The setting was the lovely refectory, and the performers two young ladies who had performed together with other musicians but were giving their very first duo recital. These are Laura Cioffi, already doing very well at Edinburgh’s Napier University, and Clara Galea, who is soon to join her at the same university, both being beneficiaries of the Ian Tomlin Malta Scholarship Scheme.

The programme presented by this duo was well-chosen, presenting a variety of genres from Baroque to contemporary

The programme presented by this duo was well-chosen, presenting a variety of genres from Baroque to contemporary.

Flautists are certainly never at a loss to tap the almost bottomless mine of flute music from the Baroque period. They could hardly do better than to choose one of the very prolific Telemann’s works, Sonata No. 3 for two flutes and Quantz’s Sonata for two flutes.

The highly developed sense of style, clear texture, articulation and expressiveness was evident in the Telemann work with its four movements alternating in well-defined and highly contrasting slow/fast pattern. In the case of the Quantz Sonata, the atmosphere was even more playful, especially in the outer allegro and presto movements flank-ing the slightly more sedate larghetto. Perhaps an added kick was the fact that they were performing a work by a man who was also a great flautist in his own right.

Cioffi bore the brunt of the melodic line in an arrangement of the overture to Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

This was well-balanced by Galea’s handling of the often complicated accompaniment which required a great deal of concentration. Her dependable and high-ly supportive role certainly contributed to the successful outcome of the performance.

The duo ended their recital by delving into a different idiom in Regan’s Jazz Suite for two flutes.

The five well-contrasted movements began with Out of the Blue, followed by a relaxing Siesta, a Fughetta performed with a particular swing followed by Bossa Nova and terminating with On Edge, the latter with no perceived stress despite the title.