Pastel-like musical colours
Ensemble shows its technical ability in a showcase of French music
Concert
A Tribute to French Composers
Manoel Theatre
The Manoel Theatre, in collaboration with the French Embassy and the Alliance Française de Malte presented a concert of French music by Des Equilibres ensemble.
...the listener could even form a mental picture of the music being played- André Paul Huber
The ensemble is made up of a duo of virtuosi, violinist Agnès Pyka and pianist Bruno Robilliard, both professors of music in French conservatoires.
Both have performed with prestigious orchestras around the world.
Works by four of the most renowned French composers: Massnet, Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc made up a very balanced evening’s programme.
Favourites such as the Meditation de Thaïs by Massenet and L’Isle Joyeuse by Debussy were played alongside showpieces of sheer technical and musical mastery, namely the Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L 140 by Debussy and the Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Opus 119 by Poulenc.
In these sonatas both composers intentionally searched for more intense and elaborate musical expression which demands superfine skills from the performers.
A delicate, velvety sound characterised the Meditation de Thaïs. Worthy of mention are the great skills displayed by Mr Robilliard as accompanist by giving room for Ms Pyka to express the beautiful melodies, allowing her to make liberal use of rubati to emphasise the intense emotions of the music.
Yet again L’Isle Joyeuse proved to be a showpiece for the qualities of Mr Robbilliard who managed to make formidable use of the extensive spectrum of colours the pianoforte could provide.
Each and every note was marvellously articulated, allowing the individual strata making up the architecture of the work to be clearly distinguishable without in any way sacrificing unity.
In this way the listener could even form a mental picture of the music being played.
Debussy’s last work is frought with a melancholic atmosphere which Ms Pyka’s violin brought out with great effect.
The composition makes wide use of rhythmic and harmonic ambiguity which evolve from a nostalgic beginning and develop constantly, keeping the listener wondering how the work would unfold.
Overwhelmed by emotion the French duo performed this delicate yet powerful work in exceptional manner, giving room for violinist Ms Pyka to exhibit her formidable and versatile bowing technique.
The second part of the programme started off with Ravel’s Jeux d’eau for solo piano which the composer dedicated to his teacher Gabriel Faure.
While the intensity of the music never flailed neither in rhythm nor in volume, Mr Robilliard managed to offer the audience with climaxes evocative of sudden splashes from a fountain.
Yet the performance always maintained its intrinsic delicacy and elegance.
Poulenc’s Sonata was dedicated to Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca.
The music in the last movement, from which it takes the name of Presto tragico, clearly evokes the moment in which the poet was killed.
This energetic work was the cherry on the cake to conclude the evening in style, bringing yet again to the fore the sheer technical ability and musicality of this fine duo.
The performers kept a good balance throughout, beautifully expressing the pastel-like musical colours characteristic of the French tradition to end a pleasant evening in the company of French music and musicians... Chapeau!