Davide Formisano, flute and Phillip Moll, piano
Portrait
© 2015 Deutsche
Grammophon
Italian flutist Davide Formisano’s latest collaboration with
renowned pianist Phillip Moll, Portrait,
is painted with very traditional strokes, indeed. But it is nevertheless a
wonderful record of the flute’s history as a soloistic instrument.
The repertoire on Portrait
is probably already all in your library: Taffanel’s Mignon Fantasie, Roussel’s Joueurs
de Flûte, Gaubert’s Nocturne et
Allegro Scherzando, Dutilleux Sonatine,
La Merle Noir by Messiaen, and even
the Romance by Saint-Saëns makes an
appearance. Karl Lenski’s arrangement of Prélude
à l’apres-midi d’un faun showcases some subtle variations to the way we
often hear the piece, and Formisano’s own transcription of a Carmen fantasie by Pablo de Sarasate is
a clever little surprise at the end. The entire album is like a
Romantic-lover’s candy shop—all of your favorites are here, and they are all
beautifully rendered.
And now here is my real point: after letting out a little
sigh of boredom upon reading the playlist, I was utterly entranced from the
first to the last note of this album. Formisano swoons and sways just the right
amount—so much you begin to wonder what is coming next in Mignon, but much more introspectively in Debussy. His colors change
with every need, from brilliant to cool and shimmering. His technique is, of
course, impeccable—that’s the easiest thing to accomplish on a recording. But
more impressively, each note has a place and a function, making every single
phrase meaningful in every single piece. He and Moll move at all times as such
as tight team, it is as if they share one musical brain. New colors are brought
to life in the piano parts, particularly in Roussel and Debussy. Portrait is elegant music making at its
best, and it could make a believer of even the most jaded new music aficionado.
Nicole Riner ©2016
Comments
Post a Comment