What an unexpected gem of a flute & harp recital! The theme is adventuresome and provides sufficient variety in the program as the two skilled players explore some of the treasures of music either composed by Asian musicians or by Russian or European composers in tribute to Asian musical cultures. The first plus the final two of the 16 tracks are from Du Ming Xin, head of composition at the National Conservatory of Beijing, China. One of his pieces mixes both French flute music and Chinese folksong.
Several other selections use melodies from different Asian folk cultures. Khachaturian uses Armenia music in his Toccata, and Gretchaninoff presents folk music from Bashkiria in his Fantasy.This CD was recorded in Tel Aviv, and Yoav Talmi’s contribution is a three-movement Suite on Israeli Folk Songs. In keeping with the more relaxed time concept of East Indian music, Ravi Shankar’s “Enchanting Morning” is the longest work on the CD. The influence of Indian ragas is heard in Roussel’s “Krishna,” and to my ears the loveliest work on the disc was one usually heard on flute and koto – The Sea in Spring, by Miyagi. The small French label Skarbo specializes in slightly off-the-beaten-track CDs, and this one gets a high recommendation.
– John Sunier
