About the Peer Gynt Suite no.1 - I played that in Orchestra last year but didn't really like it, although the last movement is cool.

[frederic]

Bizet wrote some awsome duets

[luda888]

are there any rach duets for 1piano?

[chocolatedog]

I love the Dvorak Slavonic Dances - I used to play them with my dad........ they're wonderful short pieces.  Plus we used to have great fun playing the Poulenc Sonata for 4 hands......

[thorn]

Ravel- La Valse arranged for two pianos is nice (not tried it but heard Argerich do it)

Debussy- Nocturnes arr. 2 pianos are also all nice; particularly Sirenes

my old piano teacher did the Scaramouche (Milhaud) in concert with his piano teacher; he said it was really tricky, so if you want a challenge, maybe this is your piece 

[luda888]

which slavonic dance is the most famous one?

[gymnopedist]

Lucien Garban did a number of excellent Ravel transcriptions, and some were for piano duet. I can absolutely recommend his transcription of the Trio and La Valse.