Dutch Masters

My friend Jayne gave me tickets to see a concert on Sunday, February 12, at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, that was like no other concert I’ve ever attended. Superb musicianship, sensitive phrasing, soulful expression–and all without printed notes! The Jussen brothers, Lucas and Arthur, had just flown to Florida from the Netherlands the day before. I had not heard of them before; now I want to hear them again and again. This coming weekend they’ll be performing with the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Here’s the program that my friends Nick, Rosemary and I were fortunate to hear (plus we met up with Maury and Connie at intermission!):

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, KV 448 (375a) – three movements with much interplay between the pianos
• Franz Schubert, Rondo in A major for piano four hands, D 951, Opus 107 – Allegro movement (both brothers at one piano). – a joy to see how they switched pedaling duties, while maintaining rhythmic energy.
• Maurice Ravel, La Valse, Poème chorégraphique for two pianos. This piece was a raucous contrast to Mozart and Schubert and earned a spontaneous standing ovation.

Intermission

• Claude Debussy, Six Epigraphes Antiques – sketches that contrasted with classical and romantic works. Reminded me of learning about Debussy’s Impressionism at Chautauqua.
• Sergei Rachmaninoff, Suite no. 2 (1901) for two pianos, Op. 17 – lots of notes, lots of excitement!

Here is the first number, the Mozart Sonata as recorded two years ago. It seems as though all four hands are played by one person–such empathy between the brothers!

The Jussens proved such good story tellers that I found myself laughing, smiling, thinking, weeping, and constantly tapping my foot. The audience of about 300 was excellent, maintaining silence between movements, savoring final cadences, and rising spontaneously to their feet after the Ravel and Rachmaninoff works.

As an encore, Lucas and Arthur played Strausseinander, a transcription of Johann Strauss’s Fledermaus by Igor Roma. It was electrifying! Here is a recording of it after a concert they did with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, September 22, 2022.

So, do you see why I call them “Dutch Masters”? Recalling the Dutch artists I encountered last summer at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Jussens showed themselves to be true masters of the piano and astounding communicators of musical meanings.