Between 1958 and 1960, Alfred Brendel and Walter Klien recorded Brahms’ Hungarian Dances and Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances in their original versions for piano four-hands, as well as Mozart’s works for two pianos, for the Vox record label. Here is a look back at these wonderful recordings and at the tradition of piano four-hands.
With the advent of Baroque music, the harpsichord became, from 1700 onward, the instrument that virtually no composer could do without. This was then replaced in the course of the 18th century by the fortepiano, which had become established by Mozart’s time. By 1860, further mechanical improvements led to the concert grand piano as we know it today. Upright pianos were not built until 1800 and reached their current technical standard around 1850. Since they were more affordable and also suitable for smaller rooms, they became the central instrument of the middle class for domestic music-making.
A Brief History of Piano Duets
Four-hand piano playing developed alongside the spread of the fortepiano and the piano. While the harpsichord, with a range of four octaves, was intended for a single player, the keyboard was continually expanded as the fortepiano was developed. By Mozart’s time, it spanned five octaves, eventually reaching its current range of seven octaves by 1823. With this expansion of the keyboard, it became possible for two people to play relatively comfortably on the same instrument, and thus four-hand piano playing developed. In this arrangement, one player (designated “Primo” in the score) plays the upper keys and is primarily (but not exclusively) responsible for the melodies. The other player (“Secondo”) takes the lower register and is primarily responsible for the harmonic framework. Four-hand piano sheet music is printed in landscape format: the pages on the right contain the Primo part, and those on the left the Secondo part, so that each player sees in front of him the notes he or she is to play.
At the age of nine, Mozart was one of the first to explore the possibilities of four-hand piano playing with his Sonata K. 19d. This was in 1765 during his trip to London. He wrote the sonata for himself and his sister. Around the same time, Johann Christian Bach also composed 10 sonatas for piano four-hands. Mozart himself later wrote additional sonatas of this kind. As a result, four-hand piano playing became very popular. The focus was mostly on lighter pieces like dances and character pieces. Composers such as Schubert, Brahms, Fauré, and Debussy continued this tradition and also wrote more substantial works.
Arrangements of orchestral or chamber music works for piano four-hands also became very popular. Until the beginning of the 20th century, these played an important role in the dissemination of classical music by allowing music lovers – at a time when there were no records or radio – to become acquainted with popular overtures, symphonies, or even string quartets on the piano, or to play them along if they had already heard them in their original form. In addition to the orchestral effects achievable in four-hand piano playing, this style also has the advantage that the technical difficulties are distributed across four hands. This made it possible even for accomplished amateurs to play such works and discover them for themselves, so that this practice of making music was widespread.
Playing the piano four-handed was a tradition that was primarily cultivated within the family circle. This is still evident today in the fact that many of the best-known piano duos are siblings (such as the Labèque or Pekinel sisters or the Kontarsky brothers) or married couples, such as the Tal/Groethuysen duo. It is rather rare for famous pianists to perform four-hand piano pieces together in public. When they do play together, they are usually more interested in works for two pianos, which are generally intended more for the concert hall.
The Vox Recordings
With the two Austrians Alfred Brendel and Walter Klien, Vox brought together two pianists who both came from the same cultural background and were at the beginning of their careers. The young Brendel was commissioned by Vox at the time to record Beethoven’s piano works alongside pieces by Liszt and 20th-century composers; Klien, who was three years his senior and is perhaps less well-known today, recorded the piano works of Mozart, Schubert, and a large portion of Brahms’s piano works. His Mozart recordings remain the definitive standard to this day.
In their recording of Brahms’s Hungarian Dances (Vox STPL 513.380), it becomes clear after just a few bars that two highly gifted musicians have come together here, inspiring each other to musical heights. The playing is not only virtuosic and of the highest pianistic caliber; it also displays a playful wit and is brimming with rhythmic energy. While the Labèque sisters emphasize the Hungarian character in their recording (Philips 6514 107) and, while their rubati and ritardandi become somewhat tiresome in places, Brendel and Klien emphasize the dance-like character of the pieces and lend them a sense of movement that makes one involuntarily begin to sway along. Sonically, they operate with a delicate touch. Their piano playing never sounds heavy-handed, but rather very transparent. You can hear everything; no part overshadows the other. The characters of the various dances are beautifully captured; all bombast is avoided. Brendel and Klien make Brahms’s music sparkle and glitter.
Yet the indulgent elements are not neglected, and the elegiac passages are sung out beautifully. One senses a great joy in the performance throughout. And one marvels at how delicately, how leggero, and grazioso this music can be played. It’s a stroke of luck for the four-hands discography. One shortcoming of this recording should not be overlooked, however: in the highest register, the piano often sounds somewhat flat in the forte passages. Nevertheless, the recording is a delight and spreads good cheer. Rarely does one hear this music performed with such wit and such seamless cohesion.
While Brahms drew extensively on original Gypsy and folk melodies in his Hungarian Dances – melodies he knew very well from his time as a young piano accompanist to the Hungarian violin virtuoso Eduard Reményi – Dvořák used his own melodies in his Slavonic Dances. He borrowed only the rhythms from Czech and, in some cases, Bulgarian and Polish folk dances: e.g. the polka, the furiant, or the Czech waltz. Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances are best known in their orchestral version. In fact, however, they were originally composed for piano four-hands. They were inspired by Dvořák’s publisher Simrock, whom Brahms had introduced to Dvořák, and who anticipated from the outset that this composer’s folk dances would be a runaway success – which indeed proved to be the case.
In their recording of the Slavonic Dances (Turnabout TV 34060S), Brendel and Klien shine with qualities similar to those in the Hungarian Dances. Recorded a year after the latter, there is nothing to fault in the sound quality here. It thus becomes a pure delight to hear Dvořák pour out his cornucopia of wonderful melodies. Brendel and Klien play with lively energy once again. It is fascinating to hear the variety of colors and levels of expression as this “cheerful music” (as Dvořák called it) unfolds in their hands.
Beside all their temperament, the two also know how to beautifully highlight the narrative quality of this music in the more contemplative sections. It is also a relief how Brendel and Klien avoid anything sensationalistic. Nothing feels contrived; rather, this is simply highly intelligent and sensitive piano playing. Performed in this way – as is also evident in their recording of the Hungarian Dances – it becomes clear that the original version of these works is at least the equal of the orchestral versions.
For those who wish to compare the two versions, among the many fine orchestral recordings, I recommend Antal Dorati’s recording of the Hungarian Dances with the London Symphony Orchestra (Fontana 6531 003) and, for Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, the Vox recording by Jonel Perlea with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra (CpC VUX 2 001).
On their third joint LP featuring Mozart’s works for two pianos – the Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, K. 365, the Piano Sonata, K. 448, and the Fugue, K. 426 (Turnabout TV 34064S) – Brendel and Klien are in the finest of musical spirits. Mozart’s gallant music unfolds with light-footed ease in the liveliest parlando. It sparkles and trickles, making it a joy to listen to. It is a pleasure to hear how the two pianists pass the musical ball back and forth, delightful how naturally and melodically the cantilenas of the slow movements are rendered. It is enchanting how beauty unfolds here in a completely relaxed manner. The same goes for the fast movements. This is how it sounds when music is made with inspiration and in perfect harmony. It also becomes clear that this music, as cheerful and light as it may seem at first glance, possesses great wisdom. Simply put, it’s a fabulous recording that, like the two discussed earlier, has the aura of the extraordinary and leaves anything merely routine far behind. Perhaps one final note: The stereo pressing (TV 34064S) is superior to the mono pressing (TV 4046), as the dialogue-like quality of the music is rendered more spatially in the former.
Header image: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with his sister Maria Anna. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Johann Nepomuk della Croce/public domain, cropped to fit format.
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