Martha Argerich . Alexander Rabinovitsj-Barakovski

In the eighteenth century, the use of two or more keyboard instruments, which today is quite rare, was more common than four-handed piano playing. This is because the narrower and shorter keys on the harpsichords and pianos of the time did not make duo playing on a single instrument particularly easy. It is known that Mozart like playing music on two grand pianos with his students in Vienna. His only Sonata for this combination was written in 1781. When it comes to virtuosity this work is every bit as good as the piano concertos. For a composer like Brahms (1833-1897), who wanted to wrest orchestral effects from the piano, the use of two pianos offered interesting prospects. Brahms also had a great passion for duo playing on two pianos. To give an example, he performed Schumann's Variations for two pianos opus 46, together with the composer's wife Clara. Brahms' 'Variations on a theme from Haydn' for two pianos were written in parallel with the orchestral version, opus 56a. The basis for this series of variations was the St Anthony Choral from a wind serenade by Haydn. The piano virtuoso Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) also created several works in this genre. His first Suite for two pianos is a series of 'Fantaisie-tableaux', Russian impressions inspired by the poetry of Lermontov, Lord Byron, Tchuchiev and Khomyakov. The second suite was created almost simultaneously with the Second Concerto and exudes the same virtuoso and impassioned atmosphere.