Bringing out a new disc always involves a flurry of activity and excitement, as we scramble to get everything ready for a big public concert at which the artist will triumphantly unveil their new album.
The big public concerts are, of course, not happening this spring, and this has challenged artists everywhere to come up with creative workarounds that allow them to connect with their listeners. Pianists Julian Perkins and Emma Abbate have come up with a solution that is especially well-suited to the intimate genre of piano four hands: they are livestreaming regular concerts from their home.
In the days before personal sound systems, piano duets were a way to bring the grandeur of the symphony or the opera into one’s own living room. Nowadays, when we experience this genre at all, the experience is inverted: professionals bring the intimacy of the piano duet into the concert hall. Here is the same duo, performing one of Weber’s duets last spring at St John’s Smith Square in London:
Thanks to Julian and Emma’s generosity in inviting listeners into their own living room, we can experience for ourselves the vital role that home music-making once played in keeping music alive. They’ve even included a triumphant unveiling of their new CD:
The official release date for the disc is 17 June, but you can buy your pre-release copies here – and invite Weber into your own home.
Wishing you happy and healthy listening!