Oriented on making people closer

On Monday, November 20, the National Music and Drama Theater of the Turkmen capital gathered lots of music lovers within its walls. The hall was full, and everyone was looking forward to the start of the long-awaited performance of the duo from Germany - pianists Marcel Dorn and Stephan Weh.

The creative union of the two virtuosos is known all over the world – the musicians have already given over a thousand concerts in more than a hundred countries around the world. "We have been in existence for 27 years, and for the whole past 27 years I have been sharing an instrument with him [Marcel Dorn]," Wei jokingly remarked during the opening of the concert.

And so, after concerts in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan in early October of this year, the famous duo came to Ashgabat at the invitation of the German Embassy.

The performance began with a short video about the birthplace of the musicians – the Bavarian town of Allgäu, accompanied by their playing. Then, throughout the evening, a variety of melodies were played: modern songs, works of world classics in a new interpretation and variations on the well-known "Happy birthday"... Well, let's learn about everything in order.

So, after a brief introduction, the duo quoted the very famous representative of classical music – Johann Sebastian Bach: "It is very easy to play any musical instrument: all that is required for this is to press the right key at the right time." Inspired by this words, the virtuosos decided to complicate their performance: a video game was projected on the screen behind them, showing when to press and release certain keys. Weh and Dorn played "It was my first love".

The next number was a surprise for the listeners. The pianists decided to "travel" around the world with the audience, playing variations of a song that everyone knows – "Happy birthday". Thus, the duo from Germany introduced listeners to a festive tune in Italian, Havana, Austrian, Chinese, Spanish, and German modes, combining a simple melody with the most recognizable works of these countries. It's wonderful that this day was a birthday for girl in the hall, and all these variations became congratulations from German maestros for her.

After that, perhaps, the most unusual part of the performance followed. For this piece, Weh and Dorn needed a drum kit. However, as Dorn noted, "it is very costly and inconvenient in terms of logistics." Despite this, recognized masters have found a way out in high technology. They connected special sticks using Bluetooth and used a "virtual" installation.

Then a "classic" pause was announced: Pianotainment masterfully performed "Summer" by Antonio Vivaldi. Well, after that, the virtuosos decided to experiment. The hall was filled with the sound of "Eurodance medley" – a work that requires a lot of attention. For a few minutes, the audience plunged into the atmosphere of fun and energy.

The penultimate number was an internationally popular hit, a recognized masterpiece in music, a rock opera written by Freddie Mercury - "Bohemian Rhapsody".

Well, to complete the concert Pianotainment reserved a kind of "challenge" – the duo performed "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov. The maestros surpassed themselves – during the performances they managed to interact with the audience and even take selfies.

After the end, the guests did not want to leave for a long time, and, according to tradition, a small "session" of photographing and networking began. Thanking the guest performers for the wonderful evening, the connoisseurs of beauty insensibly dispersed to their homes in anticipation of new musical gatherings.

Saparguly Mahtumov

Photo: author's