Saudade is one of the most expressive and untranslatable words in the Portuguese language — a concept at the heart of Brazilian poetry and song. It conveys a powerful blend of longing, missing, nostalgia, yearning, and the bittersweet pull of cherished memories. No English word can capture it fully, and it is this rich emotional spectrum that shapes the character of the concert.
This program brings together the unusual and striking combination of flute, bass trombone, and piano, revealing unexpected colours as beloved works are transformed through fresh arrangements and new sonorities.
The journey opens with Gluck’s divine Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orfeo ed Euridice, reimagined as a lyrical conversation between flute and bass trombone. Fauré’s Après un rêve and Pavane emerge with new expressive shading, and Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise glows with a warm, resonant depth in this ensemble.
Interval
Myaskovsky’s Sonata No. 2 (Allegro) adds contrast and momentum, highlighting the surprising versatility and blend of flute and bass trombone.
At the centre of the program lies a major highlight: the World Premiere of a new Nocturne for Flute and Piano, commissioned by the Sydney Chamber Music Festival for Bridget Bolliger, composed by Calvin Bowman, and performed by the composer together with the artist for whom it was written.
The program then turns toward Latin and South American colour: the gentle sway of Capricho Milonga, the brilliant energy of David Fetter’s Spain, and the haunting beauty of Piazzolla’s Oblivion in José Bragato’s arrangement. The concert concludes with Edmundo Villani-Côrtes’ Five Brazilian Miniatures, each movement alive with melodic charm and rhythmic brightness.
Saudade offers a richly textured musical journey — shaped by longing, memory, and the distinctive sound world created by this remarkable trio of instruments.
Performers
Bridget Bolliger, flute
Calvin Bowman, piano
Darrin C. Milling, bass trombone
Program
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)
Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orfeo ed Euridice
adapt. Darrin C. Milling — flute, bass trombone & piano
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1929)
Après un rêve
adapt. Darrin C. Milling — flute, bass trombone & piano
Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
Pavane, Op. 50
adapt. & arr. Ricardo Pacheco — flute & bass trombone
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Vocalise
arr. Quinto Maganini — flute, bass trombone & piano
Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881–1950)
Sonata No. 2 – I. Allegro
adapt. Darrin C. Milling & Ricardo Pacheco (copyist)
— flute, bass trombone & piano
World Premiere
Sonata for Flute and Piano
Bridget Bolliger, flute
Calvin Bowman, piano
Paloma Pitaya
Capricho Milonga
Darrin C. Milling, bass trombone
David Fetter (1931– )
Spain
Darrin C. Milling, bass trombone
Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992)
Oblivion
arr. José Bragato — flute, bass trombone & cello
Edmundo Villani-Côrtes (1930– )
Five Brazilian Miniatures
adapt. Darrin C. Milling
I. Preludio
II. Toada
III. Chorinho
— flute, bass trombone & piano