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HAMBURG, Germany — It’s natural to think of talent when a quartet of professional, classical musicians is involved. But humor and charm aren’t necessarily your next expectation.
Many classically trained musicians often fit the stereotype of taking their work, performances and themselves very seriously, which no one can blame them for.
It takes most musicians a lifetime of dedication and practice to make classical music their career, and audiences of classical music traditionally have had certain expectations of how they want “serious music” presented.
In the recent past, some classical musicians have broken that mold, but only after achieving a certain level of fame, like cellist Yo-Yo Ma. But now, having a little fun while aiming to reach a more varied audience is becoming more common.
Salut Salon is a quartet from Hamburg, Germany, made up of four classically trained musicians with a sense of humor. The quartet includes Angelika Bachmann (violin), Iris Siegfried (violin and vocals), Anne-Monika von Twardowski (piano) and Sonja Lena Schmid (cello).
The quartet has a showoff battle, starting with Vivaldi’s “Summer” and ending with the '50s hit “Mack the Knife.” The competition begins as a contest of skill, turns into the X Games of classical music performance with “trick” stances and ends with the women coming together to charm our socks off.
It’s an impressive performance by all, but I think the pianist wins. You can come to your own conclusions.