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Bergmann Piano Duo has audience ‘swinging in seats’

Linda Brumagin
Concert Notes

The final concert of the 10th anniversary season ended a spectacular year for the Grand County Concert Series with the Bergmann Piano Duo delighting the audience with a program of classical masterpieces and jazz arrangements. The duo, which began the series ten years ago, started the program with Franz Schubert’s lyric Rondo for piano duet. Their perfect balance made the beautiful melodies of the Rondo sing.

They moved to two pianos for the Suite from The Cardinal written by Jerome Moross for the movie The Cardinal. The 1963 American drama film was produced and directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. This was a world premiere arrangement for two pianos by Marcel Bergmann.

The exciting La Valse by Maurice Ravel ended the first half of the concert. Influenced by the post World War I era, Ravel captured the mystery of the demise of Imperialism, with the brooding theme at the beginning building to a clashing finale, played expertly by the Bergmanns. The duo has the ability to make two pianos sound as one grand orchestra. The communication between the two is electric, and Marcel’s intensity and enthusiasm beautifully complements the grace and beauty of Elizabeth.



The second half of the program included Marcel Bergmann’s Fantasy on Themes from Rossini’s La Cenerentola, a work commissioned by the San Francisco Music Festival. Marcel brought his jazzy rhythms and modern style to his own work, as well as to the two piano arrangements of Corea’s Native Sense, Metheny’s Hermitage and Gismonti’s Infancia, classics which completed the program and had the audience literally swinging in their seats.

The applause exploded into a standing ovation for the ever-popular duo, who graciously responded with an encore. It was actually the second standing ovation of the evening, the first being for Joyce Engel, the founder and president emeritus of the Grand County Concert Series. Judy Smith, board president, remarked, “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard a standing ovation before the concert started.”



The 2014 season’s lineup for the series includes pianist Tao Lin and violinist Tomas Cotik, The Red Priest (Baroque quartet), Cavatina Duo (flute and guitar), Carpe Diem with saxophonist Federico Mondelci, the Ivy Street Ensemble, and the Boulder Brass. Ticket prices remain the same, $90 for all six concerts, including the wine and cheese receptions that follow. Go to http://www.Grand-CountyConcertSeries.org for more information.


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