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 Sonata in G Minor, for example, he wrote at the end of his life, depressed by the 1st World War and the depravation that took place in society as a result. Prokofief’s 1st Sonata for violin and piano may also be one of the darkest that this composer left behind. Two lesser-known works, the surprisingly serieus Violin Sonata by Janacek 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 CD.

Out physically and on all the digital platforms on 15 January 2022