Duet Repertoire: One Piano, Four Hands by Various Composers, Level Four

American Music Teacher, Oct-Nov, 2004 by Scott Price

Duet Repertoire: One Piano, Four Hands by Various Composers, Level Four, edited by Dallas Weekley and Nancy Arganbright Weekley. Neil A. Kjos Music Company (4380 Jutland Dr., San Diego, CA, 92117), 2004. 55pp. $6.95. Intermediate.

Dallas Weekley and Nancy Arganbright are known throughout the United States and abroad as champions of the piano duet repertoire.

Level Four contains six piano duets from the early nineteenth to twentieth centuries by composers Diabelli, Arensky, Gurlitt, Reinecke and others. The literature is well sequenced with each part being of similar difficulty. The book format is planned carefully for efficiency of page turns and includes composer biographies and a short history of the piano duet. Editorial markings and fingerings are excellent and consistent between parts. The book contains a variety of styles, including sonata, tarantella and waltz, allowing students and teachers to explore the wide range of technical, musical and ensemble challenges in this literature.

Of particular interest are the selections by Kozeluh (Sonata No. 1 in C Major) and Arensky (Waltz in F Major, Op. 34, No. 4). The first movement of the Kozeluh requires careful coordination of melody and accompaniment, as well as sensitivity to the "musical conversation" between the parts. The second movement, Andante, is an excellent exercise in phrasing of repeated melodic notes and the vocal style of piano performance. The third movement, Presto, demands great attention to textural changes between parts. This sonata is great fun to play and presents a wonderful balance of challenges combined with beautiful music and clever ensemble craftsmanship.

The Arensky Waltz is composed in ABA form and contains more advanced harmonies and opportunities for mature musical expression and execution. The primo part carries the melody (with the exception of a short section in the Trio) and is slightly more difficult, but well within the prescribed difficulty level.

The editors are to be credited for producing a musically delightful and pedagogically solid contribution to the performing and teaching literature. This series is a must for piano duet lovers and a truly valuable resource for teachers and students. Reviewed by Scott Price, Columbia, South Carolina.