Why I Love Amanda Maier, and Why You Will Too

The third piece of Amanda Maier's Six Pieces for Violin and Piano is short, rich, simple, and complicated. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I know. You can listen to a recording of it from last night's concert here. (If you would like to hear more from last night's concert, send me an e-mail, and I'll send more links to you.)

Maier studied in Leipzig during the time when Bach's music was first becoming available to musicians. You will certainly hear a Bachian element here, but notice that it also recalls something in Schumann's most lovely song "Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen" from the Dichterliebe. Maier's mixes her Bachian-Schumanesque gem with some characteristic hemiolas here and there.

Here's the music for the Maier:



Here's the Schumann that seems to lurk in the piece's shadow:



You can listen to a wonderful recording of this song by Yves Saelens and Inge Spinette here.