A highly successful evening - review

It had been some time since I heard this duo in action. Although with any live performance nothing is to be taken for granted, there are certain musicians whose names are enough to make one go to listen to them. It is the case with the above. They called their presentation "Threads of time" because they took the audience along a musical journey which spanned almost three centuries. This was as smooth a transition of style and idiom as one could wish for. Ms Spiteri spiced it all with a few comments which in her usual congenial style managed to say a lot in a few words.

The first piece was by baroque composer Giuseppe Tartini, best known for his notorious sonata Il trillo del diavolo. This time it was a Tartini in a different and far from devilish mood. Indeed a rather poignant air hangs over his Sonata in G minor dubbed La donna abbandonata. In the opening affettuoso the violin's warm tone conveyed that sense of sympathetic resignation without being unduly sugary. The presto seems almost as if there is a wish to make a complete break whereas the concluding moderato brings along that certain feeling of acceptance by the person who inspired this piece. With Mozart's Sonata in E minor, K. 304, in the opening allegro there is an almost rebellious ranting against bad luck on the battlefield of love. Both instruments had their own say along practically equal lines. The lesser intensity of the second movement (tempo di menuetto) projected well a calmer and more resigned state of mind. In the pastiche by Kreisler which he pretended to attribute to Pugnani, there was plenty of scope for the violin to show off a sort of neo-baroque technique within a highly Romantic structure. It was carried off well.

Delving further into 20th century music, the six very brief Rumanian Folk Dances by Bartok provided an opportunity for colourful sounds and complex rhythms which had both performers on their toes and providing the wished for results. A certain interest in music which hovers close to the edge of the classical resulted in the performance of two movements from John William's music written for the soundtrack of Schindler's List. The immensely moving and poignant main theme soared beautifully while the more rhythmic The Jewish Ghetto with its colourful Yiddish influences came in pretty sharp contrast. Just like the last item on the programme which went back earlier in the century, to 1904 when Monti wrote his famous Csárdás. Always with the steady support of the piano, the violin went off on an exercise of sheer virtuosity. A highly successful one too.

• Barocco Cultural Events are taking a break until the next presentation, which will be on August 29, same time (8.30 p.m.), same place. Further information may be obtained from Miriam Agius on 2168 0952 or 7968 0952.