Amalthea Duo
Brighton Dome Studio
May 9
Klio Blonz: flute
Siobhan Swider: harp
Mozart Theme and Variations
Bizet Entr’acte from Carmen
Einaudi Le Onde
Shankar L’Aube Enchantée
Thomas Watching the Wheat
Marais La Folia d’Espagne
Chopin Theme and Variations on a Theme by Rossini
The Amalthea Duo are Klio Blonz on Flute and Siobhan Swider on Harp and between them they have an impressive pedigree of repertoire and performance experience.
It’s a charming combination of instruments; intimate and engaging but it’s clear this due are also interested in the more expressive side of their instruments sometimes to the detriment of the flow of the larger concert.
Introducing the pieces themselves with plenty of extra info was interesting, but perhaps a touch too much in such a compressed time scale, I always like to listen to musicians talking about the choices of music but my companion, already distressed by the strangeness of the Ravi Shankar got a little twitchy as the time ticked on past her lunch hour.
However their mixed choice for the music on offer was inspiring, taking us on a well-balanced and nuanced journey from the 15th century up to the modern day and swinging into traditional Welsh folk song, Portuguese dances and some exquisite refined raga’s from Ravi Shankar. The raga’s offering the audience a peep into the wonderful dextrous playing and sophisticated staccato and legato techniques of this talented duo and seeing the subtle expressiveness of the music combine with its tempo and stance was very interesting.
There was a lovely modern offering from Ludovico Einaudi, familiar to most of the audience, which lulled me (and the baby behind me) into a dozy contemplative state and some snappy Bizet played with panache and perfect tempo and ending with Chopin’s take on La Cenerentola’s scintillating rondo which seemed to please the pair of players as much as the audience.
The Amalthea Duo are part of the festival’s month long lunchtime concerts highlighting up and coming international stars of the classical music world.
To see more of this charming duo along with details of their concerts, click here:
See the full details of this performance, click here: