Alexandre Tharaud - Four Hands (2024)

“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.

Tracklist
01 - 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1_ No. 5 in F-Sharp Minor (Piano 4-Hands Version)
02 - 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)
03 - Libertango (Arr. Yamamoto for Piano 4-Hands)
04 - Dolly, Op. 56_ I. Berceuse
05 - The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act 1 _The Spell__ No. 6, Waltz (Arr. Rachmaninov for Piano 4-Hands)
06 - Ma Mere l'Oye, M. 60_ V. Le jardin feerique
07 - Parade_ Prestidigitateur chinois
08 - 15 Portraits d'enfants d'Auguste Renoir_ No. 7, Fillette au chapeau bleu
09 - 3 Marches militaires, Op. 51, D. 733_ No. 1 in D Major
10 - 4 Norwegian Dances, Op. 35_ No. 2 in A Major, Allegretto tranquillo e grazioso
11 - Piano Trio in G Major, Hob. XV_25_ III. Rondo all'ongarese. Presto (Arr. Metzdorff for Piano 4-Hands)
12 - Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, B. 145_ No. 2 in E Minor, Allegretto grazioso
13 - Galop-marche a huit mains (Arr. Lemoine for Piano 4-Hands)
14 - 3 + 3_ No. 3, The Just Average
15 - Sonata for Piano 4-Hands in D Major, K. 381_ III. Allegro molto
16 - Sonata for Piano 4-Hands, FP 8_ I. Prelude
17 - Petite suite, CD 71, L. 65_ I. En bateau
18 - 3 Pieces for Four Hands_ No. 2, Stokes
19 - 6 Morceaux, Op. 11_ No. 1, Barcarolle
20 - 6 Studien in kanonischer Form, Op. 56_ No. 4, Innig (Transcr. Bizet for Piano 4-Hands)
21 - Barcarolle, Op. 26
22 - Jeux d'enfants, Op. 22, WD 56_ No. 12, Le bal