What is the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion?
Q: What is the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion?
A: The Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion is a musical composition by the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók.
Q: How many players are needed to perform this sonata?
A: Four players are needed to perform this sonata; two pianists and two percussion players.
Q: What instruments do the two percussion players play?
A: The two percussion players play seven instruments between them; three timpani, xylophone, one side drum with snares and one without, a suspended cymbal, a pair of cymbals, a bass drum, a triangle and a tam-tam.
Q: How many movements does the sonata have?
A: There are three movements in the sonata; a fast movement, a slow movement and another fast movement.
Q: Does Piano One play glissandos in any of the movements?
A: Yes, in the first movement Piano One plays lots of glissandos.
Q: Who performed the Sonata when it was first played in Basle in 1938?
A: The Sonata was first performed in Basle in 1938 with Béla Bartók playing one piano and his wife Ditta playing the other one. Fritz Schiesser and Philipp Rühlig played the percussion.
Q: Is there an orchestral version of this piece?
A: Yes ,Bartók also made a version for two pianos to be played with an orchestra but it is not normally performed like that.
