Welcome!

Welcome Everyone!

 

I know how lonely it is playing the piano all by ourselves, so I wanted to open up this thread where we can share and talk about 4-hand piano music!

 

It can be so fun to play with others and there are definitely possibilities for virtual collaboration. 

 

Share what pieces interest you and any experience you have playing 4 hand piano selections!

 

This can include both repertoire for 4-hands ONE piano, or 4-hands TWO pianos!

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  • I will start things off:

     

    I have played a fair amount (but not enough) 4 hand piano pieces!

    Schubert: Fantasy in F minor

    Piazzolla: 4 seasons

    Schubert: Various Waltzes

    Brahms: Hungarian Dances

     

    Here is a recent video I made with a mentor of mine, Fabio Bidini, where we play Brahms Symphony no.4 together!

    Like 11
    • Dominic Cheli so beautiful!

      Like 2
      • GerryM
      • GerryM
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Dominic Cheli Wow Dominic wonderful playing of such a great piece. Thank you for sharing that. 

      Like 2
    • Dominic Cheli wonderful!

      Like 1
    • Dominic Cheli Bravo Dominic! 

      Like
  • My most memorable and fun duo was Poulenc concerto in d minor - mvmt II. Larghetto. No orchestra, so we played the orchestra parts when we could. I was second piano. I loved practicing together every week, and then we performed it twice. 
    Got started with another partner on Schubert Fantasie in F minor (secondo) and Brahms Sonata op. 34, Scherzo, (primo) but unfortunately circumstances stopped that collaboration before very much was learned. I have also played some Brahms waltz duets.

    I look forward to hopefully playing more duets soon!

    Like 2
    • GerryM
    • GerryM
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Thank you Dominic for setting this up! For anyone who would like to play the primo part of Berceuse from the Faure Dolly Suite, here are recordings of the secundo part I made a few years ago to play with a friend over a long distance. One version is kind of fast, (quarter note =92, recommended by the editor). There's a slower version as well (quarter note=80 bpm) that's a little more in line with how I've envisioned the piece. So, something simple to get started...

    Like 4
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      GerryM I’ll do it over the weekend and try to merge the two files!

      Like 1
      • Steve Coffey
      • Statistician, Pianist
      • Steve_Coffey
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Gail Starr Love the Dolly Suite!  Will try this out - thanks!

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      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Gail Starr I apologize for not having time to try to record along with the Berceuse.  A dear family member passed away last week and we’ve been overwhelmed.

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    • Gail Starr So sorry to hear this Gail. Sending you and your family condolences at this sad time.

      Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Angela Fogg Thank you so much. ❤️

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    • GerryM Thank you!

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  • Looking forward to playing some four hand pieces with Gail Starr and others! I have not played any 4 hand pieces before. The closest I have come is splitting 2 hands with my son many years ago when he was learning Bach inventions- to keep him company and encourage his hands separate practice I would play one hand and he would play the other. Then we would switch parts. I am interested in the Schubert Fantasy in F minor, some pieces by Rachmaninoff (4 hand transcription of Tchaikovsky’s sleeping beauty waltz and six hand valse/romance) and Brahms Hungarian dances.

    Like 5
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Dominic Cheli Your Brahms is magnificent!  Thank you so much for sharing!

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      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Vidhya Bashyam I'm not sure my friends will want me to record our Schubert this evening because the evening is more of a party than a serious concert...I guess it's kind of the "Schubertiade" Dominic described, with extra adult beverages!  LOL!

      Like 3
  • I always loved making music with others and I’m lucky to have a friend living close by with whom I can play piano duets. We just played the Schubert Fantasy in F-minor in a Masterclass and surely will continue playing this wonderful music. Before that we started the Debussy Petite Suite, which is gorgeous and two Mozart Sonatas (KV 381 and 497) All fantastic pieces - but not performance ready yet. It’s great fun to be working on these though. Thank you very much for opening this thread, Dominic! I look forward to learn about more repertoire for piano duets.

    Like 5
    • CK Lau
    • Piano Teacher, Learner and Student
    • br0wn
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    It's good to hear those experiences of yours for the piano duet. 

     

    I myself, considered not so lucky on this -> extremely hard to get the chance to find someone play with. The only chance that I got was back dated mid 90s. That time, my piano teacher, got me a partner, to learn it for the exam purpose. The piece was Diabelli's sonata Op.38. I only manage to learn the first movement, then the project needs to be stopped. As my partner needs to spend more time on her preparation for the upcoming high-school final exam.

     

     That's the experience I had. Time flies.

    Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      CK I definitely know what you mean by time flying.  I used to play 2-piano music every summer...but the last time I did it was...1999.  Crazy, huh?

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      • Steve Coffey
      • Statistician, Pianist
      • Steve_Coffey
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      CK One day, years ago, I had just hired a new piano tuner.  He was no-nonsense.  After brief pleasantries he went to work.  I went out for a coffee, and when I came back he was still at it.  When he was done, he asked me to come into the room and try it out.  "Just great!", I said.  He said, "No, I mean let's really try it out."  I had the Dvorak Slavonic Dances on the top of my stack, who knows why.  He put it on the desk and asked if I wanted primo or segundo.  We played the whole book cover to cover.  Laughing and loving every minute of it.  We were friends for years after that.

      Like 3
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Steve Coffey That is a fabulous story!

      Like
  • I am currently working on Reynaldo Hahn's Berceuses. I've already played the first four and will be playing the last three on May 15 at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Michigan. Check out the pieces on imslp.org!

    Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Roberta Brown I just looked at them.  Fabulous!  I’m going to save them and bring them to my chamber music weekend in Georgia in June.

      Like
    • Denise
    • Educator
    • Denise
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    I haven't done many four handed pieces in my life time, however, I have two students (siblings) 7 and 11 who always do a duet at our recitals. ;-) they are great together. Cute to watch. Last year the did a version of Schubert's March Militaire (I posted while coaching last year). This year they are doing a version of the Blue Danube. :-) Yes, cuteness ensues. Their 5 year old sister wants in on the action now too... LOL

    I will be following this thread.

    Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Denise Please share the cute videos!

        Just post an attachment here, maybe?

      Like
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