By Karen Hughes Beacom
Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Handel…these are just a few of the famous composers whose works will be heard as the Soo Theatre “Faculty Gala” concert is presented this Friday, February 21st at 7pm at Central Methodist Church in Sault Ste, Marie, MI. Instructors from the Soo Theatre will be the featured performers on this exciting night of classical music.
Sisters Kristin Beckman and Emily Beckman, award-winning competitive duo pianists who spend much time in the practice room honing their performance skills, will delight you with their performance of Maurice Ravel’s “Feria” from Rhapsodie Espagnole. On their solo instruments, Kristin will be playing the 2nd movement of Boccherini’s “Cello Concerto #9” in B flat Major and Emily will be performing a flute excerpt from the 2nd movement of Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto #1.”
I asked Kristin and Emily how much time goes into preparing, rehearsing and executing a performance like this. “It takes about three months to prepare a work such as the Ravel,” said Kristin. “We present concerts like this about twice a year.” On asking them their favorite part of the program, “On this program, our favorite work is the Bruch trio for piano, cello, and clarinet. It has a lush melodious quality that we really enjoy. Bruch is one of our favorite composers.”
Dottie Case, instructor of violin, viola and piano will be joining the Beckman sisters on the Bruch trio on clarinet. Having studied the clarinet long before she found her calling as a string player, Dottie is enjoying her time with her first instrument. “Most of my recent chamber music experience is with violin or viola, in string quartets, quintets or sextets; it has been a very long time since I’ve done any chamber music on the clarinet.”
The piece they will be performing is the Bruch “Trio for Piano, Cello and Clarinet,” Op. 83, No. 5 “Rümanische Melodie.”
As described by Case, “The piece is primarily a duet between the cello and the clarinet, with the piano providing atmosphere and mood, with a ‘gypsy’ feel to it. The piece is rich and nuanced and very emotional. Adds Case, “While I have experience in everything from solos to large orchestras, chamber music is my favorite musical medium. Chamber music is, by definition, music intended to be done in a small ‘chamber’, with one player per part. It is intimate and ‘small’, and can be breathtakingly beautiful. Each member is simultaneously both a soloist and an ensemble player, and must know what the other parts are doing at all times. The music is like a conversation that is woven in and around each instrument, with each player knowing when to push forward, and when to provide background. It truly is a medium where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
To round out the chamber music portion of the program, soprano Karen Hughes Beacom will be singing “Flammende Rose” from Nine German Songs by G.F. Handel. The piece features a lovely dialogue between flute (Emily Beckman) and voice. The piano completes this piece of chamber music and will be played by Kristin Beckman joined by Matthew Beckman on bass.
The program will be beautifully rounded out with solo performances by piano instructor Betty Struble on pipe organ in “A Festal Fanfare” from the Fourth Concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach, and violin instructor Benjamin Gulder performing “Liebesleid” and “Schön Rosemarin” by Fritz Kriesler.
This evening of chamber music is by donation. All of the performers are donating their time and talents to this evening of music. While there is no set price for admission, the group hopes to raise enough money to be able to purchase a full-sized keyboard that can be used for standard repertoire in the studios as well as to be taken to outside events such as the annual Music in the Park.
In the photo above, from left to right: Kristin Beckman, cello; Dottie Case, clarinet; Emily Beckman, piano, preparing a Bruch trio for Friday night’s gala.
A version of this article was originally published in the Soo Evening News on Sunday, February 16, 2014.
