Four hands
To four hands ( Italian : "a quattro mani"; French: "à quatre mains", also abbreviated to "4ms"; English: "four hands") is a name for a piece of music that is played for two players on a keyboard instrument ( mostly piano ) was composed or arranged . Accordingly, there are pieces called three hands (here one of the two players only uses one of his hands in the game) or six hands (here three players are sitting at one instrument). Compositions with the designation "for eight hands" are almost without exception designed for two players on one instrument each. Pieces for four players on one instrument are comparatively very rare.
Four-hand piano music is a field of chamber music .
In the 19th century, four-hand arrangements of orchestral and chamber music works became widespread so that they could be played back and learned at home (especially overtures and symphonies). Four-handed edits are easier to play than two-handed ones. Beethoven's own arrangement for four hands (Opus 134) of his “ Große Fuge ” for string quartet Opus 133 is z. B. still difficult enough with four hands, but virtually unplayable with two hands.
Four-hand pieces are a popular educational tool in piano lessons, especially the relatively easy-to-play compositions by Anton Diabelli .
In addition, there is four-hand piano music as independent works of art by many composers. Examples:
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Sonatas, Variations, Fantasies
- Franz Schubert : marches, dances, fantasy, sonatas, etc.
- Johannes Brahms : " Hungarian Dances ", waltzes, variations
- Hermann Goetz : Sonatas
- Claude Debussy : "Petite Suite", "Marche écossaise sur un thème popular", "Six épigraphes antiques"
- Paul Hindemith : Sonata
- Josef Schelb : "Little Sonata for piano four hands" (1940)
Accordingly, there are pieces for three, six, and in rare cases eight hands.
