Piazzolla Late proved to be a charming evening of classical music performed by two rising stars of the classical music scene. Jun Sasaki on cello initially struggled with a challenging acoustic (a low ceilinged room with a air conditioner humming merrily away at one end) but soon managed to produce a mellow and mature sound.
Sean Shibe on guitar did have a little more difficulty. Unamplified, he often found it difficult to equal Sasaki’s volume and often his part slipped far behind his partner’s. That said, the further into the concert we got, the more impressive and beguiling his guitar-playing became.
The series of Spanish flamenco pieces that made up the majority of the concert demonstrated impressive musical ability and comprehension of flamenco from the two musicians. Though these are not the most obvious of instruments to pair, Sasaki and Shibe have created a series of musical numbers which perfectly match the mellow sound of Sasaki’s cello with the soft and often mesmerising guitar. The only negative points of the concert would have to be the rather under-rehearsed, under-researched and irritatingly offhand delivery of the programme notes. However this is a minor detail; the concert was a resounding success and the success of these two young musicians is assured.
