Amalthea Duo – Klio Blonz (flute) Siobhan Swider (harp)

Flute and harp make an intimate combination which was often so quiet that any ambient sound, including incidental harp noise, was distracting. There is clearly an issue with repertoire as nearly every item involved numerous variations. Recurring themes, strophic folk tunes and rondos, however well ornamented, can lose their charm. Some indication of how many variations to expect each time may have helped. These performers prefer to introduce each item, often at length and with extraneous details, which broke any flow of the concert unnecessarily. The most interesting performance was of Ravi Shankar’s ‘L’Aube Enchantée’ based on an ancient raga.

Studio Theatre, Brighton Dome, 9 May 2016

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