Widely regarded as the greatest masterpiece of the repertoire , written in the final year of his life and dedicated to a former pupil he loved.
Before recordings existed, piano duets were the only way for the average person to hear massive orchestral works like Beethoven’s symphonies at home.
In the 1800s, playing four-hands was one of the few socially acceptable ways for a young man and woman to be physically close in a private, domestic setting.