Hi all,
me and a friend of mine would like to attempt a piano duo (music for 2 pianos) at an upcoming concert in march next year.
we are both of at least grade 8 standard.
Do you have any suggestions on what we can play? We do have experience playing duets, but not duos. and we do not have any idea about nice duos out there.
Thank yoU!
Full Version: Recommendations For Piano Duo
There has been a thread on this very recently - just do a search on piano duets and results should come up for you.
Have a look on the sibelius music website - theres plenty of good piano duets on there - my two favourites being Boogie cat, and Samba ala Turc.
Some pieces I have played, only a few of which I would consider performing:
Milhaud, "Scaramouche";
Arthur Benjamin, "Jamaican Rumba"
Walton, "Popular Song" and "Waltz" from "Façade", arr. Herbet Murrill;
Mozart, Fantasia in F minor, arranged and "improved" by Busoni.
Nowadays I play somewhat better than when I scraped through Grade 8 50 years ago, but I still give the more difficult part of any of the above to my wife, who has a diploma for piano accompaniment. I don't know of any good works that are much easier than the above, possibly because composers have assumed that only seriously accomplished pianists would have access to two pianos. I do, however, know of some very fine works that are more difficult.
There are several works by Rakhmaninov; I recall in particular a super tarantella that may be part of a larger work. Since I usually find Rakh. difficult even when his music sounds easy, and this one sounds difficult, I have never tried to track the parts down. His two-piano version of "Polichinelle" looks a bit more approachable.
A work I would love to play, but never expect to, is the Brahms Op. 34 (a or b) second version of what is better known as the F minor Piano Quintet.
There are some versions of Brahms Waltzes. I don't know whether he did the arrangement. Piano II looks much easier than I in the one I have.
I have not heard Lutoslawski's "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" for many years, but recall it as good piece. I recommend that you borrow it from a library to assess it. Indeed, that is never a bad plan for anything that you might find impossible or not worth the preparation time that you would need.
Milhaud, "Scaramouche";
Arthur Benjamin, "Jamaican Rumba"
Walton, "Popular Song" and "Waltz" from "Façade", arr. Herbet Murrill;
Mozart, Fantasia in F minor, arranged and "improved" by Busoni.
Nowadays I play somewhat better than when I scraped through Grade 8 50 years ago, but I still give the more difficult part of any of the above to my wife, who has a diploma for piano accompaniment. I don't know of any good works that are much easier than the above, possibly because composers have assumed that only seriously accomplished pianists would have access to two pianos. I do, however, know of some very fine works that are more difficult.
There are several works by Rakhmaninov; I recall in particular a super tarantella that may be part of a larger work. Since I usually find Rakh. difficult even when his music sounds easy, and this one sounds difficult, I have never tried to track the parts down. His two-piano version of "Polichinelle" looks a bit more approachable.
A work I would love to play, but never expect to, is the Brahms Op. 34 (a or b) second version of what is better known as the F minor Piano Quintet.
There are some versions of Brahms Waltzes. I don't know whether he did the arrangement. Piano II looks much easier than I in the one I have.
I have not heard Lutoslawski's "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" for many years, but recall it as good piece. I recommend that you borrow it from a library to assess it. Indeed, that is never a bad plan for anything that you might find impossible or not worth the preparation time that you would need.
Thank you all for your kind suggestions! 
Take a look at Richard Rodney Bennett's "Four Piece Suite" - have just performed the "Country Blues" at Chet's summer school with another forum member there... it went down a treat and is lots of fun! The finale also looks very interesting too!! (We're saving that one for next year!)
Shokolat - Canon for two pianos
thank you thank you for ur suggestions:)
QUOTE(sbpiano @ Sep 1 2007, 09:22 PM) 
Take a look at Richard Rodney Bennett's "Four Piece Suite" - have just performed the "Country Blues" at Chet's summer school with another forum member there... it went down a treat and is lots of fun! The finale also looks very interesting too!! (We're saving that one for next year!)
YES!!! Four Piece Suite is awesome!! I would like to do the 1st movement too, Samba or....... the whole suite?? Sbpiano??
QUOTE(kenm @ Aug 27 2007, 06:17 PM)
A work I would love to play, but never expect to, is the Brahms Op. 34 (a or b) second version of what is better known as the F minor Piano Quintet.
There are some versions of Brahms Waltzes. I don't know whether he did the arrangement. Piano II looks much easier than I in the one I have.
You've missed the work I would put at the top of my list (after the Mozart Sonata K448): Brahms' "Variations on a theme by Haydn". Well, we all know now that the theme is not by Haydn, but that's what it's called in my Peters edition copy anyway. Wonderful stuff to play.
Try Dvorak's Slavonic Dances -- I've played one and it is VERY VERY expressive.
I've also played The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba -- about gr 7 level.
Also maybe Faure's Dolly?
I've also played The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba -- about gr 7 level.
Also maybe Faure's Dolly?
Milhaud's Scaramouche has been my favourite for a long time - quite easy to fit together (two pianos).
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