Concerto Discreto | Deutsche Welle Folgen

Israelis Shirley Brill and Jonathen Aner merge their talents as clarinetist and pianist, respectively, in their dynamic "Duo Brillaner."At 13 years of age, Jonathan Aner heard Sharon Kam playing the clarinet and immediately fell in love with the sound - so much so, that he wanted give up playing the piano for the clarinet. Fortunately, he didn't do that, but he did encounter another clarinetist some years later: Shirley Brill. The two Israelis ended up becoming a couple, both on and off stage - dubbing themselves "Duo Brillaner" in 1999. Brill studied at the Jerusalem Music Center, while Aner attended the University of Music and Drama in Hanover, Germany. Brill continued her training at the University of Music in Luebeck, Germany, as well as at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Fans of the Concerto Discreto series could enjoy the duo's harmonious interaction at a concert on February 1, 2010, in which they played a wide variety from the clarinet repertoire - from Carl Maria von Weber's virtuoso "Grand duo" for clarinet and piano to composer and clarinetist Joerg Widmann's "Fantasy." Widmann himself was slated to be the performer and composer of the evening, but his last-minute cancellation turned out to be a stroke of luck for the audience, who could appreciate the "blind date" with the two Berlin-based musicians - the Duo Brillaner. PROGRAM Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Sonata for clarinet and piano -Allegro Tristamente -Romanza -Finale: Allegro con fuoco Philippe Gaubert (1879-1941) Fantasy for clarinet and piano Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) Grand Duo Concertant in E-flat Major, op. 48, J 204 -Allegro con fuoco -Andante con moto -Rondo-Allegro Joerg Widmann (1973-) Fantasy for clarinet Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, op. 120 -Allegro appassionato -Andante un poco adagio -Allegretto grazioso -Vivace Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) Arabesque for clarinet and piano (encore) Performed by Shirley Brill (clarinet) and Jonathan Aner (piano) on February 1, 2010 at the Arithmeum in Bonn as part of the Concerto Discreto series, sponsored and recorded by Deutsche Welle.

Singer Morgan Crowley and pianist and composer Alexander Bermange performed at this special concert entitled "Christmas on Broadway."Morgan Crowley comes from an Irish-American family of artists. A graduate of the Dublin College of Music, he's at home both on the opera stage and in musicals. In December 2009 he was a welcome guest of Deutsche Welle in its concert series in Bonn for the second time, appearing again with Alexander Bermange, his friend and collaborator. Bermange is a promising young musical composer, and in combination with Crowley, more than just a piano accompanist. PROGRAM John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) Lullay, thou tiny little child anon. Greensleeves Kurt Weill (1900-1950) This is New Jerome Kern (1885-1945) The Way You Look Tonight Frank Loesser (1910-1969) Luck Be A Lady Tonight Alexander S. Bermange (1976-) Easy as A.P.C. Alexander S. Bermange (1976-) Praying for You Marvin Hamlisch (1944-) Let There be Time Benny Andersson (1946-) / Björn Ulvaeus (1945-) Our Last Summer Joseph Kosma (1905-1969) Les feuilles mortes Irving Berlin (1888-1989) White Christmas Morgan Crowley The Wonder of Christmas Chopin/O'kun/Crowley Minute Waltz George Gershwin (1898-1937) By Strauss Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) My Funny Valentine Marguerite Monnot (1903-1961) If You Love Me, Really Love Me Mel Torme (1925-1999) The Christmas Song Stephen Sondheim (1930-) Losing My Mind Henry Mancini (1924-1994) Moon River Hugh Martin (1914-) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Somewhere, from West Side Story Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863) Silent Night, Holy Night Performed by Morgan Crowley (tenor) and Alexander Bermange (piano) on December 14, 2009, as part of the Concerto Discreto series, sponsored and recorded by Deutsche Welle.

"The world will surely hear about him…," wrote one enthusiastic critic about Serge Zimmermann from Cologne, Germany. The quote became the title of this Concerto Discreto concert.Born in Cologne in 1991, Zimmermann comes from a family of musicians. His father is the renowned violinist Frank-Peter Zimmermann, and his mother began to teach him the violin when he was five years old. In 2000, he gave his orchestral debut with a Mozart violin concerto. Five years later, he played his first recital in the German city of Essen; his interpretation of the Bruch Violin Concerto in 2006 garnered him enthusiastic press reviews. One raved, "…even the orchestra joined in the audience's rejoicing." PROGRAM Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Sonata in A Minor for violin and piano, D. 385 Anton Webern (1883–1945) Four Pieces for violin and piano, op. 7 Robert Schumann (1810–1856) Sonata No. 1 in A Minor for violin and piano, op. 105 Cesar Franck (1822–1890) Sonata in A Major for violin and piano Pablo de Sarasate (1844–1908) Zapateado in A Major for violin and piano (encore) Performed by Serge Zimmermann (violin) and Nicholas Rimmer (piano) at the Arithmeum in Bonn on November 23, 2009 as part of the Concerto Discreto concert series, sponsored and recorded by Deutsche Welle.