[Piano Duets] Perfect for recitals! A carefully curated selection of brilliant, crowd-pleasing works
Playing a piano together by two people is called a duet, also known as piano for four hands, and it has a unique charm different from solo piano.
While regular piano lessons are basically one-on-one with a teacher, many people might want to try a duet with friends or family at regularly held piano recitals.
On the other hand, when you look for sheet music, it can be hard to come up with suitable duet pieces, which can be a challenge.
So this time, we’re introducing recommended piano duet works that will shine at recitals! Some of the selected pieces even include links to the sheet music, which is very convenient.
They’re perfect not only as recital pieces but also for teachers’ performance numbers.
By all means, use this as a reference when choosing duet pieces to liven up your recital!
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[Piano Duet] Perfect for recital piano duets! A carefully selected list of brilliant, recommended pieces (41–50)
CharmenSeizuka Shinya
Shinya Kiyozuka, the in-demand pianist who’s everywhere on TV.
While he may not be at the absolute top tier, his solid performance skills and unique ideas have also made him active as a composer.
This time, I’d like to introduce his piece “Charmen.” I bet many of you will recognize some familiar phrases here and there.
That’s right—the piece has a distinctive structure that mixes “Carmen” and “Csárdás.” The difficulty is fairly high, but since it showcases the strengths of both works at once, it’s a must-listen for anyone looking to make a striking impression.
Sword DanceAram Khachaturian
A highly faithful, cool, and recommended piece for four-hand piano is “Sabre Dance,” used in the final act of Aram Khachaturian’s 1942 ballet Gayane.
The opening timpani and off-beat strings, followed by the xylophone’s exhilarating, fast-paced melody, are impressively recreated in piano duet form.
While there are solo piano arrangements, dividing the melody and accompaniment between two players achieves a much higher level of fidelity than a single performer can.
Although there are technically demanding passages for the performers, the cross-handed playing showcases the essence of duet performance, making it visually engaging as well as musically captivating for listeners.
typewriterLeroy Anderson
If you’re looking for a cheerful and amusing four-hand duet for intermediate players, how about The Typewriter by the American composer Leroy Anderson? A “typewriter” is a machine that predates word processors and modern computers, which prints letters on paper by striking type against it.
This piece cleverly treats the typing sounds—what we’d now associate with computer keyboard clicks—as percussion and incorporates them into the music.
Because the tempo is fast and there are many rapid runs, it’s a good idea to assign the more virtuosic passages with fast runs to the advanced player, and the lower accompaniment part to the intermediate player, and practice accordingly.
As you improve, you can switch parts; if that’s difficult, the advanced player can support the intermediate player.
It’s a delightful piece and perfect for an encore!
Electrical ParadeVarious Artists
The music from Disneyland’s famous parade, the “Electrical Parade,” has been arranged as a piano duet for four hands.
If you’re looking for duet pieces, Disney’s bright and cheerful songs will bring a delightful, dreamlike moment to listeners.
Beloved Disney tunes appear one after another in a medley.
In a four-hands piano duet, two people play together, so there are many sections to divide up: accompaniment, melody, interjecting countermelodies, and plenty of obbligato lines.
With an orchestral-like timbre and a high degree of fidelity to the originals, this duet arrangement is irresistible for Disney fans.
There are some difficult passages, but the charm of duets is playing together—let’s help each other and grow.
Because there are many notes, intermediate players might find it challenging, but that’s exactly why you improve when you love what you do.
Practice a lot and let’s make it playable!
agitato!Seizuka Shinya
Agitato! composed by Shinya Kiyozuka—who is hugely popular and active in the media—and brought into the spotlight by his perfectly synchronized performance with “salaryman pianist” Rato Takai, is a piece that will get your spirits soaring as you play.
It’s packed with arrangements of masterpieces such as Franz Liszt’s Grandes études de Paganini No.
6, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Rondo alla Turca.
You could call it a lavish work that lets you savor both classical elements and a rock flavor.
Song of LifeTakeuchi Mariya
“Inochi no Uta” (Song of Life) features lyrics by singer Mariya Takeuchi and music by pianist Takatsugu Muramatsu.
Although it was created as an insert song for the NHK morning drama “Dandan,” which aired in the latter half of 2008, its themes—encounters between people, the bonds that connect us, and the preciousness of living together—have made it beloved today as background music for weddings and as a choral piece sung at events like graduation ceremonies.
While the melody and structure are very simple, arranging it for piano four-hands adds richness and makes the music even more moving.
It’s also recommended for performances as part of wedding entertainment!
“Grand Ritornello” from The Eccentric BeautyÉric Satie
A four-hand piano piece sprinkled with satirical humor beneath its elegance.
Its light, dance-like rhythms and memorable, recurring melodies evoke a glimpse into Parisian high society.
Premiered in 1920, the work breathed fresh air into the musical world with a novel approach unconstrained by traditional forms.
The melodic lines—glittering yet tinged with irony—showcase Erik Satie’s unmistakable individuality.
Recommended for those who wish to explore the rich sonority and expressive possibilities unique to piano four-hands, as well as listeners seeking a charm distinct from conventional classical music.