the SOUND and the FURY

Dear Listeners,
 
The most compelling aspect of being in a chamber duo is the relationships formed between musicians. The Shea-Kim Duo has been together for more than 10 years. This recording, The Sound and the Fury, is a reflection of our personalities and character through the great works of a selection of composers. Between the deep, majestic fjords of Edvard Grieg, the emotional turbulence of Leos Janacek, and the joy and love of Antonin Dvorak, we found a program that reflects the full spectrum we see in ourselves, and our stories. We hope this recording allows you a small moment of the sublime, through the power of these immortal works.
 
The composers featured are larger than life, but the pieces they wrote for piano and violin offer a different view of their musical soul. While the experience of listening to Dvorak’s symphonies, Janacek’s operas, or Grieg’s concertos is awe inspiring, the chamber works of these great artists are no less intense and meaningful. These piano and violin arrangements are best shared in salons and spaces dense with eager listeners; a perfect analogy for this intimate music.
 
It took time to decide on what to include on our inaugural studio album. Planning a recording is a lot like planning repertoire for a season. Our first recording was from a live concert, and featured an array of music. We wanted to give the audience a broad and eclectic view of classical music’s many periods and sub-genres. The feeling between these albums is akin to the difference between Nirvana Unplugged in New York versus the band's breakout album Nevermind. The live recording is raw and unpredictable, and somewhat outside the canon of the artist's main recorded offerings. The studio albums are chapters of a book making up a musical life, live recordings are vignettes from the same world but somehow apart.
 
An album is a roadmap showing where we are now, and where we want to be in the future. We want to have a well balanced program that shows our personality as musicians and an ensemble. The program should have a theme that guides the listener. There should be plenty of contrast, whether it be time period, pacing, or even differing genres. And most importantly, it should be populated with compelling works, full of meaning and substance. No matter how old or new the music is, it should feel fresh and vibrant.
 
We decided to record works we felt captured the personalities and color of our duo. The pieces are high energy and intense. The works are connected by this energy, what we thought of when we named our album The Sound and the Fury. The love, the beauty, the intimate moments, the rage, all share an intensity that we feel in our own story-telling. In the end we chose pieces that encapsulate the spectrum of human emotions.
 
Musically yours,
 
Brendan and Yerin