Three Preludes  | George Gershwin, arr. Gregory Stone

George Gershwin composed his Three Preludes in 1926 as a set of jazz-influenced classical piano pieces, premiering them himself on December 4, 1926, at New York City's Hotel Roosevelt. The work is dedicated to William Merrigan Daly, a close friend and conductor who worked closely with Gershwin.  Originally envisioned as part of a larger 24-prelude project titled The Melting Pot, Gershwin scaled the collection down to three movements:

• Prelude No. 1: Allegro ben ritmato e deciso (B-flat major) – Driven by a syncopated five-note blues motif and energetic rhythms in a ternary form.

• Prelude No. 2: Andante con moto e poco rubato (C-sharp minor) – A pensive, lyrical "blues lullaby" built on moving thirds and a steady ostinato-like accompaniment.

• Prelude No. 3: Allegro ben ritmato e deciso / Agitato (E-flat minor) – A fast-paced, rugged piece featuring question-and-answer phrasing, brilliant flourishes, and a dramatic theme restatement.

The version on today’s program is arranged for two pianos by Gregory Stone.  The performers like this version because it emphasizes the conversational aspects of the piano duo genre.

A Cole Porter Medley | arr. Mike Kocour

Mike Kocour's two-piano medley is a terrific dialogue utilizing three favorite Porter tunes (Easy to Love, I Love You, I Get a Kick Out of You). Kocour's unerring instincts for capturing the style and the sophistication of the era, coupled with his ability to put the sounds on paper, guarantee a memorable, musically satisfying arrangement. Tunes move back and forth between the two pianos with wonderfully smooth lines.

Begin The Beguine | Cole Porter, arr. Paul Norman/Robert Nance

This duo arrangement captures and expands the colorful spirit of Cole Porter’s music, which portrays a warm, Caribbean evening complete with a gentle breeze and waters gently embracing the shore.

My Favorite Things | Rodgers & Hammerstein, arr. Reggie Berg

Jazz pianist, composer and arranger Reggie Berg has created a wonderfully unique rendition of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things”, one of the most often performed songs from the musical, The Sound of Music.  Sophisticated harmonies and rhythms abound throughout in this spirited arrangement.

Porgy and Bess (Fantasy for Two Pianos) | George Gershwin (1898-1937), arr. Percy Grainger (1882-1961)

Porgy and Bess is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play Porgy, itself an adaptation of DuBose Heyward's 1925 novel Porgy.

The opera tells the story of Porgy, a disabled black street beggar living in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina. It deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and Sportin' Life, her drug dealer. 

In the years following Gershwin's death, Porgy and Bess has been adapted into various forms and many of his songs recorded, underscoring the timelessness of the opera.

The Porgy and Bess Fantasy for Two Pianos is one such adaptation.  Composed by Percy Grainger in 1951, it is a virtuosic piano duo based on the musical themes from George Gershwin's opera.

L’embarquement pour Cythère: Valse-Musette for two pianos |Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Francis Poulenc, French composer, wrote this inspired duet in 1951.  The title and mood of the work are inspired by Jean-Antoine Watteau’s famous Rococo painting The embarkation for Cytera which depicts lovers journeying to Cythera, the mythical island of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.  Poulenc originally wrote this vignette as part of his film score for the French comedy Le voyage en Amérique before publishing it for two pianos.  It blends French modernism with the lively, nostalgic flavor of a Parisian valse-musette (an accordion -style street or cafe waltz), marked by upbeat energy and sparkling piano-duo textures.