Violinist Hannah Tarley and pianist Dan Sato met at the 2017 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition. It was there that they ran into each other three times, and since, they’ve maintained a friendship from a distance, performing works together from afar. For their House Music Series video, they present Edward Elgar’s Salut d’Amour, a sweet duet that bursts with charm.

Tarley began working with Metropolis Ensemble earlier this year, when she performed at their Ciranda concert at Le Poisson Rouge. The event bridged the traditional music of Brazil with New York’s contemporary classical scene; Tarley was enamored with the fun she had playing that concert. The House Music Series is her second collaboration with the group. For this performance, she wanted to pick a pleasant and easy-to-listen-to work that people would enjoy; Salut d’Amour was a natural choice.

Elgar wrote Salut d’Amour as an engagement present for his then-partner, Caroline Alice Roberts. While the romantic gift was given in the late 19th century, its tender sentiments still ring true today. Tarley chose the piece for its timeless intimacy—to her, the music has an elevating quality, like rays of sunshine in the morning. This was Sato’s first time learning the piece, and it took a bit of back-and-forth for the two to create the video online. They spent a great deal of time swapping solo recordings to perfectly sync each of their parts, but the result is so precise and comforting it feels as if it were being performed live. — Vanessa Ague

 
Episode: 73
Date: December 15, 2020
Artist: Hannah Tarley and Dan Sato
Instrumentation: Violin and Piano
Work: "Salut d'Amour"
Composer: Edward Elgar
 

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