The Names are Strange to Protect the Innocent
Two French musicians, Ancuse Aprodu, piano and
Theirry Miroglio, percussion, performed at the Monday
lunch-time concert at the Chicago Cultural Center on 3/22.
It sounds like a strange combo, but it worked for me.
Ancuse began with a 30 minute solo of the Brahms
Variations on a theme by G. F. Handel. She played
a very intense performance that sent me into the “piano zone”,
if you know what I mean. That’s where you forget about
the world around you and let the sound seep in.
Theirry then went solo on drums for Xenakis’ Rebonds.
It was in two parts, the first on skins only, bongo, tom-tom,
conga and bass drum. The second part drew in wood blocks.
Theirry’s hands were flying so fast I couldn’t determine whether
the collisions of sticks was intended by Xenakas or not.
The last piece was Etude d’Interpretation XII by Maurice Ohana.
With piano and drums, tambourine, maracas, cymbal and gong
going for him, it couldn’t be uninteresting. Piano and percussion
went tit-for-tat, with the drums “tuned” to echo the piano in some
cases. Too bad it was the shortest piece on the bill that this
interesting duo actually got to play together.
BTW, I see Amy Briggs is up next week, 3/29 “Under the Dome”
at Preston Bradley Hall at the CCC.
