Mark Takeshi McGregor flute & Adrian Verdejo guitar – Mar. 20th. 2019 at Barnett Hall.
Toward the Sea for alto flute and guitar (1981) – Toru Takemitsu
- The Night, ii. Moby Dick, iii. Cape Cod
Duo I (1992-93) – Ignacio Baca-Lobera
Verdigris for flute and guitar – Jocelyn Morlock
Histoire du Tango (1986) – Astor Piazzolla
- Bordel 1990, ii. Café 1930, iii Nightclub 1960, iv. Concert d’dujord’hui
This is probably one of the weirdest musical experiences that I ever had. The reason I became interested in this small concert was because of the unique composition of the instruments. A flute and a guitar. It is a peculiar pair that I have never heard of before, but that’s why I became more interested in the concert.
Two performers, Mark McGregor with flute and Adrian Verdejo with guitar briefly introduced of themselves and the program briefly beforehand. Four pieces of music were basically composed by four different composers from different countries, therefore they all had the distinct to contemporary music’s complexity and confusion as the colors of each country were smeared in the music.
First piece was “Toward the Sea for alto flute and guitar (1981)” composed by Toru Takemitsu from Japan. As soon as the music began, a very intense sound started to be played from the flute as if playing traditional Japanese music. I didn’t expect it would sound as that intense and peculiar from the flute, which always sounded mild and delicate. The accompanying guitar also made interesting sound as listening to Japanese music. The medium range from an alto flute was as if I were hypnotizing. The calm yet intense tone was like watching the cold sea. The guitar also produced a sense of water flowing down, with its calm melody playing in a fast rhythm.
The second piece “Duo I” which is composed by a Mexican musician, also featured a strong and sharp performance by the flute. It sounded like an old wooden wind instrument, not a brass instrument throughout the whole piece. The flute’s high tone of sound like fluttering a metal was unbelievable that it was from a flute. The accompanying guitar also plucked the strings fast and intense, so I couldn’t imagine it was a sound from a guitar at all if I was not watching it. The combination of the guitar and the flute were well blended together, and it was amazing that those sounded unpleasant.
Third piece “Verdigris for flue and guitar” was composed by a Canadian composer, Jocelyn Morlock. Overall atmosphere of this work was quite odd rather than sense of unpleasant or confused that I had felt in previous pieces. The performance of the flute and the accompanied guitar, which began in a calm manner, was like the overnight air when everything sank. Like a little chilly wind, the medium range of flute melody repeated its rise and fall, and the slow, neat sound of the guitar made the atmosphere even more mysterious. I wonder if it was this kind of feeling if I took a walk in the forest where moonlight is coming in at night.
The last fourth one was “Histoire du Tango” which means history of tango, composed by an Argentinian composer Piazzola. He is also very well known as a composer of Libertango, the most famous tango music. The first movement “Bordel 1900” began with light melody of flute and guitar had clearer beat and tempo compared to all the previous pieces. A guitar and a flute together created exciting melodies and rhythms. The guitar did not just stay in the role as the accompanist, but also led the melody with active performances. The second movement was “café 1930”, and this was my favorite part of this whole concert because of its lyrical and vague atmosphere. The elegant notes of flute and the low and deep notes of guitar were like reminiscent of twilight. In the third movement, “Nightclub 1960”, the mood changed slightly, starting with a quick play of a flute and a guitar. Then the tempo repeatedly became very slow for a while and then it accelerated again. The final movement “Concert d’aujourd’hui” had interesting atmosphere. It felt peculiar and odd like watching an animation Pink Panther. It seemed to be the most recent piece of the four movements, and it certainly felt like the most contemporary music. However, the last movement was so short enough to finish as soon as I got the feeling that it was a bit strange.
What I had expected of the combination of the flute and the guitar was elegant, lyrical, and calm as I have been listening in other classical works. It totally betrayed my expectation. Some of contemporary pieces had unpleasant atmosphere. But I think this was awesome musical experience that have broken my bias in music and its unlimited expression.