The Geister Duo, formed by David Salmon and Manuel Vieillard, won first prize at the ARD Munich International Competition in 2021, along with five special prizes.
Composition History
Robert Schumann composed four cycles for four-hand piano, but only his 'Bilder aus Osten' (Pictures from the East) are frequently performed.
Composition History
Johannes Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann were composed five years after Schumann's death, using a theme that was Schumann's 'final inspiration,' with the last variation serving as a funeral march.
Historical Context
The three works on this album come from the Romantic period, a particularly fertile time for four-handed piano music.
Composition History
Antonín Dvořák's 'Bohemian Forest' cycle, a set of six inventive and narrative pieces, has been overshadowed by the success of his 'Slavonic Dances'.
Performer Biography
The Geister Duo has performed Beethoven's complete works for four hands at the Folle journée de Nantes in 2020.
Compositional Technique
The keyboard instrument is unique in its ability to unite two performers, but playing four-hands requires humility, as one performer trying to outshine the other would jeopardize the ensemble's balance.
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Dvořák: From the Bohemian Forest & Scottish Dances
R. Schumann: Works for Piano 4 Hands
Brahms: Hungarian Dances No. 1-21; Waltzes, Op. 39 for Piano for Four Hands
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 & No. 1 (Original Versions for Piano Four Hands)
J. Strauss II: Wienerwalzer for Piano Four Hands
Schubert: Music for Piano Four Hands
Schumann: Arrangements for Piano Duet, Vol. 3
Donizetti: The Complete Piano Duets
Schubert: Klaviermusik zu 4 Händen Vol. 2
Schubert: Lebensstürme. Music for Piano Four-Hands
Brahms: Complete Original Works for Piano 4 Hands, Vol. 2
