Friday, the association "Arts et Musique en Baugeois" innovated and held, for the first time, a concert in the cathedral of Vieil-Baugé.  Under its twisted belltower, the church provided beautiful acoustics for the benefit of Duo Millenia.  Already, in the empty church the rehersals had reassured Jean-Pierre Bouchereau in his choice of Vieil-Baugé.  That night, during the concert, the harpist and the bassist were able to express all of their sensitivity and talent, and the public was able to listen to them under excellent conditions.

...The performance of Duo Millenia confirmed that the bass, with its melodic lines and warm tones, associated perfectly with the elegance and richness of sound of the harp, through a varied repertoire ranging from Gabriel Fauré to Sergei Rachmaninoff including Camille Saint-Saëns, Maurice Ravel, Jean Françaix, J.S. Bach and works composed by John Dahlstrand.

...Also on the program is a unique combination of instruments played by Elisabeth Chardonnet, harp, and John Dahlstrand, double bass, who perform as "Duo Millenia", with flutist Wendy Hymes.  The group will play "Preludes for Flute, Double Bass and Harp" by Bernhard Heiden.  Duo Millenia has found its niche through arrangements for this unique instrumentation. Each of the three artists has an extensive and impressive performance background.

...Quite a different affair was "Duo Baroque" for bass and harp, by the 20th-century French composer Jean Françaix.  King was joined by harpist Elisabeth Chardonnet for this very Parisian four-movement work.  The opening Allegro Vivace was packed with song fragments in the bass accompanied by sparkling and quirky galumphing in the harp.  The Andante was an extended song for the harp followed by an Allegro that could be desribed as "charmant".  The concluding Vivace fluttered all over the place, evoking amazingly delicate, pointed playing from King.  Chardonnet was a "wow" throughout.

... [Maestro] Palmer called upon the considerable talents of OSO principal harpist, Elisabeth Chardonnet, for a reading of Debussy's Dances... It was a perfect combination: a French composer, a French harpist and a sympathetic conductor and supporting string section in a seldom heard work reminiscent in moments of Debussy's more popular "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun."

Most non harpists do not suspect that an artist such as Mme. Chardonnet must harbor the soul of a dancer, with Debussy's "Dances" requiring a near continuous foot action on the seven pedals to keep the harp tuned to the key and accidental of the moment in a continually changing and highly chromatic composition...

Double bass in spotlight

David Anderson, son of recently retired IU trombone professor Edwin Anderson, last year completed a work for the instrument he specializes in as principal bassist of the Louisiana Philharmonic, a Concerto for Double Bass, Strings and Harp.

He didn't write it for himself, however.  He wrote it for Hal Robinson, principal bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, who had commissioned and then premiered the work.

Well, Mr. Robinson wasn't around Sunday evening when Anderson's Concerto had its first Indiana performance at the Musical Arts Center as feature of a program by the IU Concert Orchestra under Jan Harrington.  John Dahlstrand was, and this senior did the composition and himself proud as he cradled his instrument and drew from it almost cello-like tones.

The work itself holds music of a persuasively gentle, almost romantic nature.  Dahlstrand exploited the warmth in the piece.  He had plenty of careful bowing and intricate fingerwork to take care of and did so without any rough-house sawing.  His technique was ever so smooth, and his control of the volatile high notes was close to total.

Harrington and the Concert Orchestra strings supported the soloist most ably as did, also, harpist Wiedke Dirks.