Article by Silvia Thurner in the Kulturzeitschrift, December 8th 2021.
The pianist Hanna Bachmann created a virtual musical Advent calendar that delightes numerous music enthusiasts with daily surprises. Behind each calendar “door,” she places poetically interpreted piano pieces, accompanied by charmingly designed videos in which she shares engaging insights about the selected works. The wide-ranging repertoire spans over 270 years of music history and also features compositions by women.
When the Röthis-born pianist first launched her musical Advent calendar in 2020, aiming to connect with her audience from living room to living room, it was met with great interest and enthusiastic feedback. Encouraged by this response, the versatile musician decided to revive the extraordinary project.
For the 2021 Advent calendar, Hanna Bachmann planned with foresight. “The repertoire for piano is practically infinite,” she notes, emphasizing her desire to showcase this richness and, in doing so, inspire even those who may never have attended a classical concert. Alongside well-known masterpieces, she made it a priority to include rarities and works that extend the scope beyond Europe. In the twenty-four five-minute videos, she succeeds brilliantly in bringing these intentions to life. A particular joy for her is uncovering piano works by women composers. Her research even took her to archives in Luxembourg. Selecting from the abundance of fascinating material, she explained, was the real challenge — while at the same time building a valuable pool of repertoire for future projects.
A versatile musician
Specially commissioned works also fascinate the artist. Last year, she commissioned a new piano composition from the Mexican composer Hugo Padilla, and she is planning the premiere of a new work by Gerda Poppa.
Hanna Bachmann is active not only as a soloist but also in chamber music. She performs with violinist Franz-Markus Siegert and cellist Roland Lindenthal in the renowned Schwarzenberg Trio. In addition, she is in high demand as a song accompanist, working with mezzo-sopranos Elsa Janulidu and Isabel Pfefferkorn. She finds her various roles enriching:
“When I spend a period practicing only on my own, I always look forward to the exchange and musical communication with others. It is deeply inspiring and brings me great joy. Even though it means working on a large amount of repertoire simultaneously — and quite literally having my hands full — I would not want to miss any of it.”
Her wide-ranging artistry is also documented on several acclaimed CD releases: Dream with Me with Elsa Janulidu, the Schwarzenberg Trio’s album featuring works by Beethoven, Pirchner, and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, as well as two solo albums. Together, they provide an impressive portrait of Hanna Bachmann’s versatile musical endeavors.