Brodmann & Kutrowatz

Brodmann & Kutrowatz at the Austrian Embassy Washington D.C.

To many ears, it was perfect. If there was an errant key played, who heard it? Or them?

From beginning to end, the brothers Kutrowatz practically hypnotized the almost "sold-out" audience at the Embassy of Austria with their passionate piano performances which they played with the fury of discarded lovers.
With the most vigor ever witnessed of a pianist at the bench, Eduard almost flew off his pedestal several times.
The photos show Johannes in a constant smile as if he were going to break out in giggles, and it was quite obvious from beginning to end, that these siblings love their art and performing together.
It was, understandably, a mostly music night of Austrian composers, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) (Symphonic Poem Tasso, Symphonic Poem Mazeppa, and Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2) and Roland Batik (b. 1951) (New Impressions, a short piece of contemporary jazz sounds).

Flash is required!

U.S. Naval Academy - Piano Duo Kutrowatz -Escualo

For the pleasure of Americans in the audience, the brothers played Variation on I Got Rhythm Symphonic Composition by George Gershwin (1898-1937), and, for an encore, a portion of Take 5 by Dave Brubeck (b.1920).

Hymn to a Great City (New York) by Arvo Part (b.1935) was an odd title, it seemed to me, since the tempo and quiet notes reflected a subdued place, a city landscape void of people, and nothing like New York City, but something more akin to Omaha, Nebraska at dawn. Perhaps, somewhere, New York City is quiet at dawn.

Before the concert, staff members at the Austrian Cultural Forum profusely thanked Brodmann (founded in 1796 and based in Vienna) for loan of the grand pianos, held up by agents at U.S. Customs for an unusually long time, more than a day. Their delivery to the embassy only four hours before the concert began, caused the staff to, as they say down South, "sweat bullets."

Perhaps the customs agents suspected hidden valuables inside the keys, and there were! All sparkling treasures revealed when the pianists touched and brought the keys to life with gorgeous renditions.

Thank you, Austrian Cultural Forum, Brodmann, and Renate Kramer-Preisenhammer, the brothers' piano teacher who suggested they make merry music together.
Coming up at the Austrian Cultural Forum:
Mathias Hausmann and Craig Rutenberg at the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center, 7:30 p.m., October 12
"Is Mahler Still Alive?" with Ted Libbey, Embassy of Austria, 7:30 p.m., October 13

Kids Euro Festival movies, Embassy of Austria, 10:30 a.m., October 18 and October 20

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Brodmann & Kutrowatz at the Austrian Embassy Washington D.C.

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