The Elysium Ensemble: Greg Dikmans (flutes) and Lucinda Moon (violin)
Refinement and exquisite musical dialogue were certainly the order of the day as Greg Dikmans and Lucinda Moon presented a program of duets and two solo works. Both performers engaged the audience with spoken introductions and explained interesting points about both the music and the period instruments being used.
The combination of flute and violin allowed for a clear hearing of the musical parts; an ideal contrast of tone yet still complimentary. Greg explained that this was a combination of instruments that the composer Quantz (1697-1773) considered ideal. These performers are obviously used to playing with each other as the ensemble playing was first rate. Imitation between the musical parts was crystal clear, subtle articulations were matched and the balance between the two instruments was maintained throughout. The repertoire included French baroque with Jacques Hotteterre and Joseph Boismortier, and moved forward chronologically with pieces by Johann Joachim Quantz, Georg Philipp Telemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
Those interested in the evolution of musical instruments would have found the concert fascinating. Greg used three different flutes in the concert, each a copy of a historical instrument. Each flute played at a different pitch but also produced a different tone quality. Lucinda skilfully retuned her violin (an Italian instrument c1700) and as she demonstrated and explained, this change of pitch had a clearly audible effect on the tone quality of her instrument. The result of this attention to detail was that in each piece the music was able to speak. The conversation between the two musicians was indeed both artful and elegant.
The Elysium Ensemble’s latest CD Sei Duetti by Johann Joachim Quantz is now available on Resonus Classics.
