"Red Diamonds" is the debut album by the shimmering Dutch violin-piano duo Maxime Gulikers and Andrea Vasi. Both are young top musicians in the summer of their career. The program they present, however, consists of compositions that mostly originated in dark times. Debussy’s famous Violin Sonata, for example, he wrote at the end of his life, depressed by the First World War and the depravation that took place in society as a result. Prokofiev’s First Sonata for Violin and Piano may also be one of the darkest that this composer left behind. Two lesser-known works, the surprisingly serious Violin Sonata by Janáček and Sibelius’ quasi-classical, sparkling but also dramatic Sonatina for Violin and Piano, are further on this album, that is curated with the utmost care.
"Red Diamonds" is by no means a cheerless listening experience. The diverse personal background of this duo, deep respect for the score and the conditions in which the music was created, combined with infectious energy and an audible love for their instrument and for adventurous interplay lead to a contrasting and stimulating debut recording. © 7 Mountain Records