Harpist, flutist in perfect sync

MARIA LUISA RAYAN-FORERO, THOMAS ROBERTELLO, Libby Gardner Concert Hall, Friday

There is almost always a certain type of repertoire associated with harp/flute recitals — one that is heavy on baroque and French music. So it's a small pleasure when a harp/flute duo comes along that looks outside the box for its programming choices. And when that duo brings artistic excellence to its recital, the audience's pleasure is doubled.

Harpist Maria Luisa Rayan-Forero and flutist Thomas Robertello is one such duo. They are wonderful musicians with first-rate technique, exceptional musicality and wondrous ensemble playing.

Robertello is on the faculty at Indiana University. The two met while Rayan-Forero was a student there. In the past three or four years the duo has performed together on several occasions. Last Friday, they made their Salt Lake City debut at Libby Gardner Concert Hall under the auspices of the Victor Salvi Foundation and Lyon and Healy West.

Eschewing a typical harp/flute program, the two presented a recital that was novel and quite appealing.

They opened the recital with the only original harp/flute piece on the program, Alan Hovhaness' "The Garden of Adonis" op. 245.

A prolific composer with around 400 published works in every genre, Hovhaness, who died in 2000, wrote in an unabashedly romantic language. His music is lushly lyrical and expressive, almost to the point of being cloying. And in a piece such as "The Garden of Adonis" composed in 1971, he is simply being true to himself as a composer and a romantic.

Hypnotic in effect, the harp frequently plays repetitive patterns in each of the work's seven movements. Over this the flute weaves long florid phrases. Rayan-Forero and Robertello gave a seamlessly constructed and finely articulated reading of the piece. Even though there isn't much variation to the music, the two managed to bring some variety and interest to their performance.

Another piece that was captivating and also mesmerizing was a transcription of a raga by Ravi Shankar called "L'Aube Enchantee." But unlike "The Garden of Adonis," "L'Aube Enchantee" was a showpiece for the flutist. Once again, the harp was reduced to repetitive phrases, while the flute was put on virtuosic display. And again, both artists shone wonderfully.

A transcription of J.S. Bach's Sonata in G minor, BWV 1020, and one of Astor Piazzolla's "L'Histoire du Tango" rounded out the concert.

Both works showed the wondrous rapport Rayan-Forero and Robertello have. They gave a dynamic and vibrant reading of the Bach, while capturing the mood and atmosphere of each of the four pieces in the Piazzolla.

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E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com