Thread: Four Handed Piano Work

I'm looking for a good four handed piano piece (one piano, two players) to give to my father for his birthday. We're living in different countries right now, but the idea is if I learn one part and he learns the other, when we see each other again we can play it together.

I'm looking for something Classical or Romantic--Beethoven, Schubert, etc.--with a heart-rending slow movement, exciting poundy bit, and above all, NOT impossibly hard. A little hard is ok, but neither of us are virtuosos.

Any advice?

What about Schubert's Trout quintet for four hands?
It has a lovely...hmmm, it has five lovely movements.

Unless I'm mistaken, Schubert wrote a few duets that are pleasant to play and listen to.
The Grand Duo and Fantasie in F minor come to mind - not too easy just to play unless your sightreading is excellent....assuming I've got the right composer!

Rachmaninov's Italian Polka.

Thanks everyone. I've heard some Schubert duets which I liked, but couldn't remember the names. I'm not planning on sightreading any of this, as long as it's attainable with practice.

Rachmaninov makes me think of that movie about David Helfgott, which makes me think of impossible, insanity-inducing difficulty, for which I'm not quite ready.

Originally Posted by zlya

Rachmaninov makes me think of that movie about David Helfgott, which makes me think of impossible, insanity-inducing difficulty, for which I'm not quite ready.

The Italian Polka is not impossible to play. On the contrary, I think it's hand's friendly.


You can both study a Schubert duet as main course, and the Italian Polka purely as an encore.