No other great composer has left so many works for piano four-hands as Franz Schubert – altogether 54 (32 of these with opus number): fantasies, dances, marches, variations, rondos, sonatas etc. – Playing music together, often in a social circle, was a precious pastime of Schubert’s circle of friends. The young composer provided the musical background for these rousing concerts and exuberant performances.
The pieces are chronologically arranged in the three Henle Urtext volumes showcasing Schubert’s piano duets.
Volume I contains three very early pieces from the years 1810 to 1813; the other works stem predominantly from the greater part of the year 1818, and which include the splendid Grande Sonate in B flat major D 617. The final section is comprised of two pieces from works that are chronologically difficult to situate and to lay down an exact time of origin; one of these, Allegro Moderato und Andante, D 968, was occasionally also designated as “Sonatine” and was written most probably for instructional purposes.