Franz Peter Schubert ： Divertissement à l’Hongroise in e-moll D 818 Op.54

Schubert’s three-movement divertimento for piano four hands incorporates Hungarian-style melodies and dance-like rhythms, contrasting lyrical expressiveness with light-footed vitality. The unhurried flow of the first movement, the minuet of the second, and the lively motion of the third shape the work as a whole, making their contrasts a central attraction. In passages where the melody is passed between the players, it is important to unify the tone and direction of the phrasing while keeping the accompaniment from covering the principal line. The dance rhythms should retain their buoyancy, and careful breathing without rushing allows the intimate dialogue unique to four hands to come vividly to life.