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THEMES:
Program Notes:
At the Edge of a Spiral for one piano, four hands, is a short journey of built intensity. It is based on a few fragments, motives that are illuminated in different lights each time. The piece starts slowly but increases its intensity and speed as it progresses, utilizing the same motives. While composing the piece, I heard about a young man who threw himself into the river. I tried to imagine what went through his mind and what had brought him to this dead-end. And again, the idea of built intensity, obsessive and uncompromising, came to my mind. At the very end of the piece, there is a sudden drop in intensity followed by a music box passage, as if describing what is going on in the person’s mind right after the jump, right after reaching the edge of his life’s spiral.
At the Edge of a Spiral was written and dedicated to the Silver-Garburg Piano Duo – Sivan Silver and Gil Garburg. The generous support of Miriam and Eliezer Benbassat funded it.
Score of At the Edge of a Spiral for piano four-hands
Essential Works for Piano Four Hands (20th & 21st Century)
1. Claude Debussy – Petite Suite (1889)
One of the most charming pieces in the four-hand repertoire, this early work blends elegance and French impressionist color. Though late-19th century, it laid a foundation for 20th-century duet style.
2. Maurice Ravel – Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite) (1910)
Originally composed for piano four hands, this suite of fairy tales exemplifies Ravel’s gift for orchestral imagination—even at a single keyboard.
3. Igor Stravinsky – Trois pièces faciles (1915) and Cinq pièces faciles (1917)
These deceptively titled “easy pieces” offer rhythmic ingenuity and Stravinskian wit. Each set was designed for amateur and professional partnerships.
4. Francis Poulenc – Sonata for Piano Four Hands (1918)
Playful, stylish, and unmistakably French, this sonata is filled with Poulenc’s signature charm and sly humor.
5. Béla Bartók – 44 Duos for Two Violins (arranged for piano four hands)
While originally for violins, Bartók himself adapted selections for four-hand piano, bringing folk rhythms and modal harmonies to the keyboard.
6. Darius Milhaud – Scaramouche (1937)
Originally composed for saxophone and piano, Milhaud’s own transcription for four hands has become a concert favorite—bright, syncopated, and fun.
7. György Kurtág – Játékok (Games), Volumes for Piano Four Hands (from 1973 onward)
Kurtág’s miniature masterpieces are full of poetic and sometimes startling gestures. Many pieces from Játékok are written specifically for four hands.
8. Samuel Barber – Souvenirs, Op. 28 (1951)
This neo-romantic suite evokes early 20th-century ballroom dances. Lush and nostalgic, it showcases Barber’s lyrical style.
9. John Adams – Hallelujah Junction (1996)
A rhythmic and high-energy tour-de-force, this piece for two pianos has been adapted by performers for piano four hands, capturing Adams’ signature pulse.
10. Philip Glass – Four Movements for Two Pianos (2008)
While written for two pianos, this piece has been performed as a four-hand arrangement. Its hypnotic minimalism and layering make it ideal for duet interpretation.
11. Georges Bizet – Jeux d’enfants (1871)
An earlier Romantic suite, often revived for its brilliant color and influence on later French composers like Ravel and Poulenc.
12. Carl Orff – Carmina Burana (arranged for piano four hands and percussion)
Though not originally conceived as a four-hand work, Orff's own reduction allows the drama of Carmina Burana to be experienced from one keyboard.
13. Lutosławski – Variations on a Theme by Paganini (1941)
An explosive, virtuosic showpiece originally for two pianos and often adapted for four-hand performance—brilliant, dramatic, and crowd-pleasing.
14. Luciano Berio – Rounds (2001)
A refined late work by Berio, Rounds is introspective and subtly colored, full of small-scale lyricism and interplay.
15. Unsuk Chin – Double Bind? (2007)
An intense and layered work pushing the boundaries of coordination and texture between the two players—demanding and sonically rich.