Favourite Two Piano Work?

[thetamman]

Hey guys,

Just would like to draw upon the wealth of musical knowledge you all possess in far greater degrees than my own:

I'm looking for a (preferably crowd-pleasing) two-piano work atm, and am considering Lutoslawski's Paganini Variations or Rachmaninoff's Second Suite (esp. IV - Tarantella) I have also considered Poulenc's classic "Sonata".

Would there be any advice you could give me as to a further suggestions of possible repertoire? Something late-romantic/20th century would be great?

Regards,
thetamman

[lontano]

While they aren't in the period you speak of, the first 2 that enter my mind are the Schubert Fantasy and the Brahms Variations on a theme of Haydn. I'm not a big fan of the Lutoslawski (I've heard it in performance too many times maybe).

[retrouvailles]

If you want something exotic, try out Arno Babadjanian's Armenian Rhapsody, which was co-composed with Alexander Arutiunian. It's very much like the music of their fellow countryman Aram Khachaturian.

[sharon_f]

Milhaud, Scaramouche

[kitty on the keys]

Mozart-----Sonata in D
Ravel-----Mother Goose Suite



Kitty on the keys

[lostinidlewonder]

Gustav Holst: The Planets Suite.    Very nice, very entertaining for audiences.
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

[thetamman]

Thanks a lot for all  your contributions! Am listening through them as I speak. Any more input would be treasured.

thetamman

[indutrial]

Alexandre Tansman wrote some fun pieces for two pianos, including his Suite Carnaval and a Fantasy on Strauss Waltzes. On a much more challenging level is his sonata for two pianos (1941).

Milhaud is another good choice. There is a Hyperion disc dedicated to his repertoire for two pianos that includes some excellent works beyond the obvious Scaramouche. La Libertadora, a suite of dances from "Bolivar", Op. 236a and Les Songes, op. 237 are both fun works that are very entertaining and lively. As well, Milhaud's famous ballet works, Le boeuf sur le toit and Creation du Monde, are both available in two-piano arrangements.

[thetamman]

Alexandre Tansman wrote some fun pieces for two pianos, including his Suite Carnaval and a Fantasy on Strauss Waltzes. On a much more challenging level is his sonata for two pianos (1941).

Milhaud is another good choice. There is a Hyperion disc dedicated to his repertoire for two pianos that includes some excellent works beyond the obvious Scaramouche. La Libertadora, a suite of dances from "Bolivar", Op. 236a and Les Songes, op. 237 are both fun works that are very entertaining and lively. As well, Milhaud's famous ballet works, Le boeuf sur le toit and Creation du Monde, are both available in two-piano arrangements.

Very interesting! do you know where I might be able to buy/procure Tansman's Sonata?
I'm checking the Milhaud atm - thanks for your suggestions!

I

Mozart-----Sonata in D
Ravel-----Mother Goose Suite

Thanks Kitty on the keys, the Mozart is one of my favourite. The Ravel's beautiful - thanks for sharing that with me.

Gustav Holst: The Planets Suite.    Very nice, very entertaining for audiences.
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

Thanks lostinidlewonder, I heard the planets for orchestra recently - I wonder if the piano reduction is as powerful? What are your favourite movements from that/time limit of the work? I didn't know Gershwin had a two-piano version of his classic, but I'm checking it out atm.

Just doing some more research of my own, has anyone know/heard of/could recommend the following works?:

Smetana Sonata for_two_pianos
Arensky Suite for 2 pianos
Arensky Silhouettes
Bortkiewicz Russian Rhapsody
Stravinsky Sonata
Franck The Djinns (piano reduction)

They look devilishly intriguing.

Regards,
thetamman

[lostinidlewonder]

I heard the planets for orchestra recently - I wonder if the piano reduction is as powerful? What are your favourite movements from that/time limit of the work?

I like all of the movements in the Planets. Mars is probably the most dramatic? I really like Neptune for how delicate and beautiful it sounds with the angel voices, almost how the music lasts forever but the planet moves too far away for us to hear it again. The Planets where originally written for piano duet then later orchestrated.

[jgallag]

Olivier Messaien - Visions D'Amen <- Love this.

[thetamman]

Olivier Messaien - Visions D'Amen <- Love this.

Ah yes, 7 is my favourite!

I like all of the movements in the Planets. Mars is probably the most dramatic? I really like Neptune for how delicate and beautiful it sounds with the angel voices, almost how the music lasts forever but the planet moves too far away for us to hear it again. The Planets where originally written for piano duet then later orchestrated.

Thanks, I'm checking it out. Anyone have the duet score? I have a two piano version - is that the same?

For your listening - from my own research, I personally found Medtner's sole two-piano work, and esp the Russian Round Dance, delightful.

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions! If you find anything else in your musical expeditions, share the fun around:P. Also, if anyone has any Russian two-piano works, I'd be very interested to learn about them.

Again, if anyone has any info at all (e.g. recordings/ what it sounds like) about the following pieces

Smetana Sonata for_two_pianos
Arensky Suite for 2 pianos
Arensky Silhouettes
Bortkiewicz Russian Rhapsody
Stravinsky Sonata
Franck The Djinns (piano reduction)

your assisstance would be invaluable.

Cheers,
thetamman

[rubyann]

I'm currently learning the Smetana and I really like it. I love the Slavic/Russian sound and the sense of humor reminds me of Grieg. It's not easy but the hardest part for me is finding three other people to play with me. You can buy it directly from C F Peters in New York, and listen to Levine, Ax, Kissin, and Andsnes play it on Youtube. They are AMAZING!

[lontano]

Olivier Messaien - Visions D'Amen <- Love this.

Great piece, but VERY difficult. Makes Brahms' "Haydn Variations" seem average (technically). One might suggest Stockhausen's "Mantra", yet it is severely difficult (and requires a "virtuoso" ring modulator operator).

[lontano]

Thanks a lot for all  your contributions! Am listening through them as I speak. Any more input would be treasured.

thetamman

There are many wonderful original works for 2 pianos from the past 2 centuries. A little off-site research might bring some composers and works to light before you make a very broad question here.
Just google something like "classical 2-piano" and see what comes up. Good luck!

[rienzi]

Just doing some more research of my own, has anyone know/heard of/could recommend the following works?:

Smetana Sonata for_two_pianos
Arensky Suite for 2 pianos
Arensky Silhouettes
Bortkiewicz Russian Rhapsody
Stravinsky Sonata
Franck The Djinns (piano reduction)

They look devilishly intriguing.

The Arensky pieces are charming salon music. The Waltz from the Suite was often played on its own and was once quite popular.
The Bortkiewicz Russian Rhapsody is for piano and orchestra. The Solo part was originally written for Left Hand for the pianist Wittgenstein who never played it. Bortkiewicz later re-wrote the part for both hands but did a workmanlike, rather than imaginative, job where the two hands double each other for much of the time...very fatiguing and awkward to play, also.
Franck's Les Djinns is also with orchestra; it's based on a poem by Victor Hugo and really requires the opposition of piano against orchestra to suggest the struggle between the forces of evil and light.

Manuel Infante wrote very effectively for the piano and his Danses Andalouses for 2 pianos is worth seeking out. Jose Iturbi and his sister Amparo used to play them. There is a performance available on YouTube.

[nmitchell076]

Lindaraja by Debussy.

Also, Vlastimil Lejsek's Brazilian Dances are EXTREMELY crowd pleasing.  Music is terribly difficult to find, however, (I have it though if you want me to PM it to you)

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No. 3 from the set.


Latin-flavor music is normally a fresh sound and very crowd pleasing.

[slow_concert_pianist]

I used to have a couple of Rachninov suites for 2 pianos (I think) on tape. Currently I have a Mozart's sonata in C (simple) transcribed for 2 pianos by Grieg on my mp3, but I have heard the sonata in G also. Grieg manages to take Mozart to a whole new level!