Duo 2.10 Enthralls with Hallelujah Junction Piano Performance at UWA
Pianists Adam Pinto and Emily Green-Armytage, known collectively as Duo 2.10, delivered a stunning double-piano matinee titled Hallelujah Junction at the University of Western Australia's Callaway Auditorium on Saturday. Their recital, which drew a discerning crowd, showcased a diverse program blending fluid themes and agile phrasing, creating a captivating musical experience.
Opening with Evocative Themes and World Premieres
The performance commenced with Meredith Monk's Ellis Island, a film score that masterfully evoked the trans-Atlantic migration experience. Pinto and Green-Armytage demonstrated instant chemistry, immersing the audience in a cool ambiance reminiscent of ocean waves and soothing breezes, providing a serene contrast to the warm summer day. This piece set the tone for an afternoon of artistic exploration and emotional depth.
Following this, the duo presented In Parallel, a world premiere by Olivia Davies, a Western Australian-born composer now based in Melbourne. This innovative work featured two pianos playing identical material but offset in timing and sequence, creating a dynamic interplay of form and content. Water served as a recurring leitmotif, with urgent tolling notes establishing a mesmeric mood that cascaded across the soundscape, enhanced by the artists' deft and delicate timing.
Showcasing Local Talent and Poetic Vignettes
The program continued with Duncan Gardiner's Idyll — Suite for Two Pianos, another original work from Western Australia. This suite comprised four poetic vignettes:
- Butterfly: Drawing parallels between the flapping of wings and striking of keys, it sustained a symmetrical beauty that Gardiner described as "all worthwhile."
- Ballerina: Featuring bell chimes offset between pianos, it evoked imagery of caverns dripping with dew and salt, leading to a gentle, lyrical canon with an irresolute cadence.
- Fairy: Boisterous rhythms and florid melodies painted vivid vistas of a bucolic garden filled with merriment.
- Flutterby: A reprise of the opening motif, it culminated in an aspirational ending, bathing listeners in beauty and sound.
Closing with a Celebratory Finale
The recital concluded with John Adams' titular piece, Hallelujah Junction, inspired by a truck stop on the Nevada-California border. Taking rhythmic cues from the biblical "Hallelujah," this energetic work burst into celebration as Green-Armytage's lead drew Pinto into a vibrant conversation. Eccentric, pulsating lines chased around the keyboards with vigorous grace, while jazz riffs added colour and contrast to a rumbustious mix. The performance built to a raucous finish, reasserting Adams' freewheeling vision with hints of Broadway and constant locomotion.
Throughout the event, the duo's Romantic fervour and technical prowess gave full voice to the powerful Fazioli and Bosendorfer instruments, leaving the audience enthralled by their dynamic synergy and artistic expression.
