Publishers churned out four-hand arrangements of almost every new orchestral or operatic work. These transcriptions often outsold the original full-orchestra scores.

Originally written for four hands, these became so popular they are now more famous in their later orchestral versions.

The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche even suggested that piano duets were a divining rod for a good marriage , as they required a level of communication and synchronization that mirrored a successful partnership. The Original "MP3"

A charming suite originally written for the children of close friends to capture the magic of fairy tales.

Before recordings existed, piano duets were the only way for the average person to hear massive orchestral works like Beethoven’s symphonies at home.