Publishers churned out four-hand arrangements of almost every new orchestral or operatic work. These transcriptions often outsold the original full-orchestra scores.
Because players must sit side-by-side, their elbows, knees, and hands frequently brush against or even cross over each other. The Piano Duet
By playing these arrangements, amateur musicians developed a "musical literacy," intimately getting to know the complex structures of symphonies they might only hear once in a lifetime at a live concert. Key Masterpieces to Explore amateur musicians developed a "musical literacy
Before recordings existed, piano duets were the only way for the average person to hear massive orchestral works like Beethoven’s symphonies at home. The Piano Duet