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Duo Enharmonics


Duo Enharmonics

Duo Enharmonics Official Website
Duo Enharmonics on YouTube


Duo Enharmonics on RNZ

The seaside community of Paekakariki has hosted many classical musicians as part of the Mulled Wine Concerts series run by Mary Gow. Over the years she has made a point of going beyond the usual classical formats to present new and interesting formats and up-coming young musicians to provide top-quality events for the discerning Kapiti concertgoer. The 2021 series is following this plan and on 30 May, the beautiful beachfront Memorial Hall in Paekakariki will feature two performers on the classical piano who will be well worth listening to.

"Duo Enharmonics" is a classical piano duo formed by Nicole Chao and Beth Chen, two Wellingtonians - who know Paekakariki well - who both studied with Professor Thomas Hecht at the New Zealand School of Music in the early 2000s. The duo was formally formed in 2011 and Beth says "It has been pure joy from Day One! The art of piano duet playing is akin to two soulmates knowing what the other is thinking as the music unfolds. Our 4 hands (and 1 foot pedal) blend to act as one, creating a synergy that brings the music alive. This form of chamber music has always fascinated us and we simply love performing together".

Many of the major composers have taken up the challenge of writing for this format. Nicole and Beth describe the concert as being titled ‘Fantasia’. "We will take our audience through a fantasy musical landscape that begins with the tranquility of Bach and Mozart, leading up to the monumental work of the Schubert Fantasy and the magnificent sound world of Rachmaninov, then peaks with the wildly imaginative and finger twisting ‘Blue Danube Fantasy’ by Strauss/Anderson."

Forget a gentle cruise down the Danube, or twirling to the tune of a gentle waltz in some crystal illuminated ballroom. This is musical theatre, the piano gets a full work-out and the performers are jumping around showing just how good four-handed music can be.


PROGRAMME

"Fantasia"

Gotteszeit ist die aller beste Zeit (God’s time is the very best time)| Bach/Kurtág 
Sonata in C, K521 | Mozart 
Fantasy in F minor | Schubert
————
Six Morceaux Op.11 | Rachmaninov 
[Barcarolle, Scherzo, Russian theme, Waltz, Romance, Slava]
Blue Danube Fantasy | Strauss/Anderson 





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