Evergreen Crossings, South Windsor, CT
October 27, 2024
by Michael J. Moran
When flutist Anthony Trionfo asked his South Windsor audience how many had never attended a flute recital before, quite a few hands went up, including this reviewer’s. By the end of his triumphant debut here with Spanish/Dutch pianist Albert Cano Smith, the charismatic American musician had likely persuaded many concertgoers to attend more of them in the future.
Trionfo & Smit |
The duo continued with a performance of Francis Poulenc’s popular 1957 Sonata for Flute and Piano that vividly captured what Trionfo called its “quirkiness” in a brooding “Allegretto malincolico,” a tender “Cantilena: Assez Lent,” and a rollicking “Presto giocoso.” In their bubbly rendition of the Waltz from Benjamin Godard’s 1889 Suite of Three Pieces, Trionfo’s ebullient motions made him look like a pied piper leading this “fun dance” across the stage.
A reduction for flute and piano of the last three movements from Bach’s 1731 orchestral Suite in B minor featured a touching “Polonaise,” a stately “Menuet,” and an electrifyingly fast “Badinerie.” An arrangement for flute and piano of Bela Bartok’s 1918 piano suite of “Hungarian Peasant Songs” offered sharp contrast, with its shifting folk-dance rhythms. The 1831 “Grand Polonaise” by Theobald Boehm, the inventor of the modern flute, brought this eclectic program to a rousing close.
But Trionfo’s astounding virtuosity and his contagious joy in showcasing the flute’s wide range of sonorities, along with Cano Smit’s versatile support, brought them back for an encore: a brilliant rendition of the “Allegro” from Gabriel Faure’s 1898 "Fantaisie" for flute and piano. Personal spoken introductions by both players to the music and its meaning for them further enhanced this memorable afternoon.
Concerts in this 43-year-old series by world-class artists take place on Sundays at 2:00 pm, and open seating in its acoustically outstanding auditorium begins at 1:30. SWCA will next present pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner on November 17.