Mozart wrote only one sonata for two pianos – here’s the first instalment of six sparkling new Mozart two-piano sonatas!

The idea came from a remark by the violinist and conductor Andrew Manze in the notes to his recording of some of the six violin sonatas published as Mozart’s Op.2 in 1781 - he observed that the frequent concerto-like writing in these works might make them effective as sonatas for piano duet. The Australian composer Stephen Yates has taken him up on the idea, adding these delightful new works to the two-piano repertoire. The scores will be published by Toccata Press in due course.

The first volume of ‘Mozart by Arrangement’, one of the six releases that launched Toccata Classics in 2005, contained some of these same violin sonatas arranged for cello and piano (TOCC 0002).

Daniel Herscovitch and Phillip Shovk are two one of Australia’s foremost concert pianists. Daniel Herscovitch was born in Melbourne and studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in Munich. He has performed extensively on the Continent and in Britain and undertaken a number of extensive Australian tours. His repertoire ranges from Bach to Carter, and he has given many premieres of both contemporary music and seldom-performed older music.

Phillip Shovk also studied at the Sydney Conservatorium High School and at the Moscow State Conservatory. He also enjoys wide esteem as an accompanist, jury member and teacher, and recently released a CD of Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky on the Brisbane-based Master Performers label.