Aaronson, Sharon (b. 1950), United States
American pianist, composer, arranger, editor, and teacher. Graduate of the Berklee College of Music with studies in jazz and Classical piano, jazz arranging, and composition.
Stompin’
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 1997.
A syncopated, toe-tapping tune. Performers are instructed to stomp their feet at strategic moments throughout. Melody lies primarily in the primo while the secondo plays a boom-chick accompaniment.
Level: I
Abeille, Johann Christian Ludwig (1761–1838), Germany
German pianist, court organist, director of music and conductor of the private orchestra of the Duke of Wurttemberg; composer of songs, stage entertainments, and piano music.
Grand concerto (D), Op. 6
Offenbach: André, 1793.
Written for harpsichord or piano with accompaniment of several instruments.
Sonate (C), Op. 22
Heilbronn: Johann Amon, n.d.
Despite an inclination toward excessive use of sequential passages and a general unevenness of quality, this two-movement sonata in Classical style is a flowing work with attractive harmonies and lyrical melodies (one of which bears more than a passing resemblance to the theme of Mozart’s A major Rondo for solo piano). The rhapsodic character of the second-movement variations is especially intriguing, with frequent, unexpected cadenzas and sudden changes of meter.
Level: I
Six walses, Book 1 (D, G, C, g, B♭, E♭); Book 2 (F, C, G, D, E♭, a); Book 3 (C, e, G, D, B♭, E♭)
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, ca. 1808.
Instructional pieces for beginning pianists.
Level: I
Abesser, Edmund (1837–1889), Germany
German composer and musician.
Cologne: P. J. Tonger, 1890.
Four pieces: I. Lied des Hirten; II. Jagdstuck; III. Durch grunende Felder; IV. Einsame Blume.
Level: I
Abril, Anton Garcia (b. 1933), Spain
Spanish composer and musician.
Homenaje a Copernico
Madrid: Bolamar Ediciones Musicales, 2009.
A three-movement work in fast-slow-fast construction. Rhythmically driven with pungent harmonic language. Fast octave passagework.
Level: LA
Adam, Johann Ludwig (Louis) (1705–1779)
Sonate
Publisher and date missing.
Symphonie concertante (F), Op. 5
Paris: Naderman et LeMenu, 1787.
For piano or harpsichord.
Adams, Mrs. Crosby (1858–1951), United States
Composer of educational piano music.
Barcarolle, Op. 2/1
Chicago: Clayton Summy, 1897.
Four Duets for Two Beginners, Op. 13
Boston, MA: Arthur P. Schmidt, 1906.
I. Boatman’s Tune; II. The Nodding Grass Star; III. Old Folk Melody (The Hen and Her Chickens); A Voyage.
Level: UE–LI
Three Piano Duets in Unfamiliar Keys for Courageous Beginners (Song without Words; Peter Pan; Valse arabesque), Op. 20
Boston/Leipzig: A. P. Schmidt, 1907.
Adams, James O., England
A Duett for Two Performers on One Pianoforte
London: n.p. [1820].
Agafonnikov, Nikolai, Russia
Polka; Waltz; Russian Dance
In Agafonnikov, N., ed., Sbornik fortepiannikh.
Agay, Denes (1912–2007), Hungary
Hungarian-born American editor, arranger, educator, and composer.
Dance Toccata
New York: Sam Fox, 1962.
Sparkling, idiomatically written show piece in effective contemporary idiom.
Level: I
Aggházy, Károly (1855–1918), Hungary
Hungarian pianist and composer of stage works, orchestral and chamber music, and piano pieces in Romantic style with strong Hungarian folk flavor.
Poèmes hongrois, Op. 13
Berlin: Bote & Bock, 1887.
Spirited, rhythmical set of pieces.
Level: I
Rondo all’ongarese; Marcia, Op. 18
Berlin: Bote & Bock, 1886.
Agnew, Roy (1891–1944), Australia
Australian composer and pianist. Studied piano with Daisy Miller, Sydney Moss, and Emanuel de Beaupuis at the NSW Conservatorium. Composed mostly for the piano.
The Village Fair
London: Augener, 1932.
Teacher-student duet. The primo plays entirely in parallel motion at the octave.
Level: I/LI
Agthe, Wilhelm Johann Albrecht (1790–1873), Germany
German pianist and teacher; composed numerous piano works in traditional style, often pedagogical in purpose.
Trois grandes marches (E, a, f), Op. 6
Leipzig: Peters, 1816.
Level: I
Trois marches (E♭, C, c), Op. 3
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1814.
Strong, rhythmic works in Classical style.
Level: I
Aguilar, F., Spain
Spanish composer.
Pitusines, four easy pieces
Madrid: Unión Musical Española, n.d.
Ahlberg, Tor (1913–2008), Sweden
Swedish pianist; has written pieces for orchestra, chamber groups, and piano.
Tvâ Bagateller (Two Bagatelles) (1938)
Manuscript photoprint.
Aitken, George (1866–1942), England
La mascarade, suite (Rendezvous; Dance; Le retour), Op. 14
London: Leonard, 1899.
Aitken, Hugh (1924–2012), United States
American teacher and composer.
Four Pieces, Four Hands (Arioso; Chorale; Canon; Song)
Philadelphia: Elkan-Vogel, 1965.
Very short pieces in mildly contemporary idiom; interesting sonorities and technical devices.
Level: I
Aitkens, Attica, United States
Lazybones Blues
Florence, KY: Willis Music, 1983.
An accessible and relaxed dovetailing melody with some syncopation.
Level: UE
Akimenko, Feodor Stepanovich (1876–1945), Russia
Russian composer; pupil of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov; settled in France in 1917. His four-hand works show influence of French Impressionism and are idiomatically set with carefully balanced parts.
Quatre morceaux (Sur les Alpes, au printemps; Clair de lune sur les ruins du Forum Romanum; Au jardin de Luxembourg, les enfants; Sous les voûtes de Notre-Dame), Op. 41
Moscow/Leipzig: Jurgenson, 1909.
Six pièces ukraïniennes (Dumka; Do tantzu; Piznia; Vessila; Listopad; Gretchaniki),
Op. 71
Paris: Salabert, 1925.
Level: I
Tableaux idylliques (Valle; Pastorale; Élégie: Danse rustique; Romanza), Op. 62
Leipzig: Jul. Zimmermann, 1914.
Level: I
Albéniz, Isaac (1860–1909), Spain
Spanish pianist and composer; student of Liszt. His works are written in a strongly Spanish nationalist idiom.
Aragón, fantasia
Madrid: Unión Musical Española, 1921.
Strongly rhythmical work in energetic Spanish style; attractive though not idiomatically set for four hands. The many doublings and frequent awkward collisions between the parts suggest a transcription, possibly by the composer, from an original two-hand version.
Level: I
d’Albert, Eugen (1864–1932), Germany
German pianist and composer of French descent and British birth; student of Liszt; brilliant pianist; wrote operas, choral works, chamber music, and piano compositions in late German Romantic style.
Theme and Variations in B Minor, Op. 124
Leipzig: Rieter-Biedermann, 1870.
[12] Walzer, Op. 6
Berlin: Bote & Bock, 1888.
Twelve ingratiating suite of lilting waltzes somewhat reminiscent of Brahms’s Liebeslieder in style and polish; worth reviving.
Level: I
Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg (1736–1809), Austria
Austrian theorist, teacher, and composer; much sought as teacher of counterpoint. It is said he thought very little of the musical talent of his most famous pupil, Beethoven.
Prélude et fugue (B♭)
Vienna: S. A. Steiner, ca. 1805, 1823(?)
Short, thin-textured academic work in Classical idiom; well distributed for both parts.
Level: I
Alexander, Dennis (b. 1947), United States
Composer, arranger, clinician, teacher, and pianist. Degrees from the University of Kansas. Prolific composer of educational piano music. Served as professor of piano and piano pedagogy at the University of Montana.
Just for You and Me, Book 1
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 1993.
Six elementary to lower intermediate duets: All Mixed Up; Chaser; Lean on Me; Reflections; Sentimental Waltz; Simple Dessert Rag. Expressive, lyrical style with fresh harmonies. Mixed meters, hemiola, and syncopation provide rhythmic challenges.
Level: E–LI
Just for You and Me, Book 2
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 1993.
Six intermediate duets: Cozy Nights; Czardas; Elegy; Fiesta Burlesca; Lazy Kind of Waltz; Thinking of You. Frequent meter and key changes provide challenge and interest.
Level: I
March in Cyberspace
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 1998.
A chromatic introduction sets a sly, mechanical mood. Melody lies entirely in the primo while the secondo supplies the accompaniment.
Level: UE
Preludium in D Major
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 1989.
A stately yet celebratory duet. Melody is passed between primo and secondo.
Level: LI
Star Gazing
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 1993.
Lyrical with flowing arpeggiated figures. Rich harmonic language.
Level: LI
Touch a Rainbow
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 2010.
A duet arrangement of Mr. Alexander’s beloved solo. Lush harmonies and sweeping melodies.
Level: I
Valse caprice
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 1992.
A brilliant waltz that features frequent key changes and continuous eighth note patterns. A dazzling showpiece. Commissioned by the Madison Area Piano Teachers Association.
Level: I
Wild Horse Round-Up
Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Music, 2004; also published in Contest Winners for Two, Book 2.
Spirited study in articulation. Primo plays some cross-hand arpeggios.
Level: UE
Alexander, Haim (1915–2012), Israel
Israeli teacher and composer.
Six Israeli Dances (arr. by the composer)
Tel Aviv: Israeli Music Publications, n.d.
Alexandrescu, Romeo (1902–1976), Romania
Romanian composer and teacher.
Trei piese usoare pentru pian la patra mîini (Three Easy Pieces for Piano Four Hands) (1957)
Bucharest: Editura Muzicală, 1958.
Charming little instructional pieces based on Romanian folk songs.
Level: UE
Alford, Edith
A Day in the Woods
London: Elkin & Company, 1917.
Six short instructional pieces.
Level: E–UE
Alkan, Charles-Valentin (Morhange) (1813–1888), France
French virtuoso pianist; greatly respected by Liszt, Chopin, and other contemporaries; composed a quantity of études, préludes, and other bravura concert pieces.
Bombardo-Carillon
Paris: Gérard Billaudot, n.d.
This work was also transcribed by the composer for two performers, four feet, on organ pedals or pedal piano.
Level: UI–A
Paris: Gérard Billaudot, 1842.
Trois marches (A♭, E♭, B♭), Op. 40
Paris: Billaudot, n.d.
Rather long and technically demanding works containing the composer’s characteristic writing: extended passage work, unexpected chromaticisms, and plenty of bombast. Fine textures alternate with thick chordal masses, always with enormous effect.
Level: UI–A
Allemande à trois, exécutée par Alexandre Casarti et ses deux soeurs, pour le pianoforte à deux et à quatre mains
Publisher missing, ca. 1830.
Allende Sarón, Pedro Humberto (1885–1959), Chile
Chilean violinist; teacher; and composer of symphonic and chamber music, piano pieces, and violin works; active in folk music research.
Seis piezas (Six Pieces) (Tempo di marcia; Minuetto; Gavotta; Corrente; Alemanda; Vals lento; Rigodón)
Santiago de Chile: Published by composer, 1948.
Charming, graceful suite of pieces in old forms.
Level: I/E-5
Alpert, Pauline (1900–1988), United States
March of the Blues
Melville, NY: Belwin, n.d.
Level: E
Amon, Johann Andreas (1763–1825), Germany
German horn virtuoso, conductor, and prolific composer of operas, masses, symphonies, chamber works, and piano music.
Sonate (F), Op. 67
Mainz: Schott, ca. 1815.
Sonate (B♭), Op. 100/6
Bonn/Cologne: Simrock, ca. 1823.
Three-movement work, similar in style to Op. 99, but longer and somewhat more difficult.
Level: I–UI
Deux sonates (C, E♭), Op. 99
Offenbach: André, ca. 1823.
Three-movement works of moderate length in late Classical style, with rhythmic vitality, interesting thematic development, and melodic charm; worth reviving.
Level: I
Six variations sur un air de Conradin Kreutzer . . . cinquième air varié, Op. 119/5
Hannover: C. Bachmann, n.d.
Six walses (C, C, C, C, F, C), avec guitarre obligée, Op. 52
Offenbach: André, ca. 1809.
[5] Walzer (F, F, F, C, A) (seventh volume of waltzes), Op. 87
Wallerstein: Johann Amon, n.d.
Ancot, Jean (1799–1829), Belgium
Belgian pianist and prolific composer of violin pieces and piano works.
Favorite Air with Variations, Op. 221
London: Published by the composer, 1824.
Anderberg, Carl-Olof (1914–1972), Sweden
Swedish conductor, author, and composer. His musical style evolved through serial techniques into an advanced, highly complex personal idiom.
Als hätte ich vier Hände, Op. 60 (1967)
Manuscript.
Serious work of moderate length; dissonant; tightly organized structurally, with rhythmic complexities; technically demanding.
Level: A
Anderson, Leroy (1908–1975), United States
Composer and pianist. Studied piano at the New England Conservatory of Music, and harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, and composition at Harvard University, where he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Later studied towards a Ph.D. in German and Scandinavian languages at Harvard.
Fiddle Faddle
Van Nuys, CA: Belwin-Mills, 1983; published in Blue Ribbon Series: Favorite Piano Duets, Level Four, Volume 1.
A toe-tapping, lively work in D major. Secondo provides a boom-chick accompaniment above which the primo plays fast, nimble passagework.
Level: UI
Anderson, T. J. Jr. (b. 1928), United States
Five Portraits of Two People (Canvas; Contemplations; Capriciousness)
New York: American Composers Alliance-Composers Facsimile Edition, n.d.
Andersson, Margit E., Sweden
Fyra smâ händer. För piano fyra händer (Four Little Hands, for Piano Four Hands)
Stockholm: Nordiska Musikförlaget; Copenhagen: Hansen, 1946.
Level: E
Andersson, Richard (1851–1918), Sweden
Swedish pianist and pedagogue; pupil of Clara Schumann; professor at Stockholm Conservatory; composed songs and numerous piano pieces.
[12] Schwedische Tänze (d, B♭, E♭, g, e, G, f, c, A♭, C, a, E)
Berlin: Simrock, 1881.
Suite of Swedish folk dances, contrasting in character, tempo, and texture, skillfully and imaginatively set in Romantic tonal idiom.
Level: I
André, Johann Anton (1775–1842), Germany
German pianist, violinist, teacher, businessman. His ingratiating four-hand compositions are instructional in character and written in a solid Classical idiom. The majority were published by the composer himself, who took over his father’s publishing house in Offenbach. Although these tidy, well-balanced works make only modest demands on the performers, they are rich in rhythmical vitality and melodic grace.
Conversations musicales (Marche [E♭], Valse [E♭]), Op. 42
Offenbach: André, 1818.
Short amiable works.
Six divertissements (C, F, D, G, B♭, d), Op. 18
Offenbach: André, ca. 1803.
Drei divertissements (C, E♭, G), Op. 19
Offenbach: André, 1803.
Trois divertissements (C, a, F), Op. 20
Offenbach: André, 1803.
New Edition, Divertimento (a), Op. 20/2
In Zeitlin and Goldberger, eds., New York: Peters, 1961.
New Edition, Divertimento (F) No. 3, Op. 20/3
In Townsend, D., ed., Piano Duets of the Classical Period. Bryn Mawr, PA: Presser, 1956.
The three sets of divertissements, Opp. 18, 19, and 20, consist of charming, concise, one- and two-movement pieces; masterfully written; arranged in progressive difficulty; they should all be revived.
Level: LI–I
Trois marches (D, d, C), Op. 28
Offenbach: André, 1805.
Brief, rhythmical, attractive.
Level: LI–I
Douze morceaux faciles, Op. 44
Offenbach: André, n.d.
Sonate (C), Op. 12
Offenbach: André, ca. 1801.
Level: I
Trois sonates (C, F, e), Op. 46
Offenbach: André, 1821.
Level: I
Easy Sonata (C), Op. 56
Offenbach: André, n.d.
Level: I
Six Easy Sonatinas (C, G, F, d, D, B♭), Op. 45
Offenbach: André, 1820; New Edition: in Zeitlin and Goldberger, eds., Evanston, IL: Summy-Birchard, 1959.
Op. 45/1 (C)
In Eckard, ed., Forty-four Original Piano Duets.
Series of short, tuneful, workmanlike sonatinas.
Sonatina (C), Op. 73
Offenbach: André, n.d.
Neun leichte Stücke (C, C, D, F, F, g, B♭, C, G), Op. 72
Offenbach: André, n.d.
Brief, melodious pieces in progressive difficulty with contrasts of rhythm and texture.
Level: E–LI
André, Julius (1808–1880), Germany
German organist, pianist, and composer. Son of Johann Anton; best known for his four-hand arrangements of Mozart’s orchestral works.
Six morceaux amusants, Op. 38
Offenbach: André, 1864.
Musikalischer Familienkreis, Suites I and II, Op. 59; Suite III, Op. 63; Suite IV, Op. 64
Offenbach: André, 1875–77.
Drei Polonaisen, Op. 7
Offenbach: André, ca. 1832.
Nocturne in A Major, Op. 9
Sonata (F)
Offenbach: André, n.d.
Andriessen, Jurriaan (1925–1996), Netherlands
Member of famous Dutch musical family; pianist and composer. His works, influenced by Stravinsky and the French school, include film scores, chamber music, concertos, orchestra pieces, and piano compositions.
Fantasie (1962)
Amsterdam: Donemus, 1962.
Lively, sparkling work in mildly dissonant, open-textured idiom.
Level: I
Kathenka’s Music Book (Five Easy Pieces)
Amsterdam: Broekmans & Van Poppel, n.d.
Short pieces written for one easy and one slightly more advanced part are so arranged that the exclusively white-note primo blends with the attractive harmonies of the secondo in a most refreshing way.
Level: UE–LI/E-5
Andriessen, Louis (b. 1939), Netherlands
Brother of Jurriaan; studied with Berio. His style has been influenced by Cage, Stockhausen, and Stravinsky. He has also written for electronic improvisation groups.
Ittrospezione No. 1, 1961
Manuscript.
A Favorite Grand Duett for Two Performers. . . . Composed by an Eminent Master in the Style of W. A. Mozart
New York: Printed and sold at J. Hewitt’s musical repository & library, 1807–1810.
This curiosity, capitalizing as it does on the name of a famous composer and on the guilelessness (or poor eyesight) of the innocent purchaser, is one of the respectable misrepresentations in the history of the music publishing business, which has had its share of piracy, deceptions, chicanery, frauds, and fast-money operators. A quick, uncritical glance at the title page leads one to believe that the composition is by Mozart; a careful scrutiny, however, reveals the fine print embedded in the decorative scrolls and flourishes. While the work is full of Classical melodic ideas and abounds in superficial references to Mozart’s idiom, it would never be mistaken for the work of any eminent master, most assuredly not Mozart.
Level: LI
Anonymous (late eighteenth century)
Sonata per dui in uno Clavicembalo
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.
Anonymous (late eighteenth century)
Sonatina (C)
In Kreutz, ed., Vermischte Handstücke.
Short, single-movement work in Classical style.
Level: UE
Anotta, Louise
Surprise
Paris: Consortium Musical, n.d.
Level: I
Anschütz, J. A. (1772–1856), Germany
German pianist and conductor; founder of music school in Coblenz.
Scherzo symphonique
Paris: Heugel, 1897.
Brilliant, effective salon piece.
Level: I
Ansermet, Ernest (1883–1969), Switzerland
Swiss conductor; founder of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; well known as an interpreter of Stravinsky and twentieth-century French music.
Deuxième marche militaire
Lausanne: Foetisch Frères, n.d.
Antalffy-Zsiross, Dersö (Desider von) (1885–1945), Hungary
Hungarian organist; U.S. resident; wrote light opera, choral works, organ pieces, and piano pieces in Romantic style.
Hungarian Suite (Alla marcia; Scherzo; Serenata; Finale), Op. 17
Boston: Boston Music, 1913.
Attractive set of pieces in Hungarian style, well distributed for both parts.
Level: UI–LA
Anthiome, Eugène Jean-Baptiste (1836–1916), France
French composer of chamber music and instructional piano pieces.
Deux duos enfantins (Valse sentimentale; Moments joyeux)
Paris: A. Noël, n.d.
New Edition, Moments joyeux
Paris: Consortium Musical, n.d.
Level: LI
Douze petites pièces (Berceuse; Aux bords du Nil; Fête an sérail; Barcarolle; Marche de la patrouille; Chasse; Farandole; Valse; Mazurka; Galop; Boléro; Tarantelle)
Paris: Michel et Rosen, 1887.
Level: UE–LI/E-5
Anthony, Bert R. (1876–1923), United States
At the Dancing School; Rob Roy
In Playing Together for the Pianoforte.
Salute to the Colors
Bryn Mawr, PA: Presser, n.d.
Antiga, Jean (b. 1878)
Do Not Forget Me; Gavotte in Ancient Style; Impressions of Savoy; Souvenir of Spain
Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1910.
Level: LI
Applebaum, Stanley (b. 1922), United States
Musical Miniatures (Barcarolle; Hop, Skip and Jump; Pastorale Dance; Peasant Dance; Reverie Rondino)
New York: Chappell, 1953.
Short, useful, contrasting teaching pieces; occasional mild dissonance and unexpected harmonic shifts help maintain interest.
Level: UE
Doubleplay, Ten Miniatures (Peasant Dance; Rondino; Hop, Skip and Jump; Barcarolle; Reverie; Pastorale Dance; Romanza; Space Age Polka; Interplay; Power Plant)
New York: Tetra Music, 1977.
This series incorporates the whole of Musical Miniatures together with five new pieces; jazz elements, modality, and pentatonic scale passages add further color and variety; the entire group is well laid out for the keyboard.
Level: UE–LI
Pavane pour Evelyn
Paris: Choudens, n.d.
Ronde pour Jean-Claude
Paris: Choudens, n.d.
Archer, Violet (1913–2000), Canada
Canadian, studied with Hindemith and Bartók; her works include orchestral and chamber music, choral pieces, and piano compositions.
Ten Folk Songs (Book 1: The Dancing Top; Singing Bells; In the Woods; Gay Is the Rose; Music Everywhere. Book 2: Pirate Song; Paul Jones; Eskimo Prayer; Cherry Tree Carol; The Frog and the Mouse) (1953)
Toronto: BMI Canada, 1955.
Group of Canadian folk songs of both French and English origin set in fastidious and inventive arrangements.
Level: LI–I
Arensky, Anton (1861–1906), Russia
Russian; student of Rimsky-Korsakov; wrote in a lyrical style close to Tchaikovsky’s.
Six pièces enfantines (Conte; Le coucou; Les larmes; Valse; Berceuse; Fugue sur im thème russe), Op. 34
Moscow: Jurgenson, 1894.
New Edition, Mirovitch, ed. Augener; International; MCA: Six Recital Pieces (vol. 3 of The Student Pianist)
Moscow: USSR State Publishers, 1926.
Charming, melodious, well-balanced suite of pieces in transparent-textured Romantic idiom.
Level: LI–I
Kindersuite, canons, Op. 65
Leipzig: Jurgenson, 1904.
Twelve Pieces (Prelude; Gavotte; Ballade; Menuetto; Elegie; Consolation; Valse; Marche; Romance; Scherzo; Berceuse; Polka), Op. 66
Moscow: Jurgenson, 1903; New Edition, International, n.d.
Carefully constructed works; tuneful; similar in style to Op. 34 but somewhat more difficult.
Level: I
Arenson, Adolf (1855–1936), Germany
Menuet and Habanera
Leipzig: Schubert, 1893.
Level: LI
d’Argenton, Antonin
La danse des ombres (Schattentanz) (A♭), Op. 21
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, ca. 1872.
Arizaga, Rodolfo (1926–1985), Argentina
Argentine teacher, music critic, author, and composer; student of Nadia Boulanger and Messiaen. His early style was influenced by neo-Classicism and Spanish Impressionism, but he later developed his own eclectic idiom.
Serranillas de la infanza (1957)
Buenos Aires: Editorial Argentina de Música, n.d.
Arma, Paul (pseud. of Imre Weisshaus) (1905–1987), Hungary
Hungarian pianist and composer; student of Bartók.
Pantomime, neuf petits morceaux
London: Goodwin & Tabb, 1956.
Armand, J. O. (1853–1916), Germany
See: Knorr, Iwan.
Armstrong, William Dawson (1868–1936), United States
Composer of operas, sacred works, and instructional piano music.
Paola and Francesca
New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1902.
Level: UE
Papillon, air de ballet
New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1904.
Level: UE
Suite de ballet (Entr’act; Valse lente; Scene in the Garden; The Kermesse)
Boston: A. P. Schmidt, 1895.
Descriptive pieces in salon style.
Level: I
Arnell, Richard (1917–2009), England
British composer, student of John Ireland; wrote in eclectic style with neo-Classical and Romantic affinities.
Sonatina, Op. 61
London: Schott, 1950.
Dedicated to George Balanchine and intended as a ballet score. Four-movement work cast in a tonal idiom spiced with mild dissonance. The twenty-one-bar introductory Andante movement leads into a bright Allegro, which in turn is followed by a contrasting Andante. The work ends in a bustling Presto. Rhythmically vigorous and melodically appealing, the entire Sonata is carefully written for the medium.
Level: I–UI
Two Simple Piano Duets (Thoughts; Second Thoughts)
London: Hinrichsen, 1961.
Witty, refined, entertaining works in artful settings; attractive, useful teaching material.
Level: UE
Arnold, Carl (1794–1873), Germany
German pianist and conductor; wrote church music, an opera, orchestral works, and piano pieces.
Rondo (D)
Offenbach: André, ca. 1818.
Arnold, Malcolm (1921–2006), England
English composer of film scores, ballets, instrumental sonatas; vivid orchestrator; wrote in a direct style, often ironic and whimsical.
Concerto for Pianoforte Duet and Orchestra
Publisher and date missing.
Written for Paul Hamburger and Helen Pyke, piano four-hand specialists.
Scottish Dances
Publisher and date missing.
Arrieu, [Mme. ] Claude (1903–1990), France
French composer of operas, chamber works, incidental radio music, and piano pieces in neo-Classical idiom.
Suite pour Mélodyne (Prologue; Dominos; Pic et dic et col et gram; Trois soldats; Romance ears paroles; Berceuse; Aubade à Mélodyne)
Paris: Amphion, 1946.
Delightful set of short, effective teaching pieces.
Level: LI–I/E–UE
Artaud, Émile (b. 1849)
Marche nuptiale
Paris: Enoch, 1878.
Artsybushev, Nikolai (1858–1937), Russia
Russian composer; member of nationalist school.
Pantalon
See: Badinage under Bacon, Ernst.
Ashforth, Alden (b. 1933), United States
Big Bang
Manuscript, 1970, Available from the composer, Music Department, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90007.
Ashton, Algernon (1859–1937), England
English pianist and composer; German-trained; wrote chamber works and over 200 pieces for piano solo. His four-hand compositions, though rather long and often diffuse, are competently crafted in Romantic idiom with Brahmsian texture. The flowing style, frequently sparkling with brilliance, features abundant passage work, strong rhythms, and absorbing development of the fresh melodic ideas, some of which are of folk origin.
Level, all pieces: I–A
Berlin: Simrock, 1883.
Irische Tänze, Op. 26
Berlin: Simrock, 1885.
Marsch and Tarantella, Op. 30
Berlin: Simrock, 1887.
Schottische Tänze, Op. 18
Berlin: Simrock, 1885.
Serenade (B♭), Op. 40
Berlin: Simrock, 1885.
Trauliche Zwiegespräche, Op. 14
Leipzig: Siegel, 1886.
Asioli, Bonifazio (1769–1832), Italy
Italian theorist, educator, and composer. In addition to operas and a prodigious quantity of religious music, he wrote prolifically in late Classical style for instrumental combinations of all kinds; also wrote theory, harmony, and composition textbooks, and methods for playing the contrabass and the piano.
Capriccio (B♭) (Adagio; Allegro; Allegretto; Allegretto con variazioni; Larghissimo; Presto), Op. 3
Zürich: Nägeli, ca. 1803.
Long, sectional work, light in character; weakened by overabundant passage work and lack of melodic variety.
Level: I
Sonata
Manuscript.
Possibly one of the three sonatas Asioli is supposed to have written in 1777, at eight years of age and without any instruction.
Sonatine (G) (Allegretto only)
Manuscript.
Melodious, direct, unpretentious one-page work in ingratiating style.
Level: E
Asioli, Luigi (1778–1815), Italy
Italian tenor and composer, probably brother of Bonifazio. In 1804 he moved to London, where a number of works appeared under his name between 1805 and 1825. In comparing the solo sonatas of the two brothers, William Newman (299) finds strong similarities in style and idiom. He suggests that Luigi, whose musical reputation in London was already established, may have had at least one of Bonifazio’s works published under his own (Luigi’s) name. If this assumption is true, then the two duets below may well have been written by Bonifazio.
Andantino tacitino assai (G)
Manuscript.
Short, one-page movement in appealing style; well laid out for the medium.
Level: UE–LI
London: Thomas Monzani, ca. 1813.
The three movements of this pleasant work in Classical mold are fluent and well balanced for both parts. Despite sections of arid passage work and weak thematic development, the composer’s use of unexpected chromaticism in modulatory passages (foreshadowing later Romantic tendencies) and the overall rhythmic flow of the work help to sustain interest.
Level: I
Atterberg, Kurt (1887–1974), Sweden
Prolific Swedish composer of music in late Romantic style often containing folk material.
Rondeau rétrospectif
Manuscript.
Level: A
Attwood, Thomas (1765–1838), England
English organist, pupil of Mozart, friend of Mendelssohn; wrote stage works, sacred compositions, solo songs, many sonatas, and lessons for piano.
March and waltz (E♭)
Publisher missing, ca. 1835.
d’Aubel, Henri, France
Six morceaux (three and four hands) (Ponca-Marche; Calinette; Danse tzigane; Boute en train, galop; Gardénia, polka mazurka; Marche des pantins)
Paris: Leduc, 1887.
Level: UE–LI/E-5
Aubert, Louis (1877–1968), France
French pianist and composer; studied with Fauré and Widor.
Feuille d’images, diva pièces enfantines (Confidence; Chanson de route; Sérénade; Des pays lointains; La danse de Fours de peluche)
Paris: Durand, 1930.
Level: E
Auda, Alain, France
Pour les petites personnes; premiere année, pièces faciles clans tour les tons
Paris: Chappell, 1973.
Level: E–UE
Aulin, Tor (1866–1914), Sweden
Swedish violinist, conductor, and composer; student of Scharwenka; wrote symphonic music, chamber music, and piano compositions.
Valse-caprice
Stockholm: Elkan & Schildknecht, Emil Carelius, n.d.
Auric, Georges (1899–1983), France
Youngest member of the French group “les Six”; studied with d’Indy. His melodious style shows influences of Stravinsky, Satie, and popular music. He wrote Lim scores, incidental music, songs, chamber works, and piano pieces.
Cinq bagatelles (Ouverture; Petite marche; Valse; Rêverie; Retraite)
Paris: Heugel, 1926.
Short pieces in light style, arranged by the composer from incidental theater music into attractive and effective teaching material.
Level: UE–LI
Austin, Ernest (1874–1947), England
English businessman turned composer; wrote extensively in all musical forms. His piano duets are written in conservative nineteenth-century idiom.
Campbells Are Coming
London: Lengnick, n.d.
Level: I
Gavotte and Musette
London: Lengnick, n.d.
Level: LI
Lass of Richmond Hill
London: Lengnick, n.d.
Level: LI
Russian Song and Dance
London: Lengnick, n.d.
Level: LI
Sailor’s Hornpipe
London: Lengnick, n.d.
Level: I
St. Patrick Was a Gentleman
London: Lengnick, 1915.
Brisk, catchy, rhythmical piece with folk song character.
Level: LI
Austin, Glenda, United States
Composer, arranger, pianist, teacher, and clinician. Holds bachelors’ and masters’ degrees from the University of Missouri.
Samba Sensation
Florence, KY: Willis Music, 2012.
Brimming with rhythmic energy, this duet begins with a dramatic introduction and concludes with a dazzling finish.
Level: I
Springtime Waltz
Florence, KY: Willis Music, 2010.
A charming and gracious melody with a gentle lilt.
Level: UE
Florence, KY: Willis Music, 1990.
Elegant and sophisticated. Well written and in an effective style.
Level: I
Wistful Waltz
Florence, KY: Willis Music, 2010.
This nostalgic waltz in C minor requires careful voicing of chordal melodies and lyrical scalar figures. Performers are provided explicit instructions with regard to dynamics and pacing.
Level: LI
Averre, Dick (1921–2001), United States
Rag-Weed Rag
Van Nuys, CA: Belwin-Mills / Alfred Music, 1982.
A witty rag in F major with contrasting section in the subdominant.
Level: LI
Avidom, Menahem (1908–1955), Israel
Studied at the American University of Beirut and the Paris Conservatory.
Served as General Secretary of the Israel Philharmonic.
Duo Sonatina
Tel Aviv: Israeli Music Institute, 1987.
Four-movement sonatina: I. Moderato; II. Allegretto; III. Adagio; IV. Allegro. Interesting counterpoint and mildly tart harmonic style.
Level: I–UI