Michelle Schumann's hands at work
Most people think of chamber music as being staid, solemn, and proper. When Michelle Schumann is involved in anything, though, those preconceptions float away, along with the surroundings when you close your eyes. Saturday night, went with esposo to the Brahms Violin Sonatas presented by the Austin Chamber Music Center at the First Unitarian Church. Michelle Schumann is the Director of ACMC, in addition to her other work as a performer around the world and as a teacher at Mary Hardin-Baylor. I have seen her 3 times now and try not to miss a chance, because she informs the performance with her narratives about the composer and the times in which each piece was written, and enlivens the piano with her sheer physical joy.
Her research of the musicians and the society and culture they were writing and composing in is always the entry to a fuller experience, and her emotive face nodding, eyebrows raised then knitted, rocking back and forth then slyly looking over her shoulder at her playing partner to coordinate the perfect ending note all add to the feeling.
This time she played with Soovin Kim, also a performer with numerous major orchestras around the world, and the players complemented each other well. Particularly in the last piece which included a melody ‘played on the G string of the violin, and that is just as sexy as it sounds’… Mr. Kim was braced for action with his feet anchored shoulder width apart while the top half of his body swung and swooned with the powerful and evocative music.
If you want to see the last concert of the season by this group, it will be next month, April 17th again at the First Unitarian Church. Great acoustics.
Check out the program, which will include works by Amy Beach, Paul Schoenfeld, and Mark O’Connor’s 4 pieces on Johnny Cash (!) by Ms. Schumann on piano, Clancy Newman on cello and Tereza Stanislav on violin, at their website, www.austinchambermusic.org
