Parents and their children often have special relationships that demonstrate a type of closeness unlike any other. UI French horn professor Bernhard Scully is quite familiar with that concept. He and his mother, pianist Joanne Minnetti, have formed a unique musical partnership over the years.
Recently, the mother-son duo collaborated on a new CD, "Dialogues en Français" (2012). The project highlights chamber music for the French horn composed by French composers, such as Charles Gounod and Camille Saint-Saens, among others. For Scully, the CD holds special meaning, as it showcases the musical relationship between him and his mother. "It is an album to celebrate our mother-son collaboration and our love of this particular French repertoire for horn and piano," he said.
The unique musical partnership between Scully and Minnetti began many years ago. "My mother has been accompanying me, first on violin when I was little, and then eventually on horn, for 30 years," Scully said. "She used to play for all my competitions when I was young and we would often just sit down and read through music at home for hours. She is an extremely sensitive and exquisite musician and I learned a great deal about music and music making through performing with her."
Being able to collaborate with his mother on musical projects has been beneficial for Scully, because he is able to experience a closeness that, for other musicians, is sometimes difficult to achieve. "When I am playing with her, it is like we can read each other's minds," he said. "That certainly does not happen with most everyday music collaborations in my experience."
The artistic harmony that Scully experiences when playing music with his mother creates passion that is highlighted in "Dialogues en Français." Music is a powerful emotional force for Scully. "The Six Melodies by Gounod on the CD are the most enjoyable for me to play. They are conversations between the piano and horn and are heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I feel like every time we play them they truly become different pieces, because of the inherent musical flexibility and communicative qualities they embody," Scully said.
The success in collaborating with his mother has given Scully the confidence to pursue many new projects, including collaboration with UI faculty members. "I am hoping to release many more CDs, encompassing repertoire from the past and music of the present," Scully said. "I am currently working on a chamber music project that will combine a number of classic works and also an exciting new composition. The composer of the new work will produce the album and UI music faculty members will be participating."
The CD project was, for Scully, a labor of love that highlighted the passion of music. "I hope anyone who listens to the CD will be able to recognize the joy we had in making it," he said. "It was a wonderful pleasure to create this album with my mother."