and 
; pentatonic.Dacci, Giusto (1840–1915), Italy
Italian teacher, author of theory textbooks. He wrote sacred music, instrumental works, and piano pieces.
Six petits morceaux (Scherzo improvisé; Romance sans paroles; Menuet; Alla marcia; Gavotte; Galopade)
Milan: Carisch & Jänichen, 1908.
Charming instructional pieces; whimsical; effective.
Level: I
Dahl, Anne Margrethe (b. 1966)
Dance hongroise, Op. 26
Paris: Hamelle, n.d.
Dahl, Ingolf (1912–1970), Germany/United States
Composer of German origin. He wrote chamber music and orchestral works in a contrapuntal, freely dissonant idiom.
Four Intervals (1969)
Unpublished, arr. by composer from original version for string quartet.
Rondo (1938)
Unpublished.
Dalberg, Johann Friedrich Hugo, Freiherr von (1760–1812), Germany
German musical dilettante; pianist, author of treatises on music. He composed cantatas, songs, chamber music, and piano works in late Classical style.
Fantaisie, Op. 26
Offenbach: André, 1807.
Grande sonate (E♭)
Mainz: Schott, 1792.
Sonata (additional pianist required for a total of five hands), Op. 19
Bonn: Simrock, 1803.
Sonata (B♭), Op. 24
Bonn: Simrock, 1805.
Sonata (C), Op. 9/3
Offenbach: André, 1794.
Sonata (e)
Augsburg: J. C. Gombart, 1793.
I. Largo giusto. Allegro; II. Arioso Andantino; III. Presto
Level: UI–LA
Mainz: Karl Zulehner (Schott), n.d.
Dale, Joseph (1750–1821), England
London music publisher and organist. He composed keyboard sonatas and arranged vocal airs.
Three Favorite Duetts (C, G, F), Op. 7
London: Published by composer, ca. 1785.
A Second Sett of Three Favorite Duetts (C, G, F), Op. 10
London: Published by composer, ca. 1791.
Short, instructional works in thin Classical style.
Level: UE–LI
Dallier, Henri (1849–1934), France
French organist and composer. Studied organ with Cesar Franck at the Paris Conservatory.
Valse, Op. 30
Paris: Armand Colier, 1893.
A charming waltz in G minor.
Level: I
Damase, Jean-Michel (1928–2013), France
French pianist and composer of a piano concerto, a ballet, orchestral works, piano pieces, and music for harp.
Drominiana, trais pièces pour piano à quatre mains
Paris: Editions Musicales Transatlantiques, 1977.
Diverting, light, effervescent work in French neo-Classical style with traces of jazz and Poulenc in the harmonic idiom. The slow, stately introduction in French overture mariner with iambic dotted notes is followed by a gracefully flowing middle movement with a pastorale quality. The third movement, a brilliant allegro vivo with passage work and changing meters, provides a bravura ending. Excellent recital finale.
Level: I–LA
Damcke, Berthold (1812–1875), Germany
German cellist and teacher; friend of Berlioz. He revised and edited two of Gluck’s operas, and he wrote oratorios, songs, and piano pieces.
Sonatine sur les cinq notes de la gamme (C)
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1876; New Edition, Paris: Hamelle, n.d.
Instructional piece.
Level: UE/E-5
Damiani, F., Italy
Italian composer and singer.
A Duet for Two Performers, Op. 13
London: Published by composer, ca. 1800.
Dandelot, Georges (1895–1975), France
French composer; studied with Widor, Dulcas, and Roussel. His works include operas, orchestral and chamber music, concertos, and piano pieces.
Six chants populaires bretons
Paris: Senart, n.d.
Danzi, Franz (1763–1826), Germany
German composer of Italian descent; composed Singspiele, comic operas, and orchestral and chamber music. He was a forerunner of Weber and Romanticism, though his roots and musical education lay in the pre-Classical school at Mannheim.
Pièces détachèes (F, D, A), Op. 11
Munich: Falter, 1802.
Rambling pieces, though nonetheless intriguing for their melodic variety, textural interest, and rhythmic strength. Especially noteworthy is Danzi’s skill in manipulating thematic development through imitation and other contrapuntal devices, and there is a foreshadowing of later compositional techniques in his handling of modulation and chromaticism.
Level: I
Sonate (B♭), Op. 9
Leipzig: MR, 1806.
Sonata (C), Op. 2
Munich: Falter, 1797.
Serious, three-movement work in Classical idiom featuring broad, expressive melodies, dextrous thematic development, and careful attention to the balance between parts. Startling modulations are not uncommon. The theme and variations of the slow movement are especially captivating.
Level: I
Sonata (E♭)
Paris: Nadermann, n.d.
Da-Oz, Ram (b. 1929), Germany/Israel
Graduated from the Israel Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. Studied composition with A. Hajos. Composed educational piano music, songs, chamber music, and works for orchestra.
Ru-Ta-No-Wa: Suite for Piano Four Hands
Tel Aviv: Israeli Music Institute IMI, 1985.
A four-movement suite: I. Rumba; II. Tango; III. Nocturne; IV. Waltz. Pungent harmonic language.
Level: A
Darcieux, Francisque (1880–1951), France
French composer.
Carillons; Chantons
Paris: Consortium Musical, n.d.
Level: LI
Paris: Consortium Musical, n.d.
Level: UE
Les pélerins de St-Odile
Paris: Consortium Musical, n.d.
Level: I
Dargomyzhski, Aleksandr S. (1813–1869), Russia
Russian composer; pioneer in the nationalist school; associated with “The Five” though not a member himself. He composed operas, orchestra pieces, vocal works, and piano compositions.
Fantaisie sur des airs finois
St. Petersburg: Bessel, 1881.
Tarantelle slave
Moscow: Jorgenson, 1867.
Tuneful work in which the main performing burden falls on the primo part. The very easy secondo consists of two notes throughout and is described in one edition as being written for a performer who “does not even play the piano” (cf. Igor Stravinsky, Three Easy Pieces).
Level: LE/I–UI
Da Ros, Stefano (b. 1961), Italy
Danzantre
Ancona: Berben Edizioni Musicali, 1990.
Three dances for young pianists. Each part is set in a different mode.
Level: LI
Davico, Vincenzo (1889–1969), France
French composer; studied with Reger. He composed several operas, orchestral and chamber music, and songs.
Tre piccoli pezzi (Barcarola; Serenata; Pastorale)
Paris: Rouart, Lerolle, 1925.
Atmospheric pieces in Impressionistic style.
Level: UI–LA
Davies, Evan
In Hanging Gardens
Florence, KY: Willis Music, 1981.
A study in cross-hand arpeggios.
Level: I
Davy, John (1763–1824), England
A Favorite Duett in Which Is Introduced the Favorite Air of Fal Lal La
London: Lavenu, n.d.
DeBenedetti, Gilbert, United States
Composer, pianist, and teacher. Degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.
Bear with Me Duet Suite
Dayton, OH: Heritage Music Press, 2000.
Co-composed with Janet Vogt. A two-movement suite: I. Black Bear Waltz; II. The Birds and the Bears.
Level: E
Debussy, Claude (1862–1918), France
Six épigraphes antiques (Pour invoquer Pan; Pour un tombeau sans nom; Pour clue Ia nuit soit propice; Pour Ia danseuse aux crotales; Pour l’Égyptienne; Pour remercier le pluie au matin) (1914)
Paris: Durand, 1915; New Edition, Broekmans & Van Poppel.
Subtle, mature works from the composer’s final years. Their Impressionistic color and delicacy, evocative of pagan rituals, demand sensitive musicianship and refined interpretive skill.
Level: UI–A
Marche écossaise sur un thème populaire (The Earl of Ross March) (1891)
Paris: Fromont (Jobert), 1903; New Edition, Leipzig: Peters, n.d.
Commissioned by a Scottish general to commemorate his forbears and originally titled Marche des anciens comtes de Ross dédiée à leur descendant, le général Meredith Read, Grand-croix de l’Ordre du Rédempteur, this curiosity is a medley of Scottish airs outfitted with early Debussian harmony and the master’s touch. It was later orchestrated by the composer.
Level: I–UI
Petite suite (En bateau; Cortège; Menuet; Ballet) (1889)
Paris: Durand, 1904; New Editions, Broekmans & Van Poppel; International; Hug; Schirmer UMP; Weekley, Dallas, and Arganbright, Nancy, eds. Neil A. Kjos Music.
The four pieces in this familiar suite, suavely written in the composer’s pre-Impressionistic style, are tuneful and challenging for both parts.
Level: I–UI
Symphonie (b)
Zhilyaev, ed. Moscow: Ogiz (Musgiz), 1933.
Duet arrangement of the symphony made from the composer’s own autograph. A student work, it was written between 1880 and 1882, during Debussy’s sojourn in Russian with Mme. von Meek, and was probably never orchestrated.
Level: A
De Carvalho, Ricardo Ferreira (1840–1892)
Henriqueta, Op. 24
Montrouge: Alphonse Leduc, 1882.
Level: I
Pour endormir la ’tite soeur
Paris: Consortium Musical, n.d.
Level: UE
Decourcelle, Maurice (1815–1888), France
Fantasie elegante, Op. 21
Paris: J. Meissonnier et Fils.
Overture style.
Level: A
DeCoursey, Ralph
The Blue Pagoda
New York: Schirmer, 1966.
Quiet, contemplative, atmospheric piece in alternating and ; pentatonic.
Level: LI
Decq, Adhemar (1850–1925)
Concert de lutins, Opp. 59–70
Paris: H. Delafontaine, 1885.
Twelve piano solos arranged for piano four hands by the composer.
Level: I–LA
Little-Duck, Op. 57
H. Delafontaine, 1884.
Galop and trio. Tremelos and large chords.
Level: LA
Dedieu-Peters, Madeline, France
Trois petits preludes
Paris: Salabert, n.d.
Degen, Helmut (1911–1995), Germany
German musicologist and teacher. He has written extensively for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, voice, and solo instruments.
Sonata über In Dulci Jubilo
Heidelberg: Müller, 1950.
Delannoy, Marcel (1898–1962), France
French composer, formerly painter and architect; mainly self-taught in music. His works include operas, ballets, symphonies, chamber music, and songs.
Bourrée
Paris: Heugel, 1928.
See: L’Éventail de Jeanne under Essex, Timothy.
Level: A
Delden, Lex van (1919–1988), Netherlands
Dutch composer of orchestral and chamber works, operas, children’s ballets, and choral music.
Bartókiana (with fifth hand), Op. 61
Amsterdam: Donemus, 1958.
Delibes, Léo (1836–1891), France
French organist, chorus master at Paris Opéra; composer of ballets Sylvia and Coppélia, and of the opera Lakmé.
Intermezzo
Paris: Heugel, 1892.
Salon piece.
Level: I
Dello Joio, Norman (1913–2008), United States
Composer, pianist, and organist; studied with Hindemith and wrote in lyrical neo-Classical style; also interested in Catholic liturgical music.
Christmas Music
New York: Edward Marks, 1968.
Attractive, skillfully written set of pieces based on Christmas carols.
Level: I
Family Album (Family Meeting; Play Time; Story Time; Prayer Time; Bed Time)
New York: Edward Marks, 1962.
Level: UE
Five Images (Cortège; Promenade; Day Dreams; The Ballerina; The Dancing Sergeant)
New York: Edward Marks, 1967.
Written for the composer’s own children, Family Album and Five Images each consist of five charming compositions set in a conservative contemporary harmonic idiom. They are melodious and have considerable interest for both parts.
Level: LI–I
Stage Parodies, piano suite (The Actor; The Writer; The Singer; The Dancer)
New York: Associated Music Publishers, 1975.
Entertaining descriptive pieces in mildly contemporary idiom; unpretentious; effective.
Level: LI–I
Delmas, Marc (1885–1931), France
French composer; works include symphonic poem, operas, chamber music, and piano pieces.
Quatre pièces féeriques (La fée des neiges; Lavandières; Sylphes; Korrigans), Op. 258
Paris: GaIlet, 1926.
Level: I
[6] Croquis (Schizzi)
Mainz: Schott, n.d.
Tuneful salon pieces.
Level: I
Del Tredici, David (b. 1937), United States
American pianist and composer. He has written pieces for orchestra, for a variety of instrumental combinations, often with amplification, and for piano.
Scherzo (1960)
New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1975.
Commissioned by Milton and Peggy Salkind. Brilliant, rhythmically complex, serial work in a single movement with contrasting sections: two glittering, rapid outer sections enclosing a lyrical, middle part.
Level: A
DeLulli, A. (1861–1949), England
Chopsticks’ Waltz
Philadelphia: Presser, n.d.
Delvincourt, Claude (1888–1954), France
French composer of stage and orchestral works, choral pieces, chamber music, and piano compositions. He wrote in elegant French style in which elements of neo-Classicism, mild dissonance, and Impressionism are used in conventional harmonic idiom.
Images pour les conies du temps passé (Le petit chaperon rouge; Le chat botté; Barbe-bleue; Riquet à la houppe; La belle an bois dormant; Le petit poucet)
Paris: Leduc, 1935.
Winsome set of evocative, sensitive tone poems based on fairy tales.
Level: I/UE–LI
Demar, Johann Sebastian (1763–1832), Bavaria
Bavarian organist and music publisher.
Grande sonate
Heilbronn: Johann Ammon, n.d.
Demarest, Anne Shannon, United States
Bouncing Balls
Boulder, CO: Myklas Music, 1978.
Level: UE–LI
Caprice
Boulder, CO: Myklas Music, 1978.
Level: UE–LI
Boulder, CO: Myklas Music, 1975.
Mood piece with eastern Mediterranean flavor; oriental atmosphere is produced by Phrygian scale patterns and rhythmic ostinati.
Level: UE
Demarquez, Suzanne (1899–1965), France
French critic and composer. Her works, often with an ironic touch, include compositions for orchestra, chamber ensemble, and piano.
Barcarolle
Paris: Salabert, 1939, 1941.
Twenty Little Pieces (supplement No. 1 to Le petit clavier by Morhange-Motchane)
Paris: Salabert, n.d.
Demharter, Joseph (late eighteenth century)
Adagio et rondo pour pianoforte à quatre mains concertans avec flûte et violon, Op. 4
Augsburg: Combart, ca. 1819.
Work of moderate length requiring flute and violin for proper performance; except when playing the concerted sections, the piano functions mainly as an accompaniment. Classical in idiom, the music is thin and lacking in variety.
Level: LI
Demuth, Norman (1898–1968), England
English musician strongly influenced by French composers from Franck to Roussel. His works include operas, ballets, incidental and film music, choral pieces, chamber and orchestral works, and piano compositions.
Sonatina (1954)
London: Joseph Williams, 1956.
Agreeable, sunny, three-movement work in compact neo-Classical style; parts well balanced for both performers.
Level: UI–A
Waltz for Two: for pupil and teacher
London: Joseph Williams, 1958.
Level: LI/UE
Denisov, Edison (1929–1996), Russia
Soviet composer of avant-garde works with strong influence of Russian folk music; uses serial techniques and electronic resources.
Drei Stucke (Three Pieces) (1967)
Vienna: Universal Edition, 1968.
Commissioned by Milton and Peggy Salkind. Rhythmically complex. Approximate performance duration: ten minutes. Short works in advanced style.
Level: A
De Pablo, Luis (b. 1930), Spain
Spanish composer; uses principally serial and aleatory techniques.
Movil II, pour un piano et deux pianistes
Paris: Musique contemporaine, 1968.
Désánfalva, Anne Gyika de
[6] Allemandes
Vienna: Cappi, 183(?).
Desentis, — (end of eighteenth century)
Sonate (E♭)
Journal de pièces de clavecin, 4ème année, No. 40
Paris: Boyer, n.d.
Amiable, two-movement work in late Classical style; well-balanced parts compensate somewhat for general harmonic and melodic superficiality.
Level: I
Desormery, Jean-Baptiste-Léopold-Bastien (b. 1772–d. after 1813), France
French pianist and composer of piano pieces.
Sonate (G), Op. 2
Manuscript.
Large-scale, three-movement, loosely constructed work in Classical idiom. Strong melodies and unusual harmonic and melodic features are diminished by monotonous motivic repetition and arid development sections.
Level: I
Diabelli, Anton (1781–1858), Austria
The four-hand production of this publisher and minor composer, who furnished the theme for Beethoven’s famous set of piano variations, is good solid music in the Classical, didactic tradition. The fact that these duets are currently available in many editions is witness to their usefulness and durability as teaching material. Most of them offer few technical or interpretive problems beyond the intermediate level.
[28] Melodious Pieces in Progressive Order for Pupil and Teacher (Melodische Uebungsstüke), Op. 149
New Edition, Artia; VEB Boosey & Hawkes: Carisch; Consortium Musical; Durand; Carl Fischer; Heugel; Kalmus; Lemoine; Peters; Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne (Polish Music Publishers); Ricordi; Schirmer; Twelsiek, Monika, ed., Schott; Universal Edition.
Level: UE–LI/LE–UE-5
Military Rondo (D), Op. 152
Vienna: Diabelli, n.d.; New Edition, Kalmus.
Level: I
Pleasures of Youth (Jugendfreuden), six sonatinas (C, G, F, D, A, F) for pupil and teacher, Op. 163
Vienna: Diabelli, 183[?]; New Editions, Artia; VEB Boosey & Hawkes; Carisch; Consortium Musical; Durand; Heugel; Kalmus; Lemoine; Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne (Polish Music Publishers); Ricordi; Schirmer; Universal Edition.
Level: LI/UE-5
Deux sonates (Sonatines) (C, G), Op. 24
Level: LI
Sonata (Sonatina) (F), Op. 32
Level: LI
Sonata (Sonatina) (D), Op. 33
Level: LI
Sonata (Sonatina) (C), Op. 37
Level: LI
Sonata (B♭), Op. 38
Level: LI–I
Sonata (Sonatina) (C), Op. 54
Level: LI
Sonata (Sonatina) (a), Op. 58
Level: LI
Sonata (Sonatina) (F), Op. 60
Level: LI
Sonata (F), Op. 73
Level: LI–I
Deux sextettes mignonnes (Sonatines) (C, G), Op. 150; also listed with Military Rondo (Op. 152), as Trois sonates amiables, Op. 152
Vienna: Diabelli, n.d.
Sonate (G), Sehnsucht nach dem Frühling, Op. 156
Vienna: Diabelli, 1834.
Level: I
Sonate (C) (“Resolution”), Op. 158
Vienna: Diabelli, 1834.
Level: I
[7] Sonatinen (F, G, C, B♭, D, G, a), Op. 168
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.
Tanzlust der Jugend, Walzer, Op. 164
Hamburg: Cranz, n.d.
Level: I/E-5
Sonata Collections:
Five Sonatinas, Opp. 24, 54, 58, 60
VEB Boosey & Hawkes; Durand; Lemoine; Consortium Musical; Heugel; Kalmus; Peters; Presser; Ricordi; Schirmer.
Three Sonatas, Opp. 32, 33, 37
Kalmus; Lemoine; Omega; Peters.
Two Sonatas; Opp. 38, 73
Kalmus; Peters; Ricordi.
Five Sonatas, Opp. 32, 33, 37, 38, 73
Heugel; Ricordi.
Deux sonatines mignonnes (C, G), Op. 150; Rondo militaire, Op. 152
VEB Boosey & Hawkes; Lemoine; Peters.
Di Biase, Paolo (b. 1942), Italy
Samba Movida
Ancona: Berben Edizioni Musicali, 1999.
Level: LI
Dichler, Josef (1912–1993), Austria
Austrian pianist and pedagogue; has written textbooks, articles on piano performance, and piano pieces.
Drei Kinderszenen (Praeludium; Berceuse; Bolero) (1950)
Vienna: Doblinger, 1956.
Instructional pieces cast in contemporary harmonic idiom, which cleverly incorporates scale patterns and other technical devices into the fabric of the music in a delightfully whimsical and unobtrusive way.
Level: I
Dickinson, Peter (b. 1934), England
English composer and organist; studied at Cambridge and Juilliard.
Five Forgeries
London: Novello, 1964.
Warm-hearted, humorous, well-written satires imitating the styles of Poulenc, Hindemith, Delius, Stravinsky, and Bartók.
Level: I
Diény, Amy, France
Chanson et mites, [40] pièces faciles et progressives
Paris: Consortium Musical, n.d.
Level: I/E
Diercks, John (b. 1927), United States
American pianist and composer. He writes in a lyrical, rhythmically active, frequently dissonant, tonal idiom.
The Bee Caresses the Flower as the Elephant Destroys the Stable (1956)
Hamilton, OH: CAP, n.d.
Pentatonic work with oriental color; requires plucking and strumming of strings inside partially prepared piano.
Level: LI–I
Two Israeli Dances (1959)
Manuscript available through composer, Hollins College, VA 24020.
Bright, vigorous dances with strong rhythmic drive and Middle Eastern flavor.
Level: UE–LI
Moon Spell (1959)
Manuscript available through composer, Hollins College, VA 24020.
Impressionistic mood piece; haunting, atmospheric.
Level: LI–I
Suite No. 1 (March; Dance; Song; Finale)
New York: MCA Music, 1972.
Attractive set of pieces, bright and playful in character; exceptionally effective for the amount of technique required for performance; thin textures with contemporary sounds; light dissonance. Well worth investigating.
Level: UE–LI
Toccata (1959)
Manuscript available through composer, Hollins College, VA 24020.
Forceful, brilliant, exciting work featuring ostinati; open-textured; bustling rhythms.
Level: I–UI
Dietrich, Albert Hermann (1829–1908), Germany
German composer; friend of Schumann and Brahms. His opera Robin Hood and his orchestral, chamber, choral, and piano works reflect his close association with the two masters.
Sonate (G), Op. 19
Leipzig: Rieter-Biedermann, 1870.
Tasteful, competent work in Romantic style.
Level: UI–LA
Dietrich, Karl (b. 1927), Germany
German composer and musician.
Variationen über ein Thema aus der Sonate für Violoncello und Klavier Op. 119 von Sergej Prokofiew
Berlin: Verlag Neue Musik, 1973.
Cast in dissonant tonal idiom, these effective variations display a variety of moods and instrumental color through the use of string plucking, tone dusters, and strong rhythmic activity.
Level: A
Dietrichstein, Graf Moriz von (1775–1864), Austria
Viennese court conductor, self-educated in music; composer of part-songs, hymns, and piano pieces, including many German dances, a form he especially cultivated in his four-hand works.
[12] Deutsche Tänze und zwölf Trios (C, G, D, B♭, F, A, D, G, C, E♭, G, C)
Vienna: Mechetti, 1819.
[12] Deutsche Tänze und zwölf Trios (D, G, D, A, C, F, B♭, E♭, G, C, A, D)
Vienna: S. A. Steiner, n.d.
[12] Deutsche Tänze und zwölf Trios (E♭, G, D, B♭, F, A, D, G, C, F, B♭, E♭)
Vienna: Mechetti, 1819.
Dijk, Jan van (b. 1918), Netherlands
Dutch composer, student of Pijper. His individual style shows contemporary French influences.
Amsterdam: Donemus, 1953.
Trois pastorales
Amsterdam: Donemus, 1969.
Sonatina (1956)
Amsterdam: Donemus, 1957.
Short, playful two-movement work in dissonant style; thin textured for the most part with a few rhythmic complexities.
Level: I
Dittenhaver, Sarah Louise (1901–1973), United States
Composer of piano music for the young.
The Children’s Parade (G)
Cincinnati: Willis Music, 1950.
Jolly brisk tune with activity in both parts; effective.
Level: UE
Let’s Play Duets (Up the Winding Stairs; Frère Jacques; Billy Hurt His Knee; Gay Dancers; In Seven-League Boots; Lullaby; Off to the Circus; On the Mountain; Rain at Night; Sailing Out to Sea; Smooth Flying)
Bryn Mawr, PA: Oliver Ditson, 1947.
Short, instructional pieces in traditional style; noteworthy for imaginative writing and flashes of descriptive color.
Level: E–UE
Dobrowolski, Andzej (1921–1990), Poland
Children’s Suite (1955)
Warsaw: Ars Polonia, 1957.
Dobrzynski, Ignacy Feliks (1807–1867), Poland
Polish pianist and conductor; composed orchestral and chamber works, and piano pieces.
Rondo alla polacca, Op. 6
Leipzig: Hofmeister, n.d.
Dodgson, Stephen (1924–2013), England
English composer; works include symphonic and chamber music.
Gavotte
London: Curwen, 1954.
Short piece in traditional style.
Level: LI
Hill-Billy
London: Curwen, 1953.
Rollicking instructional piece.
Level: I
Dohnányi, Ernö (Ernst) von (1877–1960), Hungary
Pianist and composer of operas, symphonic and chamber music, and many piano works. His musical style is related to Brahms and German Romanticism rather than to the Hungarian nationalist movement of Bartók and Kodály.
Vienna: Doblinger, 1906; New Edition, London: Arcadia Music.
Suite of lilting concert waltzes in Viennese style; vigorous, tuneful, idiomatically scored; urbane.
Level: I
Doige, Catharine
Seven Up (Platform Rocker; Caribbean Caper; Aaron Aardvark; Bells; Parallel Bars; Mad Cap Polka; I’m a Cat)
Westbury, NY: Pro-Art, 1965.
Series of instructional pieces in popular jazz idiom.
Level: LI–I/E–UE
Dolmetsch, Victor (1852–1904), France
French composer and pianist. Studied at the Paris Conservatory.
3 Morceaux caracteristiques, Op. 2
Paris: Henry Lemoine, 1878.
Three character pieces: Cortege; Paysage; Pas redouble.
Level: UI–LA
Donaldson, Molly
Piano Partners (the young pianist or adult beginner with the advanced pianist)
Bryn Mawr, PA: Presser, 1951.
Donatoni, Franco (1927–2000), Italy
Italian teacher and composer; studied with Pizzetti. He has written ballet, symphonic, chamber, and piano music; and evolved his own advanced style influenced by Bartók, Schoenberg, and Cage.
Duetto per clavicembalo (1975)
Publisher and date missing.
Dongu, Giovanna (b. 1974), Italy
Italian pianist and composer. Studied piano at the Conservatory of Music in Sassari, the Ecole Normale de Musique “Alfred Cortot” in Paris, and the Rome Academy of Music. Studied composition with Roccardo Dapelo.
Percorsi Mobili
Ancona: Berben Edizioni Musicali, 2003.
Employs extended techniques. Rhythmically sophisticated.
Level: A
Donizetti, Gaetano (1797–1848), Italy
Leading composer of bel canto opera. Studied composition with Simon Mayr.
Sonata in Sol Maggiore (G)
Rome: Boccaccini & Spada Editori, 1987.
Lyrical and poetic. Larghetto.
Level: UI
Tre Pezzi (Marcia lugubre; Polacca; Larghetto)
Pestalozza, Carlo, ed. Milan: Ricordi, 1971.
Delightful pieces by the famous opera composer, dating from his student days. They reveal an astonishingly sensitive musical talent and imagination.
Level: UE–LI
[4] Sonate
Townsend, Douglas, ed. Toronto: E. C. Kerby, 1974.
The four one-movement works in this fascinating collection also date from the composer’s student days (1816–1821). Carefully edited and bound in a handsome edition, these charming sonatas are full of fresh, youthful sparkle and melodic grace, and they are rewarding to play.
Level: LI–I
Donkin, Christine (b. 1976), Canada
Canadian composer and educator. Studied violin and piano as a child and composed her first work (a piano duet) at age six. She studied composition with Howard Bashaw, Malcolm Forsyth, and Allan Gilliland at the University of Alberta, and with Stephen Chatman at the University of British Columbia.
Cats & Patterns
Six pieces inspired by the cartoon-like drawings of cats by British artist and illustrator Louis Wain. Compelling, rhythmic writing. Duration: approximately eleven minutes.
Level: A
Concerto for Piano Duet
Written at the request of the composer’s sister, Catherine, who was among the pianists who premiered the work in November 2012. Each movement loosely depicts a scene: I. A Seascape; II. Rural Landscape; III. A Cityscape. Orchestral Scoring: 2222/4221/time+1perc/strings
Level: LA
The Bay of Rainbows & The Sea of Tranquility
Two works inspired by the imaginative names given to the features of the moon’s surface by Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598–1671), astronomer and Jesuit. Evocative and probing style.
Level: LA
Donovan, Richard (1891–1970), United States
American organist, teacher, and conductor; wrote in freely dissonant harmonic idiom.
Fantasy on American Folk Ballads, for male chorus, four hands, and orchestra Glen Rock, NJ: J. Fischer, 1940.
Doppler, Károly (1825–1900), Hungary
Hungarian flutist, conductor, and composer. He wrote opera, songs, flute pieces, and piano music.
In Vácsi, ed., Album for Piano Duet.
Short, bright work with lively Hungarian flavor.
Level: UE–LI
Dorn, Heinrich Ludwig Egmont (1804–1892), Germany
German conductor and opera composer; also wrote cantatas, symphonies, and piano pieces.
Thema und Variationen (A), Erinneruaag an der Königin Weinberg, Op. 97
Berlin: Bote & Bock, 1865.
There are many charming and imaginative moments in this otherwise predictable set of variations cast in Romantic style.
Level: I
Dörumsgaard, Arne (1921–2006), Norway
Norwegian composer of piano pieces and songs in tightly constructed, moderately contemporary idiom.
Det syng urn land (Song of the Land)
Oslo: Musikk-Huset, 1944.
Simple, direct, appealing settings of eight Norwegian folk songs.
Level: UE–LI
Dotzauer, Friedrich (1783–1860), Germany
German cellist and composer. Served as cellist in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Dresden Court Orchestra.
6 Waltzes for Piano Four Hands
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel.
Level: I
Douglas, Martin (1903–1977), Australia
Australian conductor and composer.
Dan the Piccolo Man
New York: Belwin, 1946.
Instructional piece.
Level: E
Draeske, Felix (1835–1913), Germany
German composer of piano works, operas, chamber music, and orchestral compositions.
[6] Kanonische Räthsel, Op. 42
Leipzig: Kistner, 1888.
Puzzle canons, ably set for four hands; should provide entertainment and satisfaction to students who enjoy riddles.
Level: I
[18] Kanons zu sechs, sieben, and acht Stimmen, Op. 37
Leipzig: Kistner, 1882.
Less successful than Op. 42, these canons are admirable as contrapuntal tours de force, but they are musically unexciting and not especially graceful for the four-hand medium.
Level: LI–I
Dring, Madeleine (1923–1977), England
Four Duets (May Morning; Little Waltz; The Evening Star; Morris Dance)
London: Joseph Weinberger, 1964.
Melodious pieces equally weighted for both players.
Level: UE–LI
Three for Two (Country Dance; The Quiet Pool; Hobby Horse)
London: Joseph Weinberger, 1970.
Tuneful, pleasant teaching pieces.
Level: UE
Drischner, Max (1891–1971), Germany
German composer, organist, and harpsichordist.
Sonnen-Hymnus: passacaglia (E)
Tübingen: C. L. Schultheiss, 1955.
Long, Baroque-style work.
Level: I
Drozdov, Anatoly Nikolayevich (1883–1950), Russia
Soviet pianist, teacher, musicologist, and conductor.
Three Pieces on Folk Themes (Estonian Waltz; Polka; Lingering) (1949)
Moscow/Leningrad: State Music Publishers, 1951.
Attractive, well-balanced settings of folk songs.
Level: LI
Dubois, Théodore (1837–1924), France
French organist, teacher, and composer; director of Paris Conservatoire. His music is written in conservative Romantic idiom.
Dix esquisses
Paris: Heugel, 1912.
Short pieces in flowing, agreeable style.
Level: LI
Duboscq, Claude France
Pour jouer avec la biers-aimée, trois ressouvenirs
Paris: Demets, 1922.
Well written and effective suite; demands interpretive sophistication.
Level: I
Ducasse, Roger (1873–1954), France
See: Roger-Ducasse, Jean.
Duddell, Joe (b. 1972), England
Professor of Music at Bath Spa University and an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.
Vaporize (2000)
London: Schott Music, 2008.
Commissioned by the BBC Proms Chamber Concerts in 2000. Two movements. Rhythmically charged and marked with syncopation. Approximate performance duration: eight minutes.
Level: UI
Duke, Henry, England
Flight of Swallows, seven easy sketches (Flight of Swallows; Gliding; Country Ramble; Horses and Hounds; Swans on the Lake; Making Hay; Tramping)
London: Forsyth, 1966.
Amiable set of short, attractive teaching pieces.
Level: UE
Tuneful Tunes for Two, [12] easy duets for young pianists
London: Forsyth, 1962.
Level: E–UE
Dunayevsky, Isaak (1900–1955), Russia
Soviet composer of operettas, ballets, film music, mass-songs, chamber music, and piano music. His style is lyrical and popular, conforming to the conservative compositional principles of the Stalinist era.
Galop (I)
In Agafonnikov, N., ed., Sbornik fortepiannikh.
Duncombe, William (1736–1818), England
English musician and composer.
The Favorite Air of God Save the King with Variations
Kensington: Published by composer, ca. 1790.
Dungan, Olive (1903–1997), United States
Dance of the Fleas
Bryn Mawr, PA: Oliver Ditson, n.d.
Level: UE
Dancing on Skates
Bryn Mawr, PA: Oliver Ditson, 1955.
Lilting waltz in attractive instructional style.
Level: UE
Hop-Toads
New York: Schroeder & Gunther, 1966.
Gay little teaching piece.
Level: E
Red-Nosed Down
Bryn Mawr, PA: Oliver Ditson, n.d.
Well-balanced piece in traditional idiom.
Level: UE
Seminole Campfire
Bryn Mawr, PA: Oliver Ditson, 1952.
Teaching piece with Indian flavor.
Level: E
Dunhill, Thomas Frederick (1877–1946), England
English composer of operettas, ballets, cantatas, and piano pieces in conservative Classical idiom.
Four Hand Fancies
London: Curwen, n.d.
Level: I
Side by Side Series, Book 3 (Trumpet and Drum; A Pastoral Dance; The Bambino Dances; Faun’s Dance)
London: Ashdown, n.d.
Level: LI
Dupin, Paul (1865–1949), France
Prolific French composer of great originality; largely self-taught; composed effectively in a variety of styles.
Le beau jardin (La pelouse aux maronniers; La pièce d’eau aux petits poissons rouges; Aubade an poulailler; D’où l’on volt la vieille église) (1911)
Paris: Durand, 1912.
Suite of light, descriptive pieces in pleasant style.
Level: I
L’offrande à la danse; danse de caractère (1913)
Paris: Durand, 1921.
Curiously attractive work featuring frequent changes of tempo and textures, spasmodic fragmentary melodies, and wavering tonal centers.
Level: I–UI
DuPlessis, Hubert (1922–2011), South Africa
South African musician; studied at Royal Academy of Music, London. He composed in a highly concentrated tonal idiom, which is linear, often dissonant, but refined and controlled.
Prelude, Fugue and Postlude, Op. 17
London: Novello, 1958.
Sonata, Op. 10 (1951)
London: Novello, 1954.
Large-scale work in three contrasting movements: Dissonant, contapuntal, featuring triton. Concludes with brilliant passacaglia and fugue.
Level: A
Duran, August (1830–1909), France
French organist, publisher, and composer. Studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Cesar Franck and Camille Saint-Saëns.
Valse in E♭ Major, Op. 83, No. 1
Florence, KY: Willis Music.
Fast and brilliant.
Level: A
Durey, Louis (1888–1979), France
French composer, strongly influenced by Satie, and one-time member of “les Six.” After World War II he became a “progressist,” writing music of mass appeal in accordance with Communist “progressive art.” His works include chamber music, songs, opera, and piano pieces.
Deux pièces (Carillons [1916]; Neige [1918]), Op. 7
Paris: La Sirène (Salabert), 1921.
Subtle, descriptive, coloristic pieces tending toward Debussian Impressionism; require advanced pianism.
Level: A
Dusautoy, J., France
Tarantelle, Op. 15
Paris: Hamelle, n.d.
Dušek (Duschek), František (Franz) Xaver (1731–1799), Czechoslovakia
Dušek (Duschek in German orthography) is often confused with his compatriot Johann Ladislaus Dussek (Dusík in Czech), who was thirty years his junior. Dušek’s four-hand works are appealingly written in a fluent, melodious, Classical idiom, and are well balanced technically and musically for each partner. He was a friend of Mozart and his compositions show many similarities to the latter’s style. The following works are numbered chronologically according to the catalogue of the composer’s works included in Václav Jan Sykora, František Xaver Dušek, Life and Works (Prague: Statní Naldaciatelství Krásné Literatury, Hudby a Umení, 1958).
Andantino con variazioni (C), Sýkora 23
Publisher and date missing.
Menuetto (C), Sýkora 24
Publisher and date missing.
Il Senates (C, E♭) pour le fortepiano ou clavecin, Sýkora 24, 26
Vienna: Hoffmeister, ca. 1788.
Sonata (G), Sýkora 27
[Vienna]: Published by composer, ca. 1792; New Edition, Third movement (Allegretto scherzando) only in Kleinová, Fišerová, and Müllerová, eds., Album of Four Hand Compositions of Old Czech Masters.
Sonata (C), Sýkora 28
Publisher and date missing. Contemporary copy, property of Dr. Ant Němec.
Sonata (C), Sýkora 29
Publisher and date missing. Contemporary copy, property of Dr. Ant. Němec.
Divertimento (G), Sýkora 30
Publisher and date missing. Contemporary copy, property of Dr. Ant Němec.
Andante con variazioni (E♭), Sýkora 31
Publisher and date missing. Contemporary copy, property of Dr. Ant. Němec.
Dussek (Dusík), Johann Ladislaus (1760–1812), Czechoslovakia
Dussek (Dusík in modem Czech spelling) was Czech by birth, a background he shared not only with Viennese composers Leopold Koželuh and Jan Vaňhal but also with František Dušek (Duschek), whose name is confusingly similar, especially in older spellings. A contemporary of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, Dussek anticipated many of the trends and characteristics of the Romantic era. His four-hand sonatas, like his other piano works, are full of inventive writing, featuring striking harmonic relationships, remote modulations, and fanciful dissonances, together with a colorful, often ornate, melodic style that foreshadows the innovations of Chopin and Schumann.
Most of Dussek’s four-hand compositions are contained in vols. 4, 7, and 9 of the twelve-volume collection Oeuvres de J. L. Dussek (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1813–37). Locations of individual works in both the Oeuvres de J. L. Dussek and its reprint (New York: DaCapo Press, n.d.) are indicated by volume numbers as, for example, DuCE VII/DaCapo IV.
The following list of Dussek’s four-hand works gives bibliographical information for a single edition (often the first) of each composition; other editions of the work are not identified individually but are grouped together. Complete details on all editions of Dussek’s four-hand works may be found in Howard Allen Craw, “A Biography and Thematic Catalog of the Works of J. L. Dussek (1760–1812)” (Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California, 1964). In addition to supplying full bibliographical data on the composer’s duets, the latter work also provides a catalogue number (Craw) for each work in the list, which is chronologically arranged.
Sonata (Grand Overture) (C), Op. 32 (Craw 144)
London & Edinburgh: Corgi, Dussek & Co., ca. 1796.
Sonata (Duo) (C), Op. 48 (Craw 186)
Paris: Érard, ca. 1801.
Waltz (G) (Craw 191)
Altona: L. Rudolphus, ca. 1804.
Sonate posthume (C) (Craw 207). “A New Sonata for two performers. . . . Last Year Expressly Composed in Berlin for Pio Cianchettini of London seven years old, Who in his recent Tour of the continent was Honoured by the first Professors & Conoisseurs with the Surname of Mozart Britannicus, By his Uncle.”
London: Cianchettini & Sperati, 1806.
New Edition, Ligtelijn, J., ed. Amsterdam: Heuwekemeijer, 1957.
Trois fugues à la camera (D, g, F), Op. 64 (Craw 227, 228, 229)
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1808.
Sonatas for One Piano Four Hands (C, F, B♭), Op. 67 (Craw 230, 231, 232), as Trois sonates progressives, Op. 67
Paris: Pleyel, 1809; New Edition, Zeitlin and Goldberger, eds. Philadelphia: Elkan Vogel, 1961.
Grande sonate (E♭), Op. 72 (Craw 239)
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1810, 1815.
Grande sonate (B♭), Op. 74 (Craw 234)
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1811; 1814; 1823; New Edition, Zanibon, 1978.
This work is an arrangement of Trois duos concertantes pour la harpe et le piano forte, Op. 69/II.
Grande sonate (F), Op. 73 (Craw 243)
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1813.
This work is an arrangement of Trois duos concertantes pour la harpe et le piano forte piano, Op. 69/III.
Duvernoy, Jean-Baptiste (1802–1880), France
French composer of instructional piano music and studies.
Le Carnaval de Venise, Op. 316
Pars: Léon Grus, 1879.
Level: A
L’Émulation, vingt petites pièces, Op. 314
Milan: Ricordi, n.d.
Les Harmonieuses, Op. 313
Paris: Léon Grus, 1875.
Six short duets: Dodo l’enfant do. Berceuse; Au clair de la lune de Lully. Chant populaire; Il pleut bergere; La vallee d’Appenzell. Air suisse; Gavotte d’Armide de Gluck. Air de danse; Andante de la symphonie de la Reine. Souvenir d’Haydn.
Level: I
Petit dialogue, Op. 106
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.
Instructional piece based on a French folk song.
Level: LI
Naples et Florence, Op. 145
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1845.
Level: UI–LA
Dvořák, Antonín (1841–1904), Czechoslovakia
Dvořák, like Schubert, had a special relationship with the piano duet: both composers seemed more at ease writing for four hands than for piano solo. Perhaps it was because they found the latter too restrictive in range and sonority to express their large-scale orchestral concepts. Whatever the reason, they put some of their best efforts into composing duets. Dvořák’s output of four-hand music, while not as voluminous as Schubert’s, is nonetheless remarkable for its consistently high quality. The Slavonic Dances are some of the finest works in the entire repertoire.
From the Bohemian Forests (Ze Šumavy), Op. 68 (1884)
New Edition, Prague: Artia, 1955.
Commissioned by the composer’s publisher, Simrock, in Berlin as a sequel to the successful Legends, Op. 59, and the first set of Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, these six descriptive character pieces of Bohemian country life are impeccably scored and filled with the same ingenuity of melody and rhythm as Dvořak’s other four-hand works. If they are somewhat uneven in inspiration, they are all varied in mood and character, and, like their predecessors, reflect the composer’s close identification with Czech folk song. The pieces are described as follows: 1. The spinning room: lively, active. 2. Walpurgisnacht: vivid, bustling portrait of a traditional folk carnival. 3. In wait: dramatic. 4. By the dark lake, and 5. Silent woods; the two gems of the suite; poetic, lyrical, sensitive tone paintings. 6. From troubled times: wild, almost orchestral.
Level: UI–LA
Legends, Op. 59 (1881)
New Edition, Prague: Artia, ca. 1955; Simrock.
Less familiar, but similar in inspiration and character to the Slavonic Dances, the Legends are exquisitely set for the medium. Because they are somewhat easier to play, they make an admirable introduction to Dvořák’s four-hand works, offering the same variety of color, texture, and endless melodic freshness that characterizes all of Dvořák’s music. The first three pieces, Allegretto non troppo (d), Molto moderato (G), and Allegro giusto (g), are bright and cheerful, close to the Slavonic Dances in style. The fourth, Molto maestoso (C), is more sober, its marchlike sections alternating with quiet, rapid, scale passages; and the fifth, Allegro giusto (A♭), ends the first book in a serious vein. The remaining five pieces are as follows: 6. Allegro con moto (c♯), which opens the second book with broad, spacious lines; 7. a lovely Allegretto grazioso (A); 8. Un poco allegretto e grazioso quasi Andantino (F), a gentle pastorale; and finally two quiet, dancelike movements full of the spirit of Czech folk song, 9. Andante con moto (D), and 10. Andante (b♭).
Level: I–UI
Three Men’s Choruses, Op. 43, for male voices and piano four hands (1877–78)
New Edition, Prague: Artia, n.d.
Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 (1878), Op. 72 (1886)
Both sets are available in the following editions: Alfred; Artia; VEB Boosey & Hawkes; Dover; Hamelle; International; Schirmer; Schott; Simrock.
Masterfully written in their original four-hand form, though perhaps better known in orchestral transcription, these melodious, rhythmical works range in mood from dreamlike simplicity to fiery brilliance and are enjoyable—often exhilarating—to play.
Op. 46: 1. Presto (C): bustling furiant tempo; 2. Allegretto scherzando (e): amiable melody alternating with faster sections; 3. Allegretto scherzando (D): simple, direct, flowing; 4. Tempo di Menuetto (F): graceful, deliberate, restrained; 5. Allegro vivace (A): rhythmical; impetuous; 6. Poco allegro (A♭): moderately paced polka; 7. Allegro assai (c): bright folk melody with rapid figurations; 8. Presto (g): sparkling, driving furiant.
Op. 72: 1. Molto vivace (B): brilliant, with slower middle section; 2. Allegretto grazioso (e): full of longing and sadness, most familiar in arrangements; 3. Allegro (F): fast, bumptious, interesting chromatic middle section; 4. Allegretto grazioso (D♭): unusual harmonies, almost Impressionistic, moves with quiet grace; 5. Poco adagio (b♭); bold, swaggering slow section followed by vivace, scintillating ending; 6. Moderato, quasi Menuetto (B♭): tranquil; 7. Presto (C): fiery, brilliant; 8. Lento grazioso, quasi tempo di valse (Ab): quiet, subdued.
Level: UI–A
The following works were not originally written for piano duet but were published in effective and appealing four-hand versions, possibly arranged by the composer:
Polonaise (E♭) (1879)
New Edition, Peters, n.d.
Originally scored for orchestra. Only the four-hand version of this sparkling, difficult work remains.
Level: UI–A
Écossaises (Schottische Tänze), Op. 41 (1879)
In Piano Duets of the Masters.
Short, charming, melodious, evocative pieces in Czech idiom, modeled after Beethoven’s works of the same name.
Level: LI
Silhouettes, Op. 8 (1880)
Twelve pieces of varying length, similar in character to Op. 41.
Level: I
Further editions of Dvořák’s four-hand works:
Antonín Dvořák: Kritische Gesamtausgabe
Šourek, Otakar, ed. Prague: Artia, 1956.
Complete four-hand works.
Selected Pieces: Legends, Op. 59/4, 5, 8, 10; From the Bohemian Forests, Op. 68/5, 6; Slavonic Dances, Op. 46/1, 2, 8; Op. 72/2, 4, 8.
Leipzig: Peters.
Slavonic Dance, Op. 72/2
Ancona: Bèrben, n.d.
Dvorkin, Judith (1927–1995), United States
Composer and librettist.
Two Pairs of Shoes
Bryn Mawr, PA: Presser, n.d.
Level: E
Dyndahl, Petter (b. 1957), Norway
Received degree in musicology from the University of Oslo. Largely self-taught composer. Presently serves as professor of musicology and music education at Hedmark University College.
Grand Relay for 2–10 Pianists
Oslo: MIC (Music Information Centre) Norsk.
According to the directions in the score, at least two pianists but no more than ten interchange playing when indicated by dotted, vertical line and Roman numerals. Involves some extended techniques such as striking strings inside the piano with mallets.
Level: UI–LA
Dyson, Peter (b. 1949), England
English composer born in Yorkshire, but has since lived in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Listen with Mother
Peter Dyson, 2006.
Marked “Allegretto Lyrico.”
Level: UI
Praeambulum Izmailova for Piano Duet
Peter Dyson, 1981, 1995.
Dissonant and somewhat pungent harmonic language. Based on Preis’s libretto for Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. A wedding scene.
Level: LA
William’s Duet
Peter Dyson.
Teaching piece. Primo plays in parallel motion at the octave.
Level: LI/UE