I never had much of an opportunity to do 4 hand work when I was younger... I really wish I had more ensemble playing in my fingers... But I try to have my students play them. I am seeing such a value in them, even for my youngest students!

So, I am prepping my kiddos for recital. This is one of my sibling pairs. Primo has been playing for 8.5 months. Her sister, Secondo has been playing for about 3.5 years. Secondo is playing Secondo with her Brother who has been playing for 5.5 years, and they are doing the Blue Danube Waltz. Last year they did an arrangement for Schubert's March Militaire.  This family makes me beam. Other than a slight mistake at the end, and be it known, recital is on June 12, so we are still working on things... the girls are accomplished dancers, and their brother is a competitive soccer player... Such a disciplined band of siblings! And so MUSICAL! :-)

https://youtu.be/KYKvuKFhPDY

For anyone in the SF Bay Area, SFCM Adult Division is offering an in-person class this summer for those who want to try 4-hand pieces (one piano or two), starting in June. I believe the class is open to late elementary and intermediate students, as well as to more advanced pianists. You can check SFCM’s website (Continuing Ed) and email J.Chew, the teacher, for more details.

My first piano teacher had me learn several pieces for two players, but I only got to play the secondo parts.  I learned the Gavotte by Bach and Sonata in D, 1st movement by Beethoven from "Three B's for Two Players" book by Mark Nevin.  The Beethoven Sonata is a lot of fun to play and makes one think of the the 1st movement of Beethoven's 5th symphony, but is a lot lighter and more playful.  I also learned the Swan by Saint-Saens, although it must have been a simplified version of it.  My teacher had me play it with the other student who played the primo part at a recital and I remember thinking that the secondo part seemed more difficult to play for that piece.

If I had the chance to play a 4 hands piano piece I will like to play Morceaux en forme de poire from Eric Satie.  

I just thought about it, I could play it with one of my students. I even have the sheet music at home.

It would  be nice to do that, wouldn't it ? 

The two-piano version of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 is my absolute favorite! I've played it with my wife about 10 years ago and have brought it back recently. I believe it's one of the best compositions by Rachmaninoff and it feels so gratifying every time we play it!

I love love loveeeeeee the Schubert Fantasia in F minor - one of my fave pieces of all time! Would love to play Piazzolla 4 Seasons one day! I was lucky enough to perform a 4 hands 2 pianos arrangement (from Japan) of Piazzolla Oblivion on 2 Steinway Pianos for a Steinway function in Australia with a close friend back in 2019. It was def a highlight and a dream come true for me

Later that year, the same friend and I performed a 90min 4 hands recital on the 2 Steinway pianos and these were few of the choice of pieces to form our 90min program - 

4 hands 1 piano - Gluck Ballet from Orphe et Eurydice (Andersson and Roe arrangement) 

4 hands 1 piano - Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody

4 hands 1 pianos - Saint-Saens Danse Macabre

4 hands 1 piano - Ravel Ma mére l’oye (love the whole work esp the last mvt - Le jardin féerique)

4 hands 2 pianos - Bernstein Symphonic Dances from Westside Story. We have also included some of our own 4 hands 2 piano arrangements from WWS to perform with the Symphonic Dances such as I feel Pretty, America etc. 

Unfortunately this collaborative close friend of mine had to move city for work and since then I haven’t managed to find the right person to continue my “20 fingers orchestra” dream with me

Another fave of mine is the 4 hands 2 pianos (orchestra reduction piano 2) of the 2nd mvt of Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2 in F major Op 102. I much preferred the 2 pianos arrangement for this piece 🫢 and have performed this arrangement with one of my students, who will be performing this work with a orchestra for a performance at a later date this year.

I would love to find another 4 hands piano partner and hopefully continue my 20 fingers orchestra dream one day. These are the 4 hands pieces I would love to explore more into and hopefully perform one day -

Piazzolla Adiós Nonino (2 pianos arrangement by Ziegler) 

Smetana Má vlast (1 piano 4 hands)

Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (1 piano 4 hands) 

Khachaturian Waltz from Masquerade (1 piano 4 hands) 

Any of the Brahms Symphonies 

Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suites 

and many many more!!! 
 

I also love Mozart, Beethoven 4 hands works

A BIT OF HALLOWEEN 4-HAND FUN!

These are some 4 hand pieces that I have enjoyed and not previously mentioned.

Richard Rodney Bennet - Country Blues from the Four Piece Suite (2 pianos)

Arthur Benjamin - Two Jamaican Street Songs (2 pianos)

Reinhold Gliere - Six Pieces, Op. 41 (2 pianos)

Ravel - Piano Concerto in G major, Adagio Assai (2 pianos)

Saint-Saens - Carnival of the Animals (4 hands)

Schubert - Rondo in A Major (4 hands) - this was mentioned but is one of my favorites

Copland - Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring (4 hands)

Ibert - Histoires (4 hands)