Misteli Duo October 2000
Maria and Mauro Misteli are a young Italian-Swiss duo, based in Geneva (though the name may not be of
Swiss origin; a web search reveals many more hits in Finland). In their mid-teens, this
brother-and-sister duo concluded a short tour in England with an invigorating recital at Hampton
Hill. Their advertised programme mixed the familiar and the less so: transcriptions of two Domenico
Scarlatti keyboard Sonatas (or properly, Esercizi) and one by the 9-year-old Mozart (K. 19d),
Giuliani's virtuosic Variazioni Concertanti (Op. 130), Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Fuga Elegiaca and two
well-known short pieces by de Falla, including the Danza del Molinero. The second half opened with
each in turn playing a solo item: Mauro in the Serenata espagnola by Joaquín Malats (1872-1912), and
Maria replacing the advertised Tango en Skaï by Roland Dyens with a Barrios Prelude.
The duo started with Scarlatti's L238 Sonata, a gentle concert opener which showed off the
instruments' beautiful tone and the duo's interact iontogether, though their phrasing was a touch
jerky at times. It was apparent here and in the succeeding L23-one of Scarlatti's most famous
works-how closely they listen to each other, particularly Mauro following Maria's lead. More
'baroque' in manner and florid, it is a severe test for any player. After a slightly hesitant start,
they seemed to settle but towards the close Maria came to grief with her tuning (seemingly of the
upper E string) and could not compensate quickly enough in the music's rapid flow. The problem was
rectified before the start of the delightful Mozart sonata but did audibly unsettle them. The
opening Allegro was full of youthful charm, though some of the ornamentation could have been
articulated more cleanly. Phrases that should have leaped lightly from the fingers did not always do
so, though this is an occupational hazard of transcriptions, rather than with works written directly
for the guitar. The central Menuetto could have been lighter and more dancelike, but both players
excelled in the Rondo which was nicely judged, particularly the quiet episode just before the close.
That finale marked a watershed in the evening's music-making for from then on neither player really
put a foot wrong. The first half concluded with Giuliani's Variazioni Concertanti, one of the duo
repertoire's most taxing challenges. If there were lingering doubts over technical ability, these
were dispersed in the opening flourishes, which start quietly and build up with an almost harp-like
sonority. Each variation was nicely delineated, but the duo's grasp of the overall structure was
clearly evident. The glassy sonority in the second-to-last variation was delivered immaculately by
Maria.
The two solo turns opened the second half. Mauro's playing of Malats' Serenata was most assured,
fully exploiting the music's more overtly Hispanic character. Not to be outdone, Maria's Barrios was
very deft. They then came together for the Fuga elegiaca by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968):
playing this for the first time without music, they displayed a good sense of rhythm through the
contrapuntal textures and a nice range of colour in the prelude. The two de Falla dances (the first
from La vida breve) brought the whole to a rousing conclusion. Their encore, the much arranged
Tico-tico, was well done though might have gained from a more overtly bravura presentation.
The Duo are still young and developing, but their maturity was impressive and their talent dazzling.
Mauro perhaps emerged on the night as the stronger player, although at her best Maria has perhaps
the more refined technique. Overall, their recital was the most enjoyable that I have attended at
Hampton Hill, and they are, I believe, names to watch out for in the future.