Melodious dog joins star pianist Angela Hewitt in a howling Brahms duet
4 March 2024, 16:19
A melodic dog joined Angela Hewitt’s piano rehearsal in a howling Brahms duet.
Star Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt was joined in an unexpected duet, while rehearsing Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.1 ahead of a concert in March.
As she made her way through the pulsating opening bars of the concerto, her friend’s dog Sani lay peacefully by the pedals. But as the music grew in intensity around 30 seconds into the solo piano line, Sani decided it was time to join in.
Raising her voice to match the piano’s swelling phrases, Sani sang out an almost pitch-perfect countermelody of her own.
The following day, Hewitt played the second movement of the Brahms concerto. In an “especially nice” moment, Hewitt said, Sani joined her once more below the piano. She chose not to join in this time, instead just enjoying the music.
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Sani update: I arrived today & within a minute of getting my coat off, she was lying next to the pedals of the piano, tail wagging & hitting the floor, waiting for the music. She seems to start howling when the music is high up and loud. The slow mvt of Brahms kept her at peace. pic.twitter.com/kBDNhPZH1l
— Angela Hewitt (@HewittJSB) February 25, 2024
“I don’t own a dog myself, but it’s always great to see (and hear!) their reaction to music,” Hewitt told Classic FM. “I think they must really feel the vibrations coming from the underneath of the piano when they lie there.
“She also made a point of really lying on my right foot on the pedal – perhaps wanting to feel that as well.”
Hewitt said she also played the slow second movement of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major for Sani: “She started singing at the big climax, just before the English horn solo – when it goes high and loud. That was what seemed to set her off.”
The dynamic duo have since had to go their separate ways, as Hewitt continues on a series of recitals throughout Europe and Sani remains at her Helsinki home, but we look forward to any piano-pup duets the future may hold.