Piano four hands

For four hands (Italian: " a quattro mani ") is a statement game for a piece of music (mostly piano) requires two players, four hands on a keyboard instrument. Pieces for two instruments are expressly designated as "for two pianos ."

Four-handed piano music is a field of chamber music.

In the 19th century popular duet arrangements of orchestral and chamber music works, so that they could be enacting at home and get to know (especially overtures and symphonies ). Four-handed edits are easier to play against two-handed. Beethoven's own arrangement for four hands ( Opus 134) of his " Great Fugue " for String Quartet Opus 133 is hard enough, but two hands as good as unplayable, for example, four hands still.

In the four-hand piano pieces, are an educational means employed, in particular the relatively easy -to-play compositions by Anton Diabelli.

In addition, there are four-handed piano music as an independent art works by many composers. Examples:

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonatas, variations, fantasies
• Franz Schubert: marches, dances, fantasy, sonatas, etc.
• Johannes Brahms: " Hungarian Dances ", waltzes, variations
• Claude Debussy: " Petite Suite ," " Marche sur un thème populaire écossaise ", " Six épigraphes antiques "
• Paul Hindemith: Sonata

Accordingly, there are pieces to three, six, in rare cases, eight hands.