Alexandre Tharaud (piano)
Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: No. 5 in F-Sharp Minor (Piano 4-Hands Version)
Bach, J S: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106 "Actus Tragicus": No. 2, Chöre, Arioso und Aria. "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" (Arr. Kurtág for Piano 4-Hands)
Piazzólla: Libertango (Arr. Yamamoto for Piano 4-Hands)
Fauré: Dolly Suite, Op. 56: No. 1. Berceuse
Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act 1 "The Spell": No. 6, Waltz (Arr. Rachmaninov for Piano 4-Hands)
Ravel: Ma Mère l'Oye, M. 60: V. Le jardin féérique
Satie: Parade: Prestidigitateur chinois
Françaix: 15 Portraits d'enfants d'Auguste Renoir: No. 7, Fillette au chapeau bleu
Schubert: 3 Marches militaires, Op. 51, D. 733: No. 1 in D Major
Grieg: 4 Norwegian Dances, Op. 35: No. 2 in A Major, Allegretto tranquillo e grazioso
Haydn: Piano Trio in G Major, Hob. XV:25: III. Rondo all'ongarese. Presto (Arr. Metzdorff for Piano 4-Hands)
Dvorák: Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, B. 145: No. 2 in E Minor, Allegretto grazioso
Lavignac: Galop-marche à huit mains (Arr. Lemoine for Piano 4-Hands)
Charles-Henry: 3 + 3: No. 3, The Just Average
Mozart: Sonata for Piano 4-Hands in D Major, K. 381: III. Allegro molto
Poulenc: Sonata for Piano 4-Hands, FP 8: I. Prelude
Debussy: Petite suite, CD 71, L. 65: I. En bateau
Glass, P: 3 Pieces for Four Hands: No. 2, Stokes
Rachmaninoff: 6 Morceaux, Op. 11: No. 1, Barcarolle
Schumann: 6 Studien in kanonischer Form, Op. 56: No. 4, Innig (Transcr. Bizet for Piano 4-Hands)
Pierné, G: Barcarolle, Op. 26
Bizet: Jeux d'enfants, Op. 22, WD 56: No. 12, Le bal
“This was something I’d had in mind for a long time…to put together an album for the sheer pleasure of it, in collaboration with dear friends and paying tribute to the wonders of the piano duet repertoire.” – Alexandre Tharaud
Four Hands consists of 22 tracks, with French pianist Alexandre Tharaud sharing the keyboard with a different performer on each. The repertoire ranges from Bach to Glass through composers such as Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Rachmaninov, Ravel and Piazzolla. The pianists featured on the album include the late Nicholas Angelich, Martin James Bartlett, Mariam Batsashvili, Bertrand Chamayou, David Fray, Bruce Liu, Víkingur Ólafsson, Beatrice Rana and others. Three tracks feature soloists typically known for their skills on other instruments: cellist Gautier Capuçon, countertenor Philippe Jaroussky and the Paris-born singer-songwriter Juliette Noureddine.
"The press-release quotes Tharaud as saying the album was 'made for the sheer pleasure of it'. This is tangibly translated in much of the playing, across a programme that ranges from Bach to Glass…Music and partners are mostly well matched, nowhere more so than in the closing Bizet ('Le bal' from Jeux d'enfants) played with Martin James Bartlett, whose skittish flamboyance combines with Tharaud’s flexibility and flare to bring the playful character of the piece to life." - Presto Music, 10th May 2024
