June 15, 2020 — One half of Croatia’s most popular orchestral stringed-instrument duo held another concert, practicing extreme social distancing in a serene Croatian location.
Stjepan Hauser released his second “Alone, Together” video, this time filmed in Krka National Park. The 22-minute concert streamed on YouTube on June 15, garnering almost 100,000 views in its first hour. It features the cellist sitting on a rickety wooden chair familiar to many Croatian kitchens, keeping way more than two meters distance from the nearest person as he floats in the middle of a lake in Krka National Park. You can see his performance in the video below.
“After completing the ‘Alone, Together’ performance at the Arena Pula it occurred to me that with such beautiful locations nearby there is a fantastic opportunity to play my favorite repertoire in these extraordinary settings,” Hauser said in a press release. “Not just one but a whole series of unique performances! It means so much to me to be able to connect with so many of you; even though I may be playing alone, we can still share that experience together. And the Krka waterfalls performance has a special significance for me as this one will go out on my birthday!”
The cellist released a similar concert video in April, at the height of the solo or Zoom concert wave that coincided with the coronavirus outbreak. His set in Pula’s Arena has 1.6 million views so far and counting.
Hauser was part of the famous 2Cellos duo, which garnered critical and popular acclaim until it went on hiatus in 2018. The duo, Hauser and Luka Sulic, became famous for their covers of Top 40 pop music hits. Yet it was clear Hauser and Sulic chafed at becoming a novelty act.
Hauser’s solo career has seen him shift over to reinterpretations of classical music staples, putting the cello at the center in his most recent solo album, Classic.
