Dark Familiar (After Brahms)
Vanessa Lann
Vanessa Lann's Dark Familiar (After Brahms) for two piano duos, inspired by Brahms’s melancholic late works and Wallace Stevens’ poem, explores the depths of Brahms's emotional world through innovative “quatres mains” technique. Performed by Doelen Ensemble at the Altstadt Theater in Rotterdam in 2022, this piece delves into the dark side of Brahms’s life and music, stretching the boundaries of the piano duo form.
Dark Familiar (After Brahms), composed by Vanessa Lann in 2020, is a profound two-piano duo work inspired by the late compositions and the personal life of Johannes Brahms. Brahms, a celebrated figure in Vienna's high society, led a life filled with failed romantic relationships, which are reflected in his late piano works. These pieces, described by Brahms as “lullabies for my sorrows,” reveal a side of Brahms marked by melancholic introspection.Lann’s piece explores these themes through a 35-minute composition for two piano duos. The work combines Brahms’s late piano works with Wallace Stevens’ poem “Anglais mort à Florence”, weaving Brahms’s deeply emotional music with Lann’s own commentary. The use of the "quatres mains" (four hands) technique pushes the limits of the piano duo form, providing a unique and intricate exploration of Brahms's musical world.The performance of Dark Familiar (After Brahms) was presented by the Doelen Ensemble (featuring Maarten van Veen, Ralph van Raat, Kamelia Miladinova, and Heather Pinkham) at the Altstadt Theater in Rotterdam in 2022, as part of the Dutch Composers NOW series. This performance was supported by the BUMA Investeringsfonds Muziek 2.Program:Vanessa Lann - Dark Familiar (After Brahms)Doelen Ensemble:Maarten van Veen - pianoRalph van Raat - pianoKamelia Miladinova - pianoHeather Pinkham - piano
