New Classical Tracks: Brahms & Saint-Saens for two
"Double your pleasure, double your fun." Remember that old slogan for Doublemint gum? That's what came to mind as I listened to this new recording featuring the Turkish twin sisters, Guher and Suher Pekinel. The enjoyment we get from listening to this new release is two-fold because of the amazing talent of these two pianists, and because of the repertoire they've chosen.
On this recording, Guher and Suher Pekinel perform various works for two pianos by Johannes Brahms and Camille Saint-Saens, two late-19th century composers who doubled as virtuoso pianists.
It's been said that identical twins are sometimes one soul in two bodies, and maybe that biological advantage is why these two perform together so well.
"No!" Guher and Suher shout in unison.
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"People think that because we are identical we can play together more easily, but it's actually harder," Suher adds.
Many twins want to be the same, but Guher says she and her sister have always wanted to be different. Being different is the essence of duo-playing, according to Suher. The first requirement is to breathe together and that, she says, they were born to do. But then they have to develop their own individual and separate strengths.
Unlike most duos, these two pianists study both parts of a piece. That way each can offer her own view of how those parts should be played. They may rehearse one way and then on stage they may do something completely different. Their preparation helps them stay unified in the way they make that spontaneous change.
This recording is all about amazing musical partnerships. Clara Schumann was the motivation behind the two-piano version of the waltzes by Johannes Brahms. She and Brahms performed them together on a concert tour of Vienna, Oldenburg and Bremen in 1868. These waltzes, as well as his Hungarian Dances, demonstrate the carefree, fun-loving side of Brahms.
Guher and Suher Pekinel show their playful side by taking a few liberties with the repeated sections of the music. You can really hear that in the shorter pieces, like the Hungarian Dance No. 5. For the most part the Pekinels play the music as written, with great precision and remarkable technical perfection.
Clara Schumann is also tied to the work that is the centerpiece of this recording, Brahms' Sonata in F minor for two pianos.
Brahms had a lot on his mind when he sketched this piece in 1863. He was 30 years old and struggling through personal upheaval. His father had recently abandoned his 74-year-old mother, so Brahms was doing his best to care for her, both emotionally and financially. He was also feeling some regret after breaking off his brief engagement to a beautiful young woman. During that time Brahms found comfort in his closest friend and mentor, Clara Schumann. They performed this work together shortly after he completed the score.
Brahms seems to reconcile his emotional turmoil within the movements of this sonata. After moments of deep thought and sometimes anguish, we hear bursts of intense energy, as if he's found the answer he was looking for. The Pekinels play this sonata with dramatic confidence and amazing balance. Their talent is so equally matched that it's sometimes impossible to determine who is playing which part.
One way these sisters found that sense of equilibrium was in the placement of their pianos. Rather than facing one another, they place their instruments in parallel, with the the lids open toward the audience for the best possible sound. They can't make eye contact, so they're forced to feel their way through the music.
In most of their CDs and recitals, the Pekinels stick to the standard repertoire. On this recording, however, they throw in a rarely heard sonata by Camille Saint-Saens.
Saint-Saens based his Variations on a Theme of Beethoven, Op. 35, on a minuet from Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 18. It demands a little showing off, with fast, repeated chords, swift finger work and dynamic power. It also requires a sense of warmth as the melody takes flight.
Guher and Suher Pekinel clearly love playing this dazzling piece, yet they never let their egos take over the music. Their touch is light and dynamically diverse, and they race through the notes with a delicate sense of elegance.
Although they share a studio in Zurich and both have flats in London, Guher and Suher Pekinel are seldom together except at the keyboard. That means when they do come together, they have to re-find their balance.
According to Suher, they practice eight hours on the day of a concert to get everything just so.
Guher rejects the word "perfect." She says they work hard to feel secure.
Suher disagrees; she doesn't like the word "secure." Security doesn't feed the soul, she explains -- something new is created in the music when you take risks.
I think this new recording of pieces for two pianos by Johannes Brahms and Camille Saint-Saens will give you reason to celebrate their harmony, and occasional discord.
