During the visit to Brive-la-Gaillarde in 1940, Poulenc sketched a little piece for the children of his cousins: Sophie, Sylvie, Benoit, Florence and Delphine Périer, Yvan, Alain, Marie-Christine and Marguerite-Marie Villotte, and their two friends Marthe Bosredon and André Lecoeur. This took the form of a musical background to Jean de Brunhoff's popular illustrated children's story about Babar, a baby elephant whose mother is killed by a huntsman. Fortunately Babar meets a kind elderly lady who dresses him in a fine suit and gives him an impressive motor-car.However, Babar feels homesick for his forests, and is pleased when his cousins, Arthur and Celeste, find him and needs no persuasion to go home with them. Back in the forest, where the King of the Elephants has eaten a poisonous mushroom, Babar is elected to succeed as King. He marries Celeste, and the last we hear of him is thinking of a rosy future as he dreamily looks up at a marvellously star-filled sky.Poulenc's score, to which he returned and completed in 1945, is for a narrator and a Piano, so written that the individual sections offer the pianist a number of self-contained descriptive pieces, such as a Lullaby, a Reverie, a Galop, a Nocturne and so on. Indeed, some of Poulenc's finest Piano music is found in these charming pages.In 1962, Jean Françaix made an orchestral version, and Barbar has been enjoyed by children of all ages all over the world. An English translation of the text was made by Nelly Rieu.This particular edition is arranged for Narrator and Piano duet (1 Piano, 4 hands) and a separate insert with English translation is included. / Piano 4 Mains

Everybody knows it, and for many a player it was perhaps the first tentative attempt to coax sounds out of the piano: Chopsticks. The origin of this popular piano piece, like that of most folksongs, cannot be ultimately settled today. Legend has it that it was written by Ferdinand Loh and that the designation of the work 'F. Loh: Walzer' eventually turned into 'Flohwalzer'.But no matter who actually wrote the waltz: It is, without doubt, one of the most famous piano pieces and known all over the world. In France, it is called 'Côtelettes' [Chops], in Great Britain 'Chopsticks', and in Mexico 'Los Changuitos' (Little Monkeys). Technically speaking, however, it is not even a waltz. It is composed in 2/4 time and, with regard to style, rather is a polka or a galop.Eric Mayr transcribed the 16-bar original into a concert version for piano duet. / Piano 4 Mains

In order to also promote the circulation of his works outside the concert hall, Johannes Brahms made piano arrangements of many of his orchestral works. As the composer, he was able to take greater liberties than any other arranger would have been able to take. And it is precisely due to Brahms' creative ideas in the piano scoring that his arrangements have enjoyed renewed interest in the music world over the past decades. With our Urtext edition of the Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4, based on the musical text in the Johannes Brahms Complete Edition, our catalogue now contains all four symphonies in the authentic piano arrangements made by the composer. Once again, Andreas Groethuysen has kindly provided the fingerings. / Piano 4 Mains

'From the Bohemian? Forest, a set of six character pieces for piano duet, was written at the turn of the year 1883-84 at the instigation of Dvorák's publisher Fritz Simrock and appeared in print in the spring of 1884.After the 'Slavonic Dances? and 'Legends?, this was already his third cycle of piano duets to be inspired by much-loved locations.This edition presents the musical text from the 'Complete Edition of the Works of Antonín Dvorák?, Series V/6. It includes a new Foreword by Ivana Rentsch and Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen assessing the latest findings in Dvorák scholarship.- Popular piano miniatures which can be played individually and are ideal as encore pieces- New Foreword by Ivana Rentsch and Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen (Ger/Cz/Eng)- Well-presented division of Primo and Secondo parts printed on facing pagesContents1. In the Spinning-Room (Na prástkách)2. By the Black Lake (U Cerného jezera)3. Walpurgis Night (Noc filipojakubská)4. In Wait (Na cekání)5. Silent Woods (Klid)6. From Troublous Times (Z bourlivých dob) / Piano 4 Mains

The six pieces in this little suite were written between 1893 and 1896. They were inspired by Hélène Bardac, the daughter of a singer with whom he was friends. The girl was born in 1892 and called 'Dolly? on account of her small, delicate figure. The pieces, composed mainly for her birthday or the New Year, reflect the world as experienced by the growing child, from a lullaby to a temperamental dance. But it was not meant to be taken too seriously, as shown by the subtle allusions to his own music and that of others. Despite their simple basic structure these pieces, which soon became popular, contain numerous harmonic and rhythmic subtleties typical of the French composer - 'children's music? that is also well suited to adults. / Piano 4 Mains

With the exception of the version of the 'Grand Fugue? for piano four hands (HN 954), this volume contains all of Beethoven's works for this scoring, to which he only rarely turned. It comprises the Sonata in D major op. 6, the 'Three Marches? op. 45, the 'Eight Variations on a theme of Count von Waldstein? WoO 67 and the 'Six Variations on the Song Ich denke dein? WoO 74 - all of these works are very well-suited to piano teaching. The musical text was revised to follow the recently published Critical Report of the Beethoven Complete Edition, and is now accompanied by new explanatory texts. The piano duo specialist Andreas Groethuysen has also provided fingerings for this work. / Piano 4 Mains

'Vltava? (The Moldau) is Smetana's most famous and frequently performed tone poem. It was written between 20 November and 8 December 1874, but only in 1879-1880 with the completion of the entire cycle 'Má vlast?, did the full score and his version for piano duet appear in print.In addition to the orchestral version, Hugh Macdonald's new Urtext edition also includes the composer's own version for piano duet.- Urtext edition with Primo and Secondo parts printed on facing pages- Clear and uncluttered engraving- Informative foreword (Eng/Cz/Ger) including a contribution by Smetana scholar Olga Moj?í?ová / Piano 4 Mains

Par BRAHMS JOHANNES. Johannes Brahms' 16 Waltzes Op. 39 for Piano. Breitkopf Urtext after the Brahms Complete Edition of the ‘Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde’ in Vienna./ Répertoire / Piano 4 Mains

Includes terrific duet arrangements of these 6 patriotic favorites: America The Beautiful * God Bless America * Let There Be Peace on Earth * My Country 'Tis of Thee (America) * Stars and Stripes Forever * You're a Grand Old Flag.

Original duets are written for two students or student and teacher. Includes: Let's Beguine; Frontier Frolic; Carillon; Backstreet Boogie; Knock on Wood.

Special Arrangements for 2 Advanced Pianists. 12 brilliant arrangements of Tchaikovsky's ballet and symphonic works.

Sympathetic arrangements with optional practice backing tracks and performances on the accompanying CD. All highly playable.In the interests of playability the strict formality of Pachelbel's 'Canon' has been relaxed while allowing the spirit of the original to shine through. The key has been simplified from D major to C major and the seventeenth century rhythmic notation updated to improve readability. The optional Companion CD allows for small 12 bar sections (between each of the rehearsal letters) to be practised both 'slowly' with metronome click) and 'a tempo' before putting the whole piece together — ideally in the company of another human!

4 Sonatinas on 5 Notes for Piano Four Hands-This classic duet is one of the most popular and enduring pieces in the piano repertoire. This album contains Sonatinas 1 2 4 and 5 the most popular pieces from this treasured set. A delight! Includes complete printed music score with both primo and secondo piano parts for Sonatinas 1 2 4 and 5 from this set of sonatinas and a compact disc featuring these duets in two formats: split-channel stereo with secondo part on the left channel primo on the right so you can play either part and then again with just the secondo part in stereo so you can perform the primo part alongside. Performed by Sondra Bianca piano Accompaniment: Harriet Wingreen piano

Adapted by Paul Hindmarsh for one piano four hands from the ballet In The Shop. The style of the music lies somewhere between Bridge's early salon style and his more piquant and colourful later works.

Book 4 completes this series with 4 brand-new duets in jazz, rags and blues style. These duets are slightly longer than the duets in books 1 through 3, creating a satisfying performing experience for advancing students.