By Rosemary Phillips
After years of moving from one country to another, one city to another, piano duo Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann have settled down and bought a house in White Rock for themselves and their two babies – the Yamaha and Kawai grand pianos.
Elizabeth was encouraged by her parents to pursue music growing up in Medicine Hat, Alta. In addition to piano lessons, she also took a year of violin and guitar, played flute and had voice lessons.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in Germany, Marcel was growing up in a household filled with thousands of books.
“He knew he wanted to do something in the arts or literature, and it was when he was about 16 that he realized he wanted to study music,” Elizabeth said.
Marcel taught himself guitar, took half a year of cello and studied saxophone as his second instrument during his undergraduate music studies.
Elizabeth’s parents, of German descent, suggested she go to Hannover to study at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater.
You guessed it. That’s where Marcel and Elizabeth met.
“Marcel and I accompanied each other for concerti. I also had a trio with flute and cello and we had an opportunity to go to Greece for summer classes and to play with an orchestra. When it came time to prepare a concerto our teacher suggested Marcel and I do a double concerto. That was the first time we played together as a duo; the Bach C minor piano concerto with an orchestra – in Greece. When we got back to Germany we decided to learn the meat and potatoes of duo-piano playing. In fact, we were the first in Hannover to establish a new program of study for duo piano. We were like pioneers that way.”
During their 17 years of marriage they have moved from Germany to Montreal then back to Germany and the Solistenklassae, and Calgary, where they met Pierre Simard, artistic director for the Vancouver Island Symphony.
Elizabeth and Marcel perform with Nanaimo’s symphony Saturday (April 21) in Carnival, where they perform one of their favourites, the Concerto for Two Pianos by Francis Poulenc.
“It’s so much fun, with so much energy and rhythmic vitality – short phrases, snippets, witty. The second movement is literally a French modern day Mozart in character.”
Elizabeth and Marcel return to the stage after intermission for the imaginative and sensational Carnival of Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns.
“We have done it many times in many different ways. The music is so beautiful, the most famous piece being the beloved Swan,” she said. “Saint-Saëns is referring tongue in cheek to pianists as being like animals, in an isolated life, sitting in a cage practising alone. I think that’s why we were drawn to duo piano playing. We love being together rehearsing, and sharing those very special moments on stage.”
When not duelling on stage, the couple keeps busy with several musical projects.
“We play with orchestras, solo as a duo, and have performed chamber music with other artists. Marcel also plays jazz, improvises and composes. We have a contemporary repertoire with Lands End, a chamber ensemble in Calgary. And we have expanded our duo repertoire, with new interpretations and twists. We also play our own repertoire. I don’t compose,” laughs Elizabeth. “Marcel is the composer – I cook and clean for the composer.”
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $52; $49/seniors; $20/students. Please call 250-754-8550 or visit www.porttheatre.com.
