Camille Pfister
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Music filled the space, showing the depth of each song, filling the audience’s heads with sound and transporting them to another world. In the intimate setting of Guerry Auditorium, audience members listened to the musical stylings of Sewanee Music faculty members Professor Andrew Uhe, Professor Mario Alejandro Torres, and Assistant University Organist, Dr. Adam Cobb.
Photo courtesy of Camille Pfister
The concert was divided into four sections, spanning an hour and a half. The first section told a story of a mystical journey, taking the audience on a trip through mountains and forests and swamps. It included five songs written by Telemann. Each song was short and sweet, filled with a lighthearted, joyful sound. Prior to a few of the songs, Professor Uhe would fill the audience in with details surrounding the story. Professors Uhe and Torres dueted with two violins for this section, working in tandem with each other to add a layer to the music.
In the second section, Professor Torres switched to a viola, creating a deeper, more soulful sound to the music. They played a collection of three Mozart songs. Each professor got a solo moment, allowing the other professor to join in, making the music swell with joy.
Following a ten minute intermission, Dr. Cobb joined the two professors, adding deep piano to their musical sound. They played a trio of songs from Bruch and each song blended together, as the artists showcased their unique talents and allowed each other to have his own moment in the spotlight.
In the final section, the performance went back to just Professors Uhe and Torres, with Torres on viola, playing four songs from Kailliwoda. Prior to the performance, Torres explained, “We consider this duet a symphony for two instruments.”
The songs showed two characters having a conversation, with each professor playing a different character, their music acting as their voices. The performance included a mixture of slow, soulful, deep music followed by an explosion of high, light, fast paced music. Watching the bows travel up and down the instruments and feeling their movements as they swayed and bounced with the music was a relaxing, rejuvenating experience.
I am not a music aficionado; I know none of the sophisticated terminology that explains why the music is what the music is. I simply close my eyes and let the music wash over me. There is something beautiful about allowing your mind to shut off and just experience the moment as it is. In our lives, with the amount of stressors surrounding us daily, we can forget how important the little things are. It can make a bad day good, a crappy week a little less awful, or just clear your mind for a little while. Whatever it does, it’s just a nice reminder to every once in a while, stop and listen to the music.