Pour les Pianistes Débutants

Dubois favored bitonality and frequently used it in his own compositions. This is natural for a student of Milhaud, a master of polytonality, and influences from Prokofiev and Poulenc are also sometimes noted.

This work is designated "for beginner pianists" (Pour les Pianistes Débutants), and it features each hand playing in a different key with simple movements. It consists of three short pieces, each one page long:

• No. 1 "Allegro" (4/4 time)
• No. 2 "Valse" (3/4 time)
• No. 3 "Marche rapide" (2/4 time)

All pieces have a sharp sound. While the number of notes is small, comparable to Beyer, both hands move in unconventional combinations, and unfamiliar sounds emerge for the ears of early learners. Consequently, beginners will likely play with some trepidation at first. The cover, adorned with humorous hand-drawn illustrations by the composer (P. M. D.), conveys the desire for learners to "enjoy dissonance casually from an early stage."