Anton & Maite Piano Duo - Essenz (2021)

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Anton & Maite Piano Duo - Essenz (2021)

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The art of the piano four hands has gone unnoticed for many years and its historical importance has been minimised in comparison with other chamber music ensembles. Nevertheless, the great composers have dedicated works to this formation, and there is an extensive literature for it. “Essenz” was created with the intention of highlighting the exceptional repertoire written for piano four hands, choosing some of the works we consider to be the fundamental pillars of the genre. Anyone who enters the world of the piano four hands knows that Mozart and Schubert are the names to be reckoned with. These two Austrian geniuses are responsible for the consolidation of this unique musical genre. Mozart was the first to identify the great potential of the format, composing his first four-hand piano sonata when he was nine years old. These sonatas, which appear with a playful purpose, constitute a totally new and unexplored piano language, which is gradually evolving until it is established as a genre itself. Before Mozart there are some precedents of works for two performers on the same keyboard, but they are very experimental in nature, so he is considered a precursor of the genre. On the other hand, Franz Schubert was possibly the composer who most identified with the format, writing more than 60 works for this formation. Schubert found an inexhaustible source of inspiration in the piano four hands, which is possibly his most intimate and personal facet. His passion for this genre intensified at the end of his life, giving rise to monumental works that are among the best in his entire repertoire. Like Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn had a very talented pianist sister, who stayed by his side all his life. We know they played concerts together and we can assume they were well acquainted with the sonatas for this genre by Mozart. However, his production for piano four hands is scarce. Even so, the quantity does not detract from the great quality of these works, which are proof of the surprising level of virtuosity that can be achieved as a duo. Since the middle of the 19th century, the four-hand piano has taken many paths, transcription being one of them. With William Bolcom’s work we leave a window open to the future, exploring other ways of making music within this exciting formation.