Arts Have a story idea? E-mail us at arts@otherpress.ca & A dash of romance Duo Joncol bring a taste of Spain to Arts at One © Britta Schmitt and Carles Guisado By Kealy Doyle, Contributor ndalusia was in the air last Ace at the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre, as Arts at One continued with a performance of contemporary Spanish guitar by classical duo Britta Schmitt and Carles Guisado. This young Spanish team studied in Barcelona, and began performing baroque, classical, and contemporary music together in 2008. After four years touring the world to great acclaim, they are clearly at the top of their musical game and showed as muchina concert rich in technical skill and 8 grace. Schmitt and Guisado began the performance without much ado, launching into Manuel de Falla’s “Danza del Molinero.” De Falla was the first of the turn-of-the-century Spanish composers the duo did full justice to, and his ringing flamenco rhythms and lilting harmonies were a welcome relief from the frigid misery of a Vancouver winter. Gazing intently at one another, Schmitt and Guisado threw opening salvos back and forth before building in urgency to a decisive finish. It was short, sweet, and a decisive demonstration of the cohesion between the two performers. They followed with “El Circulo Magico,” full of delicate harmonies handled with fluid precision. This was a piece for gentle reflections on an unhurried afternoon. In turn, “Danza ritual del fuego” was trilling and insistent, with Schmitt providing an oscillating, percussive bass line, then smoothly handing off to Guisado in playful sequences which saw both showcase their remarkable dexterity. Enrique Granados’ “Escenas Roméanticas” proved a charming fusion of Spanish and classical European influences. Guisado explained the imprint of famous Romanticists like Chopin and Liszt, which was apparent in the beautiful minor harmonies of the opening “Mazurka.” Schmitt provided a solid rhythm while Guisado with a beautiful falling sequence and a recurring motif which placed both players in reassuring unity. The final, pensive Allegro vivace featured a gorgeous rolling counterpoint from both Schmitt and Guisado in turn. It was an emotionally unsettled, challenging the set with only occasional eddies of relief in the raging torrent of emotion. The atmosphere did regain something of its earlier smoky sensuality with Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla’s “Primavera portena.” Piazzolla’s classical influences bubbled and receded beneath the surface of this gorgeous tango, which is normally arranged for a quintet. Schmitt and Guisado demonstrated beautiful volume control, fading to a whisper in a brilliant midsection of languid, “This young Spanish team studied in Barcelona, and began performing baroque, classical, and contemporary music together in 2008. After four years touring the world to great acclaim, they are clearly at the top of their musical game and showed as much in a concert rich in technical skill and grace.’ explored the full range of the fingerboard. Their sedate, elegant motifs blossomed in true Chopin style into a swelling crescendo and a triumphant finish. The “Pequena danza” and “Epilogo” were the most striking of the Granados set. Unlike the conscious edginess of the later Rodrigo and Gasull pieces, they were secure in their timeless elegance and allowed the audience to simply enjoy Schmitt and Guisado’s excellent and evocative playing. Much Spanish music, particularly flamenco, is composed in the Phrygian mode, which instantly conjures up exotic, sun- baked vistas and hot, heady nights. It was intoxicating and sensual and, played with this kind of expertise, quite irresistible. It charms something you weren’t quite sure you had in you, and suddenly even the least romantic listener is having visions of sensuous embraces in smoky cantinas. A pity then that some of the later pieces evoked less of that magic. Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Tonadilla” began as it meant to go on: urgent, discordant, and turbulent. Schmitt and Guisado’s skills were undeniable, their fingers moving fluidly and rapidly as they battled for a major chord. There were tantalizing glimpses of harmony, but it was a whirlwind of a piece, ending as jarringly as it began. The “Minueto Pomposo” was more accessible, opening feather-light motifs. Now that was music to embrace to. The most challenging piece was saved for last, however. As Guisado explained, Feliu Gasull’s “El Peixet de Bloomington” is a combination of Spanish tradition, distinctive flamenco, and Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt. In practice, this meant a tense, edgy piece with extraordinary percussive beats which involved Guisado blowing across the sound hole of his guitar, physically rotating the instrument to elongate a note, and scraping a device down the length of the strings. Schmitt picked her way up the strings, beyond the fingerboard, over the sound hole and right up to the bridge itself. At one point, she and Guisado exhaled loudly, as if taking a breath from the sustained technical and emotional effort of such a unique performance. These were works that demanded much of the performers, and, at times, the audience. Schmitt and Guisado certainly met the challenge with precision and panache. Given the raucous, whooping applause that followed the hour-long set, so did their audience. The Arts at One series continues on March 1 with a student showcase. Performances are free to attend and begin every Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre, New Westminster campus.