NEWS - ARCHIVE
 | Recitals continue to programme an expanding, attractive repertoire of new pieces and important works revived from archive as well as standard repertoire. Through these and Masterclasses, Anne and Geoffrey continue their aim of bringing the duet ensemble to as wide an audience as possible. Their Duet Days are also popular and they have initiated Duet Promotion Days in music centres. |
Anne and Geoffrey are always adding new pieces to their repertoire. Among these have been all the piano duets of John Carmichael, an Australian composer now living in London. Anne and Geoffrey have now given the UK première of most of them. The latest one is Moto Perpetuo Caribbean style, composed specially for them in 2008 and premièred at Shrewsbury in April.
Anne and Geoffrey first met John in the autumn of 2002. The Bahama Rumba, as a piece for two pianos, had been part of their repertoire for some time and when looking for information for programme notes they found that John had been living in London for some years. They contacted him and discovered that the piece was now the first of a set of four movements called Latin American Suite. They gave its UK Première in February 2003 and its Scottish Première in July 2003. The following October John came to the course they tutor at Benslow Music Trust to give a masterclass on Puppet Show which they had put as one of the set pieces and they gave the UK Première of Dark Scenarios in their recital on October 7th. They also gave the UK Première of Bravura Waltzes at Benslow Music Trust on 5th October 2004 – John’s birthday. In 2005 Tourbillon was premièred in its duet version. It was paired with Bahama Rumba. Both pieces, originally for two pianos, have now been arranged for piano duet by John himself. In 2006 Anne and Geoffrey gave the première of Hommages, a set of pieces influenced by French and Spanish composers which was completed that year. Another new work specially for Anne and Geoffrey is by the British composer Brian Chapple. The première of this work A Bit of a Blow, in jazz style, was given at Wells in July 2006 when Brian, who lives in Devon, was in the audience. It was also included in their recital at Benslow in October that year on the 10th day of the 10th month marking their 10th course at Benslow Music Trust when the programme reflected various other anniversaries as well as favourite pieces. |
Anne, Geoffrey and John at Benslow |
The 2008 course at Benslow was fully booked by Christmas 2007. The first course in the West of England was held at Wells Cathedral School in 2003. There are now three/four courses planned during a year – one in spring in the north of England, one in summer in the West of England, (sometimes one in Scotland) and one at Benslow Music Trust, Hitchin in October.
Since forming their duo in 1990 Anne and Geoffrey have given recitals in a wide variety of venues including Music Societies nationwide, Universities across the UK (sometimes with a masterclass added), churches, schools, stately home............... Their first cruise was in 2005 with a three-week recital tour between Hong Kong and Dubai on board the QE2, as part of her world cruise. Each recital had a completely different programme, indicating the extent and variety of their repertoire. For many in the audience it was the first time they had seen two performers at one piano or heard the piano duet repertoire – and their response was overwhelming. Having crossed the seas struck by the tsunami of Boxing Day 2004, one of the items was a moving performance of the emotive first movement of Tchaikovsky’s 6th symphony, the Pathétique, - given its first performance only days before he died and arranged for piano duet by Tchaikovsky himself – dedicated to those who had been affected by the devastating tidal wave. Other programmes also reflected Anne and Geoffrey's particular interest in composers’ own arrangements for piano duet of their own and other composers’ works as well as pieces revived from archive.
Similar tours have been organised.
 | Anne and Geoffrey are always seeking to revive works from archive and works for other ensembles arranged for piano duet by composers. Some examples are Tchaikovsky’s own arrangement of his 6th Symphony, the Pathétique, with its haunting melodies and Mendelssohn’s arrangement of his Hebrides Overture for piano duet which he made at the same time as writing the orchestral version. An amazing moment was at the British Library looking at Moscheles’ copy which had been given to him by Mendelssohn who had written a greeting on it. Mendelssohn also made an arrangement of the overture and incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This too has now been added to their repertoire along with Dvorak’s own arrangement of his New World symphony, several works by Chaminade, some of which are originals and some which she transcribed, and a revival of an Ouverture Brilliant and the Allegro Affetuoso, both by Czerny. Most recently to mark Rimsky-Korsakov's centenary in 2008 has been the addition of his own arrangement for piano duet of his suite Scheherezade and Sokolov's arrangement of Borodin's Plovtsian Dances........... and more |
A series of themed presentations has been developed; a type of lecture-recital based on a theme. The stimulus at first was for one to link with A level and GCSE set works in 2003 organised by the Music Workshop Company which brings performers and educational establishments together. The programme for that event included Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture as well as Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 arr. Max Reger and Debussy’s L’Apres Midi d’un Faune arr. Ravel with some Waltzes by Strauss, Tangos and other dances, all taken from set works for the examinations. Since then the idea has expanded to include other topics. Combined with masterclasses and evening recital they have formed an enjoyable day of music-making and appreciation for music societies, university and school.
One of the presentations was given as a prize for one of the winners of the Practice-a-thon organised by the charity Sargent Cancer Care for Children.
Other performances for charities include Help the Aged and |
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Anne and Geoffrey's first CD was released in 2004 with the Toucan label. Called IN CONCERT it is a compilation of tracks from recordings of concerts given between 1994 and 2002.
A second CD was released at the beginning of 2005; called GEMS it is a collection of 14 attractive pieces which include ones from archive, composer’s own arrangements, little-known/little-recorded as well as some familiar works and is proving popular.
Further CDs are planned for the future.
A new venture in 2007 was a Duet Promotion Day in Cambridge. The main grade examination boards all have a syllabus for piano duets and the piano duet is also accepted as an ensemble performance by GCSE and A level boards. The day gave an opportunity to browse/try out a wide-ranging selection of music (up to 200 pieces) at all levels from many publishers. Anne and Geoffrey performed some of them throughout the day.