Cembalo Duo
Melanie & Sergio Flores, Harpsichord
The intuitive mutual understanding between siblings Melanie and Sergio Flores makes every performance a fascinating event full of surprises. The duo began their musical journey with violin and piano lessons in Mexico City before switching to the harpsichord at ages 7 and 8, respectively. Both completed their studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis under Jörg-Andreas Bötticher and Andrea Marcon. Together, they have explored the repertoire for two harpsichords, which includes more than 500 compositions. These works, along with their own arrangements of Mexican music, enrich their repertoire for two harpsichords.
Program:
Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713)
Concerto grosso No. 4 in D major, Op. 6
, Amsterdam 1714
(arrangement by Magdalena Malec)
Adagio
Allegro
Adagio
Vivace
Allegro e coda
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732–1795)
Sonata in A major for keyboard for four
hands Wf Xlll/1
Allegro
Rondo/Allegretto
Arturo Marquez (1950)
Danzón No. 2
*****
Johann Gottlieb Naumann (1741–1801)
Concerto di Naumann arranged
for two harpsichords
Allegro
Adagio non troppo
Allegro
José Pablo Moncayo (1912–1958)
Huapango
Luigi Boccherini (1743 – 1805)
from Quintet No. IV in D major G448
(arrangement by Andreas-Steier)
Grave assai
Fandango
Program Details
The violin virtuoso and composer Arcangelo Corelli owed his rise to the highest honors to his loyal patron and friend, the papal vice-chancellor Ottoboni, in whose palace in Rome he lived. There he composed his famous Twelve Concerti grossi, Opus 6, the printed edition of which he prepared himself. The English musicologist Charles Burney wrote at the end of the 18th century about Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerti grossi: “The harmonies are so pure, so rich, and so soothing; the parts are so clear, ingenious, and thoughtfully arranged; and the overall effect, produced by a large orchestra, is so majestic that they preclude any criticism and make us forget that there is any other music of the same kind.” Bach’s second-youngest son, Johann Christoph Friedrich—also known as the “Bückeburg Bach”—composed one of the first four-hand piano sonatas with his two-movement Sonata in A major. It is richly varied, stylistically compelling, and allows the performers ample room for improvisation—a feature that remained a staple of solo recitals well into the 19th century. Arturo Marquez’s Danzón No. 2 is one of Mexico’s most popular and frequently performed contemporary classical works. It combines nostalgic melodies and wild rhythms, as found in popular dances. Marquez dedicated the work to his daughter Lily. Johann Gottlieb Naumann was a highly esteemed composer in Sweden and Denmark. After his death, he was largely forgotten. It was not until the 20th century that his works experienced a renaissance. His three-movement Concerto per due Cembali is a rediscovery. José Pablo Moncayo, a percussionist and conductor, composed the Huapango in 1941, based on the popular music of the Veracruz region on the Gulf of Mexico. He recalls traveling with a fellow composer to Alvarado, one of the places where folk music is preserved in its purest form. “We spent several days collecting melodies, rhythms, and instrumentations,” Moncayo recalled to one of his students. “The transcription was very difficult, as the huapangueros never sang the same melody twice in the same way.” During a concert tour to Paris, the Italian Luigi Boccherini received an invitation to the Spanish royal court. Not only Iberian music, but also the play of light and shadow, influenced his compositional style. Among Boccherini’s eight guitar quintets, the Quintet in D major, G. 448, composed in 1788 and known as the “Fandango,” is one of the most popular. This popular Andalusian instrumental dance, which can also be sung, bears the typical characteristics of the Spanish rasgueado technique and surprises with its energetic style. Andreas Staier arranged the adaptation of the quintet for two harpsichords.