Renowned flautist Abbie de Quant and pianist Elizabeth van Malde have put together an attractive collection of pieces for flute and piano that in different ways convey a strong sense of movement.
This can be due to dance and folk music influences as in the second sonata by Prokofiev, the sonata by Taktakishvili, and the two pieces, “Sounds of the Forest” and “Allegro Rustico” by Gubaildulina, or, as in the case of “Bewegingen” by Rob du Bois and the “Four Movements” of Robert Zuidam, two Dutch composers, a more abstract approach to motion inherent in the music itself. On a different level, the lyrical quality of Rachmaninov’s “Vocalise” represents flowing, stirring movement which strongly reflects the song-like nature of the piece.
In 1970 Abbie de Quant graduated “summa cum laude” with a soloist’s degree. Over the next years she won many national and international competitions and in 1973 was awarded the Prix d’Excellence. Elizabeth van Malde has performed as soloist with various orchestras and also forged an excellent reputation in the world of chamber music as both a player and coach of young musicians. She also works regularly as an accompanist at international music competitions and festivals.
