Keyboard Duos

This ongoing catalogue of music for two early keyboard instruments is in three sections:
 

    I: Historical repertoire

    II: Arrangements

    III: Contemporary Music

Items marked ‘IMSLP’ can be found online at imslp.org. The works marked * are incomplete in the original sources, and have had one part added by the editor named. Further additions are welcomed, and a list of works for keyboard four-hands will be added in due course. For a short history of the subject, see Francis Knights, ‘Early keyboard duets’, Sounding Board xvi (2021), pp.21-33 www.harpsichord.org.uk/sounding-board-archive/

I: Historical repertoire

C. P. E. Bach               
Double Concerto in Eb H479 (with orchestra) (facsimile IMSLP)
Double Concerto in F H408 (with orchestra) (facsimile IMSLP)
Sonata in C Wq.87 (Carus 33.451, 1998)
Vier kleine Duetten Wq.115 (Collected Works i/8.2 p.80; Breitkopf, 1989; ed Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-023)

J. C. Bach                   
Sonata in G (Collected Works; Schott 2445; ed Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-023)
Sonata in A Op.18/5 (four hands)
Sonata in F Op.18/6 (four hands)

J. C. F. Bach                   
Sonata in A (four hands)
Sonata in C (four hands)

J. S. Bach                   
Double Concertos BWV1060-2 (with strings) (IMSLP; 1060 ed Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-023)
Contrapunctus XIII (Art of Fugue) (IMSLP; ed Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-023)

W. F. Bach                   
Sonata in F (IMSLP; ed Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-023)

Binder                  
Concerto in D (with orchestra) (facsimile IMSLP)
Concerto in c (with orchestra) (ii only IMSLP)
Concerto in F (with orchestra)

Blanco
Concerto in G (Schott ED 4809)
Concerto No.2 in G (Zerboni 7288)

attrib Bull                             
A Battle and no battle (three hands) (Musica Britannica xix p.111)

Burney                           
Four sonatas (1777) (four hands)

Byrd                           
Ut re mi (three hands) (Musica Britannica xxviii p.37)

Carlton                       
A verse (In Nomine)* (four hands) (ed Brown, Musica Britannica xcvi p.4)
Prelude* (four hands) (ed Brown, Musica Britannica xcvi p.3, also ed Rose, English Harpsichord Magazine ii/1 (Oct 1977) p.20)

Armand-Louis Couperin             
Symphonies de clavecins in D (https://www.martinpearlman.com/, also A-R C002, p.1)
Premiere Quatuor in Bb* (ed Perlman, https://www.martinpearlman.com/)
Deuxieme Quatuor in Eb (https://www.martinpearlman.com/, also A-R C002, p.41)
Troisieme Quatuor in C* (ed Perlman, https://www.martinpearlman.com/)

Francois Couperin                  
Allemande in A, Musete de Choisi, Musete de Taverni, La Lativille, from Pieces de clavecin (IMSLP, Heugel)

Ramón Ferreñac
Sonata in D a 4 manos, 1794 (organ, Tecla Aragonesa IV)

Farnaby                       
[Alman] For two virginals (Musica Britannica xxiv p.71, also Fitzwilliam Virginal Book i p.202)

Giussani
Sonata Concertata in G (Breitkopf 8296)

Graun                          
Concerto in Bb (IMSLP)

Handel                        
Suite in c H446* (arr Dart, OUP, 1950, also arr Burrows, B&H 8691, 1998)

Hofmann                     
Concerto V in A (facsimile IMSLP)
Concerto III in C (facsimile IMSLP)

Krebs                          
Concerto in a (dvfm, 1966)

Le Roux
Pieces de clavecin (IMSLP, also ed Jon Baxendale, Cantando C4294, 2018)

Félix Máximo López
Two sonatas for four hands

Mattheson                   
Sonata in g (Hinrischen 311a, 1960)
Suite in g (Hinrischen 311b, 1960)

Mozart                        
Allegro in c (IMSLP)
Concerto No.10 in Eb (with orchestra) (IMSLP)
Fugue in c (IMSLP)
Larghetto and Allegro in Eb (IMSLP)
Sonata in D (IMSLP)
Sonata movement in Bb (IMSLP)

Müthel                         
Duet in C (facsimile IMSLP, also ed Knights)
Duet in Eb (Nagels 176, 1954)

Pasquini                       
Sonatas No.1-14 for figured bass (Kunzelmann GM 1238, 1987)

Piazza                          
Sonata in F (Breitkopf 8296 and IMSLP)

Rigel
Trois Duos pour piano-forte et clavecin, Op.14 (Éditions du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles CAH 191-196)

Schaffrath                    
Duet in C (Noetzel N 3493, 1982)
Duet in a (Noetzel N 3493, 1982)

Schuster                      
Concerto in D (facsimile IMSLP)
Variations in G (facsimile IMSLP)

Soler                           
Sonatas No.1-6 (Schott ED 6230/6231, 1972/2004)

Strogers
Upon Ut re mi (three hands)

Joaquín Tadeo de Murguía
Sonata a cuatro manos

Terreni
Sonata in D (Breitkopf 8296)

Tomkins                      
A Fancy for two to play (four hands) (Musica Britannica v p.66, also IMSLP)

Vanhal
Sonatina in C, Op.19 (four hands)

Anon                           
Concertino in G (Carus 18.504, 2000)
Sonata in C (Carus 18.504, 2000)

Collections
‘Italienische Meister’ (Guami, Gabrieli, Gussago, Bonelli) (arr Tamminga, Doblinger 967, 1988)
‘Music fur Zwei Tasteninstrumente’ (ed Fedtke, Breitkopf 8296)

II: Arrangements

All those listed are by Francis Knights unless indicated; for other duet arrangements, see IMSLP imslp.org/ (many by Pierre Gouin, for example), and elsewhere.

C. P. E. Bach                
Sonata in D Wq.83 (ed Knights, Peacock Press)

J. C. Bach                
Quintet in D

J. S. Bach                     
Brandenburg Concerto No.3 BWV1048 (three harpsichords)
Brandenburg Concerto No.3 BWV1044 (with two recorders)
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 BWV1051 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)
Concerto in D BWV42
Concerto in G BWV916
Musical Offering BWV1079 (Trio Sonata: arr Leopold/Paul; arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-037)
The Art of Fugue (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-028; arr Petrenz, Carus 18.523, 2005)
Sonata in g BWV1020
Sonata in G BWV1027 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-037)
Sonata in D BWV1028 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-037)
Sonata in g BWV1029 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-037)
Sonata in b BWV1030 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-037)
Sonata in Eb BWV1031
Sonata in A BWV1032 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-037)
Trio Sonatas No.1-6 BWV525-530 (also arr Ponsford, arr Leopard/Paul)
Prelude and Fugue in D BWV532 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Fantasia and Fugue in c BWV537
Toccata and Fugue in d, Dorian BWV538 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)
Prelude and Fugue in G BWV541 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Prelude and Fugue in g BWV542 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Prelude and Fugue in a BWV543 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Prelude and Fugue in b BWV544 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Prelude and Fugue in C BWV547 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Prelude and Fugue in e BWV548 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Prelude and Fugue in Eb BWV552 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-034)
Passacaglia in c BWV582 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)
Alla breve BWV589 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)
Canzona BWV588 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)
Capriccio in Bb BWV992
14 Canons on the Goldberg Variations bass BWV1087 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)
Fugue alla giga (arr Knights, Peacock Press)
Fugue in G BWV550
Sinfonia BWV29 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)
Sinfonia BWV152
Sinfonia BWV1045 (arr Knights, Lyrebird LBMP-045)

W. F. Bach                
Sonata in C

Boccherini                         
Fandango in d

Boyce                         
Trio Sonata No.9 in C

Bull                             
Fantasia
In nomine a4
Ut re mi

Buxtehude                   
Chaconne in c (arr Knights, Peacock Press)
Chaconne in d
Passacaglia in e

Byrd                            
Browning
Fantasia a4 No.1
In Nomine a4
Pavan and Galliard
Prelude and Ground

Canale                    
Canzona a8 ‘La Bevilacqua’

Cavalli                   
Canzon a8 (1565)

Couperin                     
Le Sultane
Les Nations
Six dominos (arr Devlieger, Golden River Music)

attrib Charles Couperin                     
Suite in C

Delius
Dance (1919)

Distler
Organ Sonata Op.18/2 (arr Leopard/Paul)

Ernst arr Bach
Concerto in C BWV585/984 (arr Knights, Peacock Press)

Foucquet
Les Graces (arr Smith, Fondaco dei Music, 2013)
Les Ris (arr Smith, Fondaco dei Music, 2013)

Frescobaldi
Canzon Quarta a4

Fux
Rondeau in C

Gibbons
Pavan and Galliard a6
Go from my window

Goldberg
Trio Sonata in C BWV1037

Graupner
Sonata Canonica in d

Handel                       
Prelude and Fugue in c

Haydn
Il maestro e lo scolare

Krebs                          
Prelude and Fugue in D (arr Knights, Peacock Press)

Langlais
Trio Sonata (arr Leopard/Paul)

Leclair
Chaconne in D

Lully
Chaconne des Africains

Marcello
Concerto in G

Merula
Sonata chromatica

Mozart                        
Fugue in g K401

Muthel
Fugenfantasie in C

Purcell
Fantasia on one note
In Nomine a6

Rameau
Pieces de clavecin en concert No.1-5 (arr Johnson, PCH Publishing PCH-1a/b, 1998/2004)
Dances from the Opera-Ballets (arr Smith, Fondaco dei Music, 2013)

Reger
Six Trios (arr Leopard/Paul)

Schmelzer                    
Sonata a 7 (1662)

Soler
Fandango (arr Guy Penson)

Telemann
Concerto in G
Fantasia in D
XX Fugen (Nos. 4, 7, 10, 17, 19)
Trio Sonata in e (arr Knights, Peacock Press)
Trio Sonata in a (arr Leopard/Paul)

Tovey
Quadruple Fugue (for Bach’s Art of Fugue)

Vivaldi
Concerto in g RV107 (arr Smith, Fondaco dei Music, 2013)
Concerto in d Op.3/2 (also arr Smith, Fondaco dei Music, 2013; arr Dart, for four harpsichords; (arr Knights, Peacock Press)

Weiss                          
Concerto in G (arr Knights, Peacock Press)

III: Contemporary Music

Works without a publisher or composer website listed are thought to be unpublished, or available direct from the composer. Some further contact information may be found in Bedford (1993), Appendices. A 2017 harpsichord duo Call for Scores with Colchester New Music, see colchesternewmusic.com/calls-for-scores/call-for-scores-harpsichord-duets/, has generated a substantial number of new works too. Bibliography: Frances Bedford, Harpsichord & Clavichord Music of the Twentieth Century (Berkeley, 1993); Martin Elste, Modern Harpsichord Music: A Discography (Westport, CT, 1995).

Courtney Adams                
Chiaroscuro (1986)

William Albright                      
Three new chestnuts (1986)

Robert Baksa                         
Duo Sonata for two harpsichords (1995) (Composer’s Library CLE-67)

Helmut Bieler                          
Dialog (1971) (Moeseler)

Mark Bellis
A prelude and two fugues (2017)
Vulcan chess (2018) (three harpsichords)

Alexander Blustin  colchesternewmusic.com/members/cnm-members/                  
The Children on the lawn (2014)
Idle thoughts of owls (2017)

Bernard van den Boogaard     
Oilless Motors (three harpsichords) (Donemus)

Ivan Božicevic  www.ivanbozicevic.com
A thousand pines, one moon (2017)

Roger Briggs                          
Monolith (two amplified harpsichords)

Earle Brown                           
Nine Rarebits (1965) (Universal)
Live recording at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHi_GE7xwnA

Neely Bruce  soundcloud.com/neelybrucemusic/sets/five-pieces-for-two
Canon (1985)
Random Study 2016
Scar Lotty, à la manière d’Henri (2017)
Albert’s Chaconne (2005/2016)

Gerald Busby                        
Parallel (1983) (two harpsichords, dancer, gymnast)

James C Burke  jamesburke.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/                       
Fugue for two harpsichords (IMSLP)
Fugue for three harpsichords
Fugue for five harpsichords

John Carbon                           
Dreaming (1985) (two harpsichords, tape)
Seasick barcarolle (1987)

Theresa Chapman
Conversations (2017)

Terence Charlston www.charlston.co.uk/
Five pieces for two clavichords (2018)

Charles Chaynes web.archive.org/web/20130707180849/charleschaynes.com/
Joutes (organ and harpsichord)

Henry Clarke                     
Give and take (1977) (ACA)
Terza rima (1978) (ACA)

Marius Constant                     
Moulins a priere (1969) (Salabert)

Conrad Cummings                  
Denouement (1988, rev 2013) (two amplified harpsichords)

D. Edward Davis  sound.warmsilence.org
daybook (2017)

Pamela Decker
Portales (2000) (Edition Peters 67990)

Frederick Delius arr Knights   
Dance (1919)

Stephen Dodgson www.stephendodgson.com/                   
Carillon (1967) (Anglo-American)
Carillon (two harpsichords and strings)

Dorothy Dushkin                    
Sonata (1948)

Alan Felice                             
Trio expressivo (1969)

Evelyn Ficarra www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/41192
Close (1994) (two harpsichords and tape)

Graham Fitkin www.fitkin.com/scores/1931/compress
Compress (2006)

Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodmanmusic.com
Fall colors of New England

Hans Georg Görner                
Cembalo Konzert

Bengt Hambraeus
Concerto for organ and harpsichord (1947-51)

Martin Haselböck                   
Quattro

Roman Haubenstock-Ramati  
Catch I (1968) (Universal)

Raymond Head  raymondhead.com/                 
Shamash Stramash

Peter Helbut                           
2 x 2: Leichte concertante Musik (1983) (Hug)

Asako Hirabayashi  www.asakohirabayashi.com/
Scherzo for fortepiano and harpsichord (2009)
Elegy for fortepiano and harpsichord (2009)
Tango for fortepiano and harpsichord (2009)
Concerto for four harpsichords and strings (2010/revised 2018)

May Howlett www.australianmusiccentre.com.au
Tilting at Windmills (2017)

Léonie Jenkins                        
The elements (1986) (PRB CC002)

Mark Janello  markjanello.com/                     
Concerto for two (2015), recorded on CD Baby

Philip Joy
Scherzo (2017)

Dick Koomans                       
Capriccio, Adagio and Fugue (IMSLP)
Toccata (IMSLP)

Georg Kouiki                      
Imaginor, Op.10 (1975) (SUISA)

Jean Lesage                 
Les unites discretes (1987) (CMCQ)

Denis Lorrain            
La nuova ricordanza (1986)

Ester Mägi www.emic.ee
Concerto for organ and harpsichord (1980)

Kevin Malone www.opusmalone.com/
Remote Control (1999) (two harpsichords, electronic playback)

George Malcolm
Variations on a theme by Mozart (four harpsichords, rec 1956 and 1966)

Joanna Marsh  www.joannamarsh.co.uk                         
The art of duelling (2014)

William R. Matthews
Harpsichord Harpsichord (1981)

Michael Mazzatenta  www.mikemazzatenta.com/
Comic duets for two harpsichords (1987)

Peter Maxwell Davies             
Four lessons for two keyboards (1978) (Boosey & Hawkes)

Edwin McLean                       
Sonata for two harpsichords No.1 (1992), recorded on CD Baby
Sonata for two harpsichords No.2 (2014), recorded on CD Baby
Sonata for three harpsichords (1998), recorded on CD Baby

Claudi Meneghin www.meantone.org
Prelude & Fugue, ‘New Orleans’ (2022)

Klaus Miehling  klausmiehling.musicaneo.com/de/
Symphonie à deux Clavecins, Op.9 (1985)

Georges E. Migot
Prelude a deux (1931)

Robin Milford
Night piece (1949)

Robert Moran  robertmorancomposer.com/
Basha (four clavichords) (1983)

Ivan Moody  www.ivanmoody.co.uk/                           
Keskiyő (2014)

Sheli Nan
Fandango ardiente! (2003) (PRB CK015)

Janet Oates
Elements* (2017)

Flor Peeters
Concertino, organ and harpsichord (1975)

Francesco Pennisi                   
Note a paragrafi (1971) (Suivini Zerboni)

Peter Planyavsky                 
Quatre pieces pour 2 clavecins (1978) (Doblinger)

Serge Prokofiev           
Polka (1931) (MZK)

Serge Provost        
Cretes (1980) (CMCQ)

Lawrence Rackley
Chaconne (1980) (LRS)

Mona Reese
Chaconne (1984)

Vittorio Rieti
Trittico (1982)

Gertrude Roberts
Music for Theatre: 9 songs for Yerma (1960)
Waltz (1960)

Eva Schorr
Zwei fugen fur zwei cembali (1990)

Hermann Schroeder
Duplum, organ and harpsichord (1976) (Schott)

Salvatore Sciarrino
In memoriam (1971)

Allen Shawn
Dance music (1985) (Galaxy)

Thorkell Sigurbjornsson
Convention (1981) (IMIC)

Bengt-Goran Skold
For tva cembali, Op.25 (1969) (STIM)

Randall Snyder  digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicsnyder/
Spring Rounds (2017)

David W Solomons  www.dwsolo.com/index.html
Superlocrian Trio (2012) (three harpsichords)

José Jesus de Azevedo Souza  www.phasma-music.com/composers-club/Jose-Jesus-de-Azevedo-Souza
Looking back (2017)

Simone Stella                          
Fugue in C (IMSLP)

Alan Stout
Belle sans paire (1964) (ACA)
Plus outre (1966) (ACA)

Peter Thorne  www.peterthornemusic.co.uk/composing/
Dap dap da da dap (2016)

Kevin Volans
Matepe (1980) (Chester) (2 harpsichords, rattles)

Kate Waring (d.2015)  keyworksmusic.com/                           
Conversation Excursion (2014)

Stephen Watkins
Passacaglia – Low water (2016)

Jan Welmers
Muziek voor twee clavecymbels (1974) (Donemus)

Roger Williams
Opus II

Ian Wilson
Tarantella (2017)

Istvan Zelenka
Tangibles (1975) (SUISA)

Rasmus Zwicki  rasmuszwicki.com
Counterfeit (2017)