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Th study of two-piano music was prompted by an active interest in that field and a recognized need for a knowledge of its literature on the part of the writer, who, for the past five years, has devoted most of her time to two-piano work. After careful investigation it becomes apparent that no other study similar to this has yet been made, and it is hoped that it may be helpful to others with interests in common. Much remains to be done and further study would prove profitable. More information might be gained from interviews with prominent duo-pianists, as well as from examination of foreign catalogues and of recital programs given in Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, and similar music centers.

This document provides a resource for Franz Liszt's unfamiliar piano work, the Grosses Konzertsolo and his subsequent rearrangement of the work for two pianos entitled Concerto pathetique. The Introduction places the work in its historical context as a precursor to the great Sonata in B minor and discusses possible reasons for its various revisions. Chapter One details Liszt's productive years from 1849-1853 in Weimar and selected keyboard works from this period which are closely related to the Grosses Konzertsolo. Chapter Two provides information on Liszt's first published piano works and his experiments with form, as well as a comparison of the Grosses Konzertsolo with the Sonata in B minor, in terms of motivic and thematic development. Technical issues and obstacles to performance are also addressed. Chapter Three compares the Concerto pathetique with the Grosses Konzertsolo showing how Liszt's rearrangement becomes more practical as well as effective. Chapter Four discusses Hans von Bulow's version of the Concerto pathetique and includes a brief biography.

This study was prompted by the writer's interest and experience in the field of two-piano performance. At the beginning of this writer's two-piano work the available material was scarce, and much of it was inadequate in quality from the standpoint of both composition and arrangement. It seems strange that this particular form of chamber music, so delightful to play and so enjoyable to listen to, did not completely take popular fancy until the twentieth century. During the past ten years however, teachers are realizing the benefits derived from training students in two-piano playing. There is no doubt in the writer's opinion that two-piano concerts will henceforth always be in demand.