Concert review by Silvia Thurner in the online edition of the Zeitschrift für Kultur und Gesellschaft, May 7th 2023.
Hanna Bachmann and Yunus Kaya brought an inspiring atmosphere to the Schlössle in Röthis.
Pianists Hanna Bachmann and Yunus Kaya offered the audience at the Schlösslekonzerte Röthis a refreshing and captivating evening. Their four-hand playing was marked above all by the chamber-musical qualities of attentive listening and witty dialogue. With works by Cécile Chaminade, Amy Beach, Schumann, and Dvořák, the programme traced a wide arc of atmospheres tied to the warmer seasons, radiating both southern and exotic colours while balancing tension and relaxation.
The two musicians, who have known each other since their school days and both studied with Ferenc Bognár at the Vorarlberg State Conservatory, have since embarked on successful careers. Their differing artistic temperaments gave the performance a special spark, making their shared musical shaping at the piano particularly engaging. The well-chosen repertoire suited the hall perfectly, and Hanna Bachmann’s personable introductions added to the concert’s finely nuanced atmosphere.
The evening opened with the 6 Pièces Romantiques Op. 55 by French composer Cécile Chaminade. Rich in colour and infused with varied dance rhythms, these pieces evoked the seasons, at times taking on the character of salon music. Hanna Bachmann as primo displayed a refined touch, while Yunus Kaya, as secondo, provided a warm and elegant rhythmic foundation. The melodic works shone with vibrant colours, the pieces’ different “temperatures” vividly crystallized.
Humorous miniatures followed in Amy Beach’s Summer Dreams Op. 47. The duo brought the scenes to life with imagination and charm, sketching the sounds of a summer evening: robins, katy-dids, sprites at dusk, and nocturnal moods through playful and colourful pianism.
The highlight of the evening was their interpretation of Robert Schumann’s Bilder aus Osten Op. 66. Fascinated by the exotic allure of the East, Schumann composed these pieces as vivid narratives and character sketches. Hanna Bachmann (primo) and Yunus Kaya (secondo) performed in perfect balance, with a nuanced touch. The opening was lyrical and supple, while in the second movement their parts intertwined seamlessly, unfolding sensual harmonic shadings with eloquence.
The programme concluded with Antonín Dvořák’s cycle From the Bohemian Forest Op. 68, six character pieces imbued with the colours of Czech folk music and reflecting diverse moods. Yunus Kaya, now taking over the primo, and Hanna Bachmann as the secondo, interpreted these works with vivid imagery, rhythmic drive, and melodic finesse. Particularly striking was the virtuosically shaped Walpurgis Night, where the pianists gave their all, animating the music with striking vitality.
Remarkably, the hall’s baby grand carried the music’s power even in the fortissimo passages.