Romantic Music of Rachmaninoff to Highlight Dranoff International Two Piano Foundation Concert

MIAMI - South Florida audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience Sergei Rachmaninoff’s most famous original Two Piano compositions as the Dranoff International Two-Piano Foundation presents a program of Romantic and Contemporary Duo Piano repertoire on April 5th, at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach.

The “FourPlay on the Beach” program will feature a pair of 25-minute Two Piano Suites penned by the famous Russian keyboard master, as performed by two of the most renowned Duo Piano teams before the public today, Piano Duo van Veen and De Stefano Piano Duo.

The Suites Numbers 1 and 2 for Two Pianos date from the early years of Rachmaninoff’s career and have been staples of the Two Piano repertoire since their publication.

The Suite Number 1, Op. 5, subtitled "Fantaisie-Tableaux” and based on four poetic texts, will be interpreted by Piano Duo van Veen, a winner of the 1995 Dranoff Two Piano Competition. The 2005 winners, De Stefano Piano Duo, will offer the Op. 17 Suite Number 2, which includes Waltz, March, Romance and a brilliant Tarantella-based finale.

Rachmaninoff himself partnered with other legendary piano virtuosi in interpreting both Suites. The most famous performance of the Suite Number 2 was with the composer and Vladimir Horowitz at a private party in Los Angeles shortly before the composer’s death in 1943.

In addition to the two Suites, “FourPlay on the Beach” will unite the youthful performing duos onstage for an exciting group of eight-hand arrangements – four players at two keyboards – including “Sabre Dance” by Khachaturian and other favorites.