Darlington Piano Society’s recital programme returns on Sunday 21st January, and features two outstanding pianists who have both given memorable solo recitals for the Society in past seasons. Greg Johnson, Chairman said “Efforts to feature them in recent seasons as a duet, playing pieces for 4 hands on one piano, were thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic so it is pleasing to have achieved this at last”.
The repertoire for piano duets is much smaller than that for solo pieces, and the picture is complicated by the fact that many pieces for two players were written for performance on two pianos, rather than a single instrument. Alasdair and Viv’s programme includes two of the masterpieces of the repertoire for piano four hands. The duet repertoire has sometimes been dismissed, rather snobbishly, as just lightweight entertainment but whilst Schubert contributed his share of lighter pieces, his F minor Fantasy gave the medium arguably its greatest masterpiece. Equally, Stravinsky’s reduction of his Rite of Spring ballet score for piano duet provides a tour de force – the ballet causing a riot at its first performance – and a dynamic conclusion to the recital.
Recitals are held in Central Hall, the Dolphin Centre at 3pm. Tickets for the recital are available online at www.dpiano.co.uk, and on the door on the day, Price £15, with U21’s free.