No other great composer left so many works for piano duet as Franz Schubert: altogether 54 (32 of which have an opus number) including fantasias, dances, marches, variations, rondos, sonatas, etc. Among Schubert’s circle of friends, making music was a much beloved pastime. And even today musicians love to work with these pieces. In the three Henle Urtext volumes featuring Schubert’s four-hand piano music, the works are arranged chronologically.
Volume II contains a total of altogether 26 pieces, 19 of which are comprised of four opera with three, four and six individual pieces: Trois marches militaires, four Ländler as well as Grandes Marches et Trios and Polonaises respectively. They date from the years 1818 to 1826. The unchallenged favorite in this book is the C major Sonata D 812 of the year 1824, also called Grand Duo. However, without wanting to diminish the status of the other pieces, we should point out that all seven marches are splendid compositions.