Ask Greg & Liz: Repertoire

 

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Dear Greg and Liz,

You guys are awesome. I play the duets and I would love to see what you do with Milhaud's Scaramouche! Also Schubert's Fantaisie (the 4-hand duet, not the Wanderer). Your playing is very sexy and fun but not easy to do what you are doing, no doubt about it! You make a great duo. - Carol B.

 

Dear Carol,

 

We appreciate your wonderful comments! There are dozens of works that we would love to play, including the Milhaud and Schubert. We are sure that these beloved staples of the duo repertoire will eventually appear on our programs. Thanks for your suggestions, and keep up the duet work!

 

- Greg & Liz (Dec. 30, 08)

 

Dear Greg and Liz,

I am a pianist/music director/accompanist from Atlanta. I played horn in bands and orchestras when younger and became fascinated with transcribing for piano or 2 pianos, certain orchestral pieces. I have just finished making the "Academic Festival Overture" for two piano four hands on Sibelius. If you would like it, I will email it to you (free of course.) Love your site. I am working on Roman Carnival and Zampa now.

- Robert Strickland

 

Dear Robert,

 

Thanks for your message -- we also think that many orchestral pieces work wonderfully on the piano! Regarding the "Academic Festival Overture," Brahms himself actually arranged a version for four hands at one piano. Nonetheless, it would be interesting to take a look at your version for two pianos, as we're always open to looking at new scores.

 

- Greg & Liz (Dec. 30, 08)

 

Dear Greg and Liz,

So fortunate to have stumbled onto your existence. Am completely blown away -- not just by your skills, but also by your perception of what music should be about AND your delivery of the music. ASTOUNDINGLY RIGHT ON! Please do not take any offense, but I just have to be brash here and ask this question: Do you premiere new works? I have this 'jazzical' work that is just so 'YOU'! --filled with color, emotion, rhythm, dance...LIFE! It's the real deal; not screwin' around here, and a crowd-pleaser to boot. Honest. And definitely a 'signature' work for whomever makes the debut. Not to mention a duo piano transcription off the orchestral score would be fantastic. I know, I know, I know....seeing (hearing) is believing. Well, I can accomodate that, too. Piano & orchestral scores as well as CD's for both are ready to mail at your request. Again, I apologize for being so bold, but you just moved me so profoundly on so many levels, and what I have is so tailor-made for you, I just had to ask. Hope to hear from you. Most Sincerely,

- e.w. pond

 

Dear E.W.,

 

It really means a lot to us to know that our music and ideals resonate with you -- thank you for your warm words! We are definitely open to new music, so we would be interested in taking a look at your "jazzical" creation. Just send us an email at andersonroe@yahoo.com and we'll check out your music. Thanks for your enthusiastic support!

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg and Liz,

You guys are amazing. Upon watching some of your vids and reading your bio, I feel awful for quitting piano at age 10. I'm 18 now and I've restarted playing about 1.5 years ago, but I don't play classical. I just play some pop/rock for my own amusement, and my knowledge of theory hasn't expanded much (I just play broken chords with my left hand, vocals on my right etc.) In any case, I was wondering if you guys would ever consider doing more arrangements for non-classical pieces in the future? I think you could attract even more of an audience. I was first interested in the idea of 2-piano arrangements when I first saw this: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=lMFr-S62-9w Anyways, ahem, my request is if you could be so kind as to make some Muse arrangements for 2 pianos =)

- Joe

 

Hi Joe,

 

YES, we've got non-classical arrangements on the horizon. We both are inspired by all types of music, and Liz especially is a huge fan of Brit rock (thanks for the Muse vid and suggestion!). At the moment we have plans to transcribe some Radiohead, Beatles, and Nirvana for two pianos, and we have many other ideas for rocking out! Stay tuned!

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Hello Greg and Liz!

So the past few weeks I've been looking for a classical duet for my teacher and I to play. We just played schuberts fanasie in F minor, which is simply an amazing duet, and I want to find something that is as awesome as it. Do you know of any classical four hand music that that would live up to the shuberts standards? Thanks

- Michael

 

Dear Michael,

 

Debussy's Petite Suite is one of our all-time favorites; at times, its melodies are unbearably beautiful. Also, look into the Brahms Waltzes, Children's Games by Bizet, the Poulenc Sonata (for four-hands/one-piano), From the Bohemian Forest by Dvorak, and the perennial favorite: Brahms' Hungarian Dances. Also consider the following transcriptions: Ravel's Pavane pour une infante defunte, Saint-Saens's Dance Macabre (not to be confused with the Anderson & Roe two-piano transcription), Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, the Verdi opera arrangements, and the Bach Brandenburg concertos.

 

Ooooh! And who could forget the beautiful sonatas for piano/four-hands composed by Mozart?!

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg and Liz,

Have you ever considered playing the Busoni transcription for 2 pianos of Mozart's Magic Flute Overture? Here is a performance by Gilels and Zak: http://youtube.com/watch?v=mGvHN3fKUco

- Larry LeBow

 

Dear Larry,

 

Actually, we have considered playing Busoni's transcription of the overture. It's a stunning arrangement and works quite well for two pianos, doesn't it? We're presently in the midst of a number of projects pertaining to the music of Mozart. We hope these projects will captivate your attention as much as the aforementioned piece!

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg and Liz,

I watched Greg's performance of Ligeti' Étude 13. Congratulations! I am wondering if I could send you a piano piece I composed a decade ago if you'd be interested in playing it? Thank-you again.

- Francis P Ubertelli

 

Dear Mr. Ubertelli,

 

You made Greg blush. We're glad you like his performance of Ligeti's Etude No. 13, and you may be interested to know that we have plans to learn some of Ligeti's music for two pianos.

 

Feel free to send us music via our Contact page. We are always interested in looking at new music, although we can't promise to program it anytime soon. Our repertoire wish list is huge, but we always have the wish list handy in case we're looking for that perfect piece to fill a program. Who knows? It could be your piece! If you're able to, please email us a file of the score.

 

Best wishes,

Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg and Liz,

Hi, My name is Mervyn Ewing and I am an amateur piano player and also am an artist and teach community classes how to paint almost anything. My wife teaches the guitar and we call ourselves "Artistic Sound" I find your playing so inspiring and fun. My favorite composer is Chopin and was wondering if you both do any of Chopin's waltzes and post them on youtube....would love to see them. I come from Northern Ireland...presume you live in the States! Thanks again,

Mervyn

 

Dear Mervyn,

 

Bravo to you and your wife for being involved in music and art! Chopin is one of our absolute favorite composers, too. We've each played a substantial amount of his solo works (the waltzes, etudes, preludes, nocturnes, mazurkas, sonatas, concerti, etc.) but have not recorded any of them... Perhaps we'll transcribe some of his music for piano duo!

Best wishes to you from the US,

 

- Greg & Liz

Dear Greg and Liz,

I am extremely impressed with the life and passion you infuse into your piano playing. I was on youtube, searching for piano duets. I then saw the video for your Blue Danube Fantasy. I was thinking to myself, "Well, how bad could it be?" and clicked. To put things lightly, I was blown away. What a wonderful duo the two of you are. I could see the immense joy the both of you have in playing the piano and I found myself smiling along (something which I rarely do, especially when watching musical performances). I know that the two of you have already been flooded with song requests, but I simply have to request the both of you to do a rendition of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. I personally believe it to be a classical-jazz masterpiece, and would be very interested in seeing how the both of you turn it into your own piece. Still, judging by your abilities, I would be surprised if Gershwin wouldn't take his hat off to the both of you. I would ask you two to come over here to Singapore to perform. It is a real pity that I am too young to influence the arts scene (17 year old student w00t). Haha, but seriously, could the both of you please try to perform in Singapore one day? If anything, you guys will add the life, flavour, vitality and (most importantly) youth needed so much in our arts scene. Thank you so much.

- Jose Hong

 

Dear Jose,

 

Thank you very much for your wonderful comments! We are so happy that you like our Blue Danube video and that you got a sense of the joy we experience together at the piano. Thanks also for your suggestion to put our own spin on Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." Both of us are big fans of Gershwin, and recently Liz had a great time performing the "Rhapsody" with orchestra. We will definitely consider doing our own duo version of this legendary piece and we already have a list of Gershwin songs that we'd love to tackle, so keep you eyes and ears open for a potential Gershwin surprise! Also, we hope we'll make a trip to Singapore in the future -- we are thrilled to have such supportive fans on the other side of the globe!

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg and Liz,

What would you say is your mission, exactly? You're both excellent pianists who try to break the mold and expose wider audiences to classical music, but I'd like to hear it in your words. And, on another, fairly unrelated subject, what do you know of the Liszt two piano versions of the operatic fantasies? I think that the antiphonal possibilities are gorgeously exploited in Norma, for example. Thanks

- Daniel Baker

 

Dear Mr. Baker,

 

We defined our mission several years ago, and it has literally shaped all of our decisions as individuals, as musicians, and as a team. You can actually find it hidden away on this site; it's one of the trivial tidbits on the fun facts page. It really isn't so trivial, but it fit in well with the rest of the tidbits, and we try to repeat it as often as we can. So, bombs away:

 

Greg & Liz's mission

To connect with others; to engage, provoke, illuminate; to serve as a conduit for the composer's voice; to express our inner lives; to share the joy and fulfillment that only music can elicit

To free the world from the constraints of sleep-inducing concerts

To demonstrate that classical piano music can serve as a relevant and powerful force in society

 

As for Reminiscences de Norma, we urge you to purchase Greg's solo album, "On Wings of Song!" You'll find Greg playing the solo version there, and he continues to perform the work on many of his solo concerts. It would be unnecessarily confusing for him to learn both versions of the piece: a recipe for disaster. (It would be pretty embarrassing to slip into the two-piano version in the middle of a solo recital!) Similarly, although we used to play Ravel's La Valse in its two-piano version, we took it out of our performing repertoire when Liz started playing the solo version in concerts and competitions. Too confusing.

 

You're right; the antiphonal possibilities are wonderful in the two-piano version of Reminiscences de Norma, but (and a big "but" here), if we were to ever perform the work, Greg would insist upon recreating the six-or-so minutes of music that Liszt cut from the solo version in arranging the work. Liszt cut Greg's favorite arias (and the arias that add the most dramatic weight to the paraphrase, no less)!

 

Thanks for your interest in our work!

 

- Greg & Liz

Dear Greg & Liz,

Are all the duets you two have played your own compositions? You guys are amazing by the way.

- Serena Liu

 

Dear Serena,

 

No, not at all. We love playing the staples of the piano repertoire, especially the piano duo music of Mozart, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff. You can visit our repertoire page to get an idea of what sorts of repertoire regularly appears on our concert programs.

 

Thanks!

 

- Greg & Liz

Dear Greg & Liz,

I was browsing through the repetoire and I caught eye of an arrangement of Lennon's "Imagine" for piano four hands. Is there anywhere I can hear this? Perhaps sheet music? :)

- Gabe

 

Dear Gabe,

 

You've got a good eye. Occasionally the arrangement makes its way into our live performances (usually as a surprise)... which is probably the only place where you'll have the opportunity to hear it.

 

- Greg & Liz

Hallo Greg & Liz,

auf euch durch die Libertangoaufnahme (habt ihr schon die Argerich-Videos gesehen) und die Tarrega-Variationen über ein Thema aus Gran Vals (M.A. Hamlin hat sich auch schon daran versucht) aufmerksam geworden möchte ich, nachdem ich euer Repertoire gelesen habe wissen, warum ihr die f-moll Fantasie von Franz Schubert (D 940) (noch) nicht spielt? Sie steht den anderen Kompositionen, die ihr bereits beherrscht in keiner weise nach. Außerdem habe ich noch kein Stück von Franz Liszt in eurem Repertiore gefunden - obwohl sich seine Kompositionen, wie sich bereits erwiesen hat (Victor Borge ist ein beispielhafter Interpret) dafür hervorragend eignen. Liebe Grüße und Viel Erfolg

- Max

 

Dear Max,

 

Hallo! Wir haben ein bisschen Deutch gelernt, but we communicate much better in English! Why haven't we learned the Schubert Fantasy in F minor? We're still young and we have plenty of years ahead of us. We're in no hurry. Besides, Schubert composed many wonderful works in addition to the Fantasy that are worthy of listeners' and performers' attention. We do hope to get around to some of Liszt's duo music someday, but probably not all of it; after reading through his duo works, we have the distinct impression that Liszt enjoyed composing music for solo piano more.

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg & Liz,

My friends and I are planning on holding a virtuoso senior piano recital featuring solos, duos, and a grand finale 2-piano, 8-hand arrangement. Do you know of any particularly exciting, crowd-pleasing duo and quartet pieces that you would recommend for the advanced player?

- Allen

 

Dear Allen,

 

It sounds like you are preparing quite the exciting event! It's kind of difficult to think of "crowd-pleasing" pieces without knowing your intended audience. In such situations, we find it easier to choose pieces that "please" us and hope that the music, our delivery, and our enthusiam will please the audience as well.

 

One of the most famous and exciting 2-piano, 8-hand works of our time is Mack Wilberg's Fantasy on Themes from Bizet's Carmen. We suggest you start there. There are too many exciting piano duo works to list here, but you could start by looking at any of the early-twentieth century warhorses: Lutoslawski's Paganini Variations, Ravel's La Valse, Rachmaninoff's Second Suite for Two Pianos, Debussy/Ravel's Fêtes, and Milhaud's Scaramouche.

 

Just be careful! All of that virtuosity on one program could work against itself! Good luck and have fun,

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg & Liz,

Have you ever tried a piece like this together? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcV19rylSZc

 

Dear anonymous,

 

It's unlikely that you'll find that in our repertoire any time soon, although it is admittedly very funny! Our performing style and our mission as performers are a bit different from those of Victor Borge. While we enjoy humor and wild pianistic effects, we tend not to introduce either into our music unless it can be used to serve our mission (to demonstrate that classical piano music can serve as a relevant and powerful force in society). For example, when we use humor in our concerts, it is often to comment on contemporary events, as seen in our New Depiction of the Carnival of the Animals or in our latest YouTube video. Likewise, when we find ourselves tangled up at the piano, it is usually due to two reasons: one, to visually represent the dance-like or romantic character of the music, and two, because there is no other way to create the musical effect.

 

We like to find ways to make our concerts entertaining, uplifiting, humorous, provocative, contemporary, and deeply moving. In other words, we like to find ways to represent the full spectrum of the human experience.

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg & Liz,

Have you ever tried Chopin's etudes Op. 10, No. 8 and Op. 10, No. 5? Who are your favorite composers? Have you ever tried Satie's "Le Belle Excentrique" from the Grand Ritournelle?

Malechi

 

Dear Malechi,

 

We both play quite a few Chopin etudes, including the two you mentioned. Tricky little finger busters, aren't they?

 

Favorite composers? Hmmm.... It's really so difficult to limit oneself to just a few "favorite" composers when there are so many whose music never ceases to move us. Not to mention, we both try to listen for the beauty and expression in whatever it is we're listening to, whether it be Palestrina, Donizetti, or Coldplay. Greg's favorites change from mood to mood; presently Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Sigur Ros top the list. Liz's list includes Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, the Beatles, Ravel, Radiohead, and loads more.

 

As for Satie's "Le Belle Excentrique," we have yet to add it to our repertoire. We do, however, perform a surprising amount of Satie's music on our concerts, usually in our own "Anderson & Roe" way.

 

- Greg & Liz

 

Dear Greg & Liz,

What are some classical 4hand1piano pieces you would recommend to intermediate level pianists?

 

Dear fellow pianist,

 

There's a lot of wonderful music out there for intermediate (and for that matter, advanced) pianists. Start by reading through the transcriptions of the Beethoven Symphonies for four hands. They are familiar, not too difficult, and a joy to play. Debussy's Petite Suite is one of our all-time favorites; its melodies are unbearably beautiful. Also, look into the Brahms Waltzes, Children's Games by Bizet, the Poulenc Sonata (for four-hands/one-piano), From the Bohemian Forest by Dvorak, and the perennial favorite: Brahms' Hungarian Dances. Also consider the following transcriptions: Ravel's Pavane pour une infante defunte, Saint-Saens's Dance Macabre (not to be confused with the Anderson & Roe two-piano transcription), Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, the Verdi opera arrangements, and the Bach Brandenburg concertos.

 

A note about Schubert: we find Schubert's four-hand music to be surprisingly difficult. Much of it sounds readable and simple, but don't let this fool you; it is very awkwardly written for two pianists to play at one piano. In fact, we've seen a number of piano duos resort to using two pianos to perform his music! It's beautiful stuff, so don't let this dissuade you. Just consider yourself warned!

 

Good luck and remember to have fun!

 

Greg & Liz