Yesterday evening, cellists Lucie Kucharova and Massimo Favento gave a wonderful performance at St Augustine’s Church in Victoria.

With a unique programme consisting of works by Handel/Kummer, Verdi, Turina and Favento, the duo exhibited masterful control over the tonal and dynamic range of the works chosen. In such a rare combination of ensemble playing, it couldn’t have been easy maintaining variety in terms of tone yet Lucie and Massimo managed just that – they fully exploited both the warm and mellow sound of the cello as well as the dynamic possibilities inherent in the quality of the texture.

The Handel/Kummer Duo is a very charming piece, taken from Handel’s oratorio Judas Maccabeus. Transcribed specifically for cello duo by Kummer this set a mood of relaxation and ease which marked the entire performance. Verdi’s piece, taken from three of his operas, namely, Il Corsaro, Don Carlos and Aida and transcribed for two cellos by Massimo Favento proved to be a cavallo di battaglia, with each performer exchanging the melodic and harmonic interest in a range that reached the uppermost summit! This was a truly magnificent performance!

Turina’s colourful Tarjetas postales de España took the audience on a hectic and sometimes frenzied journey all over Spain, with its sultry passion and endless colour while the last piece, composed by Favento on themes by the legendary cellist Paul Tortelier, exploited piquant harmonic textures and mild dissonance so characteristic of the contemporary idiom.

The packed church greeted the end of the performance with a merited resounding applause!