It Takes Two to Tango

A duo doesn't always have two people. In J.S Bach’s  Inventions Nos. 8 & 6  left and right hand of the piano hold contrapuntal conversations.  Then, listen to how seamlessly No 6 is arranged for violin and cello. A slower tempo, and the interpretation fills with yearning. Our next duo is an unlikely one, marimba and banjo playing Invention No. 13. Surprisingly, the banjo has all the elegance of an acoustic guitar, and the marimba brings an unexpected warmth.

In Telemann's Sonata No. 1 fr. 6 Canonic Sonatas, flute and oboe flirt with unison and harmony. Much like the tango, this duo is all about the tension of coming together and coming apart.  

It’s not long before we’re back to Bach. In his Concerto for Two Violins, harpsichord and strings paint a backdrop for the duet between the violins.

Much of Bach’s music was lost, but thankfully not his Concerto for Violin and Oboe. Hilary Hahn & Allan Vogel play on period instruments.

Our next selection is still from Germany, but a few centuries later with Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin & Cello II. A master of counterpoint, Brahms makes some unexpected choices.
 

Bill samples horn fifths on the keyboard, and describes Mozart's additions to the horn's aural vocabulary. Mozart continues to innovate with his use of the bassoon combined with the cello. In the year 1785, Mozart progresses in his opera career by continuing work on Figaro. Here is another playlist of unique duos. 

Join Bill as he explores the Sonata, a form which places the piano on equal footing as the instrument. Beethoven, Brahms and Strauss all feature, with a particular stand out in Brahm's first Violin Sonata that perfectly illustrates both the melencholy and majesty of rain with only violin and piano. 
 

Duos develop and a cat fight breaks out on the opera stage to open. But then comes the love between two, which is a theme much pondered in the development of duos. Catch a fresh breath of air in Verdi's "Un di, felice" and "Parigi, o cara." Then give an ear to Shakespeare's mark on the love affair in the famous "Othello." But the panic picks up again with Ravel's Cat Duet.

From college exams to compositions, listen now to Debussy's modern sounding Sonata for Violoncello as the duo's voices exchange their concerns. Perhaps the sore tones relate to the losses of the first World War. Bill explores music that sounds out a dance, once again providing you with a breath of fresh air, or an ignorance of reality. Nostalgia and culture mix together.