When siblings have a stand-off, the results will rarely take your breath away.
But watching the brilliant musical brother and sister prodigies Sergio Tiempo and Karin Lechner face-off on the piano takes music to a new level. And this utterly compelling feast for the eyes and ears is coming to Brisbane.
The passion you exude on stage when performing with each other is memorising… have you always had a similar chemistry when it has involved music?
Sergio: Growing up together as brother and sister, sharing music and all other aspects of life in a country where music making is vital, where passion for life is unwavering has definitely shaped us into the kind of piano duo that we are. Playing together is a real festivity for us and we love to share it with the audience.
Karin: The duo Lechner-Tiempo began over 30 years ago, when Sergio was a little boy. We began by playing with four hands and from the first moment we enjoyed making music together. We love each other very much as siblings and have a big complicity. We complement each other, we enrich each other... our connivance has always been there. Overall, we have immense pleasure and gratification every time we make music together.
Piano is such a wonderful instrument with so many rich sounds that are possible, but given its size, cost etc. it isn't as popular as say the guitar. The way you both play with such flair and joyful abandon, it's infectious. Do you see a movement of younger people being drawn to the piano because of this?
Sergio: Music can be delivered on any instrument, including the human voice. What matters is not the means but the music itself and more importantly, the emotional content of that music. The great thing about the piano is that it allows an enormous range of repertoire to be played on it given that it can emulate an entire orchestra. But in the end, one should play whichever instrument speaks the most to one’s soul.
Karin: We love seeing younger people at our concerts. We are happy to see such positive reactions to our programmes which include varied classical music as well as tangos. Especially in South America, I have noticed the avidity and enthusiasm from young people at our performances. Since the internet, I guess our music reaches even larger amounts of younger people. We find important, classical music to reach children and young people as much as possible all over the world.
You are headed to Australia for the first time to perform your work 'Tango Rhapsody' (original orchestrated by Federico Jusid) in Brisbane with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra… what can audiences expect from this performance?
Sergio: Our dear friend Federico Jusid gave us the invaluable gift of this wonderful piece of music. As the seasoned and extremely successful film composer that he is, he is used to writing music that supports, shades or enhances a storyline. In 'Tango Rhapsody' he turns this upside down and creates a piece of music that is enhanced or supported by a vague storyline.
It’s the perfect film composer vengeance. In doing so he came up with a fun, original and extremely infectious piece of 'music theatre' that is attractive to all audiences. Since the three of us are Argentinian, the whole thing is based on tango and its dualistic elements.
The piece’s musical thematic material gives way to a possible theatrical material that, in this case, [it] takes the shape of an encounter between a man and a woman and the inevitable complications that lead to conflict and reconciliation. The whole thing is infused with that seductive dance of pain and pleasure that is typical of tango and many romantic stories.
Karin: Audiences can expect to have great fun! This is a 'concertante/ theatrical' piece dedicated to us. You will discover as you listen and watch!
What other works will you be performing with QSO?
Sergio: On this occasion we will only be playing this piece. But I hope we can return together to play more for you.
Karin: We are coming for two performances of the 'Tango Rhapsody' with QSO. There will probably be encore surprises.
What experience do you hope people walk away with after seeing Lechner Tiempo live?
Sergio: I just hope people drop all their prejudiced expectations and just enjoy a form of expression that knows no boundaries, that is universal in its content and that speaks to our hearts and minds in the most naked fashion.
Karin: Music! For me there is no classical, rock, jazz… there is music. When it is done with commitment and sincere vulnerability it reaches you no matter what its musical language. I hope our own love and devotion for music as well as the immense fun that we have with this particular piece will be contagious.
A collaboration with an orchestra from another country… how much time will you spend with the QSO practising prior to the performance?
Sergio: As I said earlier, music has no nationality. It is a universal language that allows us to 'speak' to each other anywhere in the world. Having said that, it is obviously necessary to get to know each other so we will be rehearsing a few times before the concert. In this case we have the added challenge of coming up with appropriate staging and acting which is just enough to communicate a story but not too much that it takes away from the main character which is the music itself.
For those people who already have a subjective, and possibly negative or stereotypical viewpoint about classical music, what do you say to tempt them to join you?
Sergio: First of all, this is not really 'classical music'. Tango Rhapsody is a piece that has elements of tango and film music among others, and the whole piece is tied together through typical structural components of classical music which allows it to be relatively long (about 20 minutes) with several episodes, and yet feel like a single cohesive piece of music.
As I said earlier, for me music is music. There is good and bad music, but that has nothing to do with its genre. I myself love all forms of music and I believe that many of the stereotypes about one or another form of music are usually just the result of not having been exposed to it.
So often I get young people who come to me after a concert to tell me that it was the first time they came to a classical music concert and that they were surprised to have enjoyed it so much! What did it take? Being there! If you don’t taste it, how do you know that you are not missing out on one of the great experiences of life?
Karin: I would say to dare and come! This music is a phenomenal mix with two pianos, big orchestration (including a big percussion group) and mise en scene!
What does the piano as an instrument mean to both of you?
Sergio: For me the piano is just a means to an end. It is the voice of my imagination.
Karin: For me, piano was part of my sounds since my mother's belly. As a child, I couldn't imagine any house without a piano. I began playing piano at 4, playing it as I played with toys, in a natural way, thanks to our mother's pedagogic intelligence and wisdom. The advantage with the piano is, it immediately produces sounds. It is accessible from the beginning.
Can we expect more Australian visits from Lechner Tiempo in the future?
Sergio: There is nothing planned for the time being, but I certainly hope so!
Karin: I hope to come back to Australia with my brother soon!
Have you been working on any original, new material?
Sergio: We always have something on the backburner… but we like to keep it a surprise.
Karin: We have played many different pieces and compositions over the years. We are 'cooking' some transcriptions and other works we love and haven't yet played.
The rest of 2017 for you guys; what do you have planned?
Sergio: Karin and I have very active solo careers. In fact, most of our activity is as soloists. This means that most of the rest of this year does not include duo concerts unfortunately. But a number of very exciting projects are in view. I have a new CD coming out in September, concerts in South America, Europe, USA and Asia, including performances with my dear friend Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
Karin: September and October I have tours with my trio (Trio Carlo van Neste) We will be playing Arensky and Mendelssohn trios in recital and touring in Germany with Beethoven's Triple Concerto ( piano, violin and violoncello ) with orchestra. Projects for 2017-18 include acting and playing piano in 'Autumn Sonata' by Ingmar Bergman.
Duo Lechner-Tiempo join Queensland Symphony Orchestra at QPAC Concert Hall (Brisbane) 5 August.
