The only march for piano four hands by Enrique Granados, a representative composer of the Spanish National School.

This work is dedicated to Alfonso XIII, the King of Spain at the time (reigned 1886–1931).

 Many of Granados's works have unclear composition dates, and this piece was long considered to have an unknown composition year. However, recent research into Granados's works has revealed that the first edition score was published by Casa Dotesio in 1910, indicating that the work was composed at least before 1910.

 As the world-renowned cellist Pablo Casals, who had a long-standing friendship with Granados, called him “the Spanish Schumann,” Granados was not only an excellent composer but also a superb pianist. Therefore, the majority of Granados's works are for piano. However, most of these are solo piano pieces, and only two piano duet works remain, including this one.(The other is the unpublished piece “In the Village.”)

 The existence of “Academia Granados” played a significant role in Granados writing such a small number of duet works. This academy was a music conservatory established by Granados in 1901 with the aim of training excellent pianists. It produced many renowned pianists, including Alicia de Larrocha (1923–2009), a world-class pianist known as the “Queen of the Keyboard” and a leading Spanish pianist of the 20th century, as well as Rosa Sabater and Frank Marshall. Granados at this conservatory, while focusing on nurturing young talent, successively published new piano methods and instructional books on pedal techniques, among others. In this context, this piece likely served as a valuable teaching material for duets.

 “Two Military Marches” are rare duet pieces among Granados's piano works, but another point of rarity is that they are “marches” within his oeuvre.

 Originally, Granados's music, while drawing on Spanish folk music, was strongly influenced by German Romantic music, particularly Chopin and Schumann, whom Granados admired throughout his life. His characteristic style is elegant and romantic. It was rare for Granados, with his romantic style, to write “marches,” which are valorous pieces of music. Including this work, Granados composed only four marches.(The others are the “Military March” Op. 38 (published 1914) for solo piano, and “Oriental March,” the fourth piece in the “Collection of Pieces based on Spanish Folk Songs.”)

 The family environment in which Granados was born and raised significantly contributed to his creation of a small but excellent number of “marches.”

 The Granados family was a military family; his father Calisto, as well as all his siblings, belonged to the military. In particular, his father Calisto, who held the rank of military officer, had extensive connections with other military personnel and many acquaintances within military bands. Growing up in such a family environment, young Granados began his musical studies at the age of five under José Funseda, a Spanish military officer who was his father's friend and a military band conductor. Young Granados, who loved music above all else, showed remarkable progress, and Mr. José always praised Granados.

 For Granados, military music, including marches, was the origin of the music he encountered in his childhood, and marches were likely the root of his musical life.

 Now, let's look at each piece in detail.

No. 1

• D major, 2/4 time, Allegretto.

 The piece opens with a brilliant four-bar introduction. The secondo plays the melody, while the primo adds interjections in the high register, enhancing the opening of the march.

 From the following measure 5, the melodic part shifts from the secondo to the primo, and the first theme begins. This first theme is based on the secondo's melody that appeared in the introduction. This theme, taken over by the primo, is composed of double notes primarily in thirds, reminiscent of a trumpet duet in a military band.

Meanwhile, the secondo plays the accompaniment, marking the march rhythm with grace notes, bringing the piece to life.

 From measure 53, the key modulates from D major to the dominant, A major. The secondo's accompaniment also changes from crisp to legato arpeggios, and the mood of the piece becomes more elegant.

 In measure 59, 16th-note triplets are written, revealing a touch of Spanish folk music charm within the graceful and refined musical character.

 Entering measure 69, the melody, which was played in two voices by the primo, is now played in four voices in octave unison, adding brilliance to the music. From measure 85, it becomes the trio section of the middle part. The trio section is written in G major, modulating to the subdominant, as is common in many other marches.

An obbligato by the primo is added above the melodic part played by the secondo, expanding the range to four octaves combined for secondo and primo, increasing the thickness of the sound, and developing the music more expressively. Furthermore, here, the hands of both primo and secondo are written to cross, offering a unique delight of piano duet not found in solo pieces.

 From measure 113, the opening part is repeated, and after the coda from measure 165, the piece concludes with dignity and grandeur.

 The crisp rhythm characteristic of a march intertwines with an elegant and graceful melody, creating a piece full of nobility, as if guarding a royal palace.

No. 2

• B-flat major, 2/4 time, Lento Marciale.

 Both No. 1 and No. 2 are written in compound ternary form, a common form for marches. Like many other marches, it is structured with a modulation to the subdominant in the middle section called the “Trio,” and written in duple meter to match the pace of marching soldiers. However, even amidst the solemn grandeur of the military, it overflows with nobility and elegance, showcasing Granados's romanticism, who positioned himself as a “successor to Romantic music” and was called “the Spanish Schumann.”

 The piece begins brilliantly with a two-bar solo introduction by the secondo. It is marked forte with accents, much like a military band fanfare.

 From measure 3, a slow march, Lento, begins.

The single-note motif of the secondo that appeared in the introduction becomes a triad, transforming into the accompaniment figure of the main section. A series of triads can easily sound heavy, but by adding staccato, it creates a light impression.

The primo, responsible for the melody, plays a two-voice melody in thirds, with the right and left hands layered in octave unison, making for a brilliant start from the beginning. Furthermore, the rhythm is full of ingenuity, with slurs, staccatos, and syncopated accents, highlighting Granados's refined direction.

 At measure 19, the key modulates from B-flat major to F major, and a powerful ascending melody in three-octave unison appears in the secondo part. Combined with the rich sound characteristic of the bass register, it becomes a prominent part, and the secondo part, which was previously mainly an accompaniment, now takes on an important melodic role, suddenly coming into the spotlight. From the following measure 27, the melodic part shifts back to the primo, and a graceful legato melody begins to appear in octave unison.

 After returning to the opening part, from measure 75, the piece enters the middle Trio section, modulating to E-flat major, the subdominant of the main section's B-flat major. Here, a lyrical and singing beautiful melody is played by the primo. Even within the elegant atmosphere, decorations such as grace notes and 16th-note quintuplets are seen, reminiscent of the vocal ornaments in Spanish folk songs. Such melodic writing was also used in Granados's signature work, “Goyescas,” and it fully demonstrates the unique charm of Granados's music, combining his romantic and Spanish National School aspects. To preserve Granados's style, it is necessary to slightly vary the tempo where decorations occur.

 Similar to No. 1, hand crossing appears in the Trio section of No. 2. While No. 1 featured hand crossing between the primo and secondo parts, No. 2 involves the secondo's left hand crossing to play in the high register above the treble clef, creating not only a visual effect of hand crossing but also a unique timbral effect, like the sound of bells.

 At measure 91, the lyrical and romantic atmosphere suddenly shifts to a crisp, military-style music, and eight measures later, the opening part is recapitulated. From measure 117, it becomes the coda, and the piece reaches a brilliant finale with the secondo and primo interacting.