Piano Duets: Russian Composers (Piano Duets edited by Michael Aston)

Piano Duets by Russian Composers is an unusual but enjoyable and useful collection that includes some of the most famous Russian movements and pieces from the orchestral, chamber and operatic repertoire in idiomatic, relatively easy and generally inspirational arrangements . . . The approach is always elegant, economical and sensitive in terms of pianistic layout. This makes the anthology useful to advanced players who wish to relax and have some fun, as well as to less experienced amateurs and also young, ambitious players who could well be inspired to push themselves a little bit harder in order to reach the exciting offerings that are available here. (International Piano, March 2011)

These make wonderful sight-reading for Grades 4 and upwards (as far as it's possible to grade anyone) and will make perfect performance pieces for friends and relatives to play together at concerts. The layout of the printing is widely spaced and distinct, the book open out well on the music stand and the page turns are thoughtfully chosen. These arrangements are sensitively harmonised with a careful ear for the original sound and are a welcome addition to the library of duet music. (Bronwen Brindley, Piano Professional Autumn 2010)

This books will certainly benefit all students of grade 6 and above looking for fun repertoire to perform with friends or merely to improve sight-reading skills while playing great music. (Nadia Lasserson, Piano Professional, Spring 2011)

This collection presents nine beautifully-crafted duet arrangements of classic works from the Russian repertory. Compiled and prepared by composer Halyna Ovcharenko, the arrangements have been carefully selected from a variety of genres, including orchestral, chamber, opera, and ballet. Twentieth-century classics such as the Allegretto from Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 and the Gavotte from Prokofiev's 'Classical' Symphony sit alongside timeless masterpieces like Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade and Tchaikovsky's 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' from The Nutcracker. Topped off with works by Glinka, Borodin, Musorgsky, and Rachmaninoff, the result is a varied and satisfying collection suitable for all intermediate and advanced duettists.