Concert Review: Fire Line Suite

An incredible review of Duo Eclettico’s recent concert ‘From the Forest’ by Julie McErlain.

Excerpt about Trewartha’s Fire Line Suite: “High single notes on the piano introduced spaced bare intervals, calm and airy in the stillness of a hot summer’s night. Against a red and gold lit background, Kenealy’s glorious radiant and incandescent tone set the warmth of the scene, with controlled non-pitched breathing effects complementing the composer’s landscape. Drive and energy developed as the piano built more urgent tremolos under a broad strong 5-time melody, as the Duo skilfully built rising and falling momentum in colourful sound waves. Agitation, fear and scampering rhythmic steps cleverly portrayed the flight of living creatures from fire and weather, as carefully spaced imitative bush cries were sorrowfully heard. More piercing high saxophone trills and downward glissandos above thunderous low clusters on the piano increased our feeling of tragedy in Heat. In a slow and gentle tonal and harmonic conclusion, clear rhythmic steps symbolised forward moving life and hope, with a fine sonic dimension added as Kenealy turned his instrument around, across and into the grand piano’s strings, producing surreal and unique echoes and resonant overtones. Magical. New tonalities, new life. A super piece, at times illustrative but musically powerful and spiritually connecting.”