Music in Motion
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Sonata No 2 op.94 (1942-1944)
[22:37]; Rob DU BOIS (b.1934) Bewingingen (Movements) (1961)
[7:04]; Otar TAKTAKISHVILI (1924-1989) Sonata (1968) [16:57];
Robert ZUIDAM (b.1964) Four Movements (2007) [9:44]; Sofia
GUBAIDULINA (b.1931) Sounds of the Forest (1978) [3:03], Allegro
Rustico (1963/1993) [5:19]; Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Vocalise,
op. 34. No. 14 (1912) [4:25]
Abbie de Quant (flute); Elizabeth van Malde (piano)
rec. 22-25 September 2008. DDD
FINELINE CLASSICAL FL72413 [69:36]
This flute recital disc combines repertoire from Russia, Georgia and the Netherlands.
It includes some standard repertoire pieces, such as the Sonatas by Prokofiev
and Taktakishvili, with some less well known twentieth and twenty-first century
works.
Prokofiev’s Sonata also exists in a version for violin but was originally
composed for Jean-Pierre Rampal in the mid-1940s. This recording is expressive,
with the first movement played in a lyrical manner, and the performance is
overall somewhat less aggressive that it is often heard. Dutch flute player
Abbie de Quant has a sound which is bright and smooth, and well balanced by
Elizabeth van Malde on piano. The fast-paced second movement is light and
sparkling and full of character, always in control but retaining a sense of
drama. This duo does not wallow in the slow movement, taking a fluid tempo
and allowing the simplicity of Prokofiev’s expressive melodic lines to come
through effectively. The fiery final movement brings out contrasting moods
well, from the expressive moments to the wonderfully grotesque dances and
crashingly dramatic end. This is an exhilarating performance, which gives
a strong sense of these performers’ identities combined with a faithfulness
to the score.
Rob Du Bois’s Bewingingen reminded me in style of Boulez’s Sonatine,
and uses serial techniques in six short fragments. A sense of conversation
between flute and piano emerges and there is a sense of drama and contrast
in the music. The opening features bright bursts of sound, and the music gradually
calms to include some moments of still contemplation. There is a delicacy
in the playing here, and the silences are as important as the sounds themselves.
The Sonata by Georgian composer Otar Taktakishvili is lyrical, harmonically
uncomplicated and based on folk themes. Once again, de Quant and van Malde
bring out the lightness of the style, and the first movement is beautifully
presented. The slow movement has moments of breathtaking expression, with
some well controlled quiet playing from both these musicians. The final movement
is bright with folk rhythms giving something of a celebratory feel.
Four Movements by Robert Zuidam were composed in 2007 and commissioned
by the duo that plays it here. Each of the movements shows a different aspect
of the duo, beginning with expressive melodic lines and moving to more fluid,
faster music in the second movement. In the third movement, we hear the two
instruments off-set against each other, with a close reflection of the flute’s
sound in the piano. The final movement has the mood of a fantasy, with florid
flute lines decorating the piano’s harmony.
Two pieces by Sofia Gubaildulina are heard here; Sounds of the Forest
includes representation of birdsong in an atmospheric short work. The Allegro
Rustico uses folk-based material and has a dark, marching feel. Both works
are played here with a sense of imagination and poise. The disc ends with
a beautiful rendition of Rachmaninov’s Vocalise, which seems to sum
up the music-making of this duo; one has a sense with their playing that the
expression of the music is of paramount importance, and this uncomplicated
performance gets straight to the emotional essence of the composer’s writing.
This is a versatile duo who works well together to create a unified and well
balanced sound. They are convincing with contemporary repertoire and perform
standard works with a sense of musicianship and expression.
Carla Rees