Perfect for a spring afternoon
On Sunday, 22nd March, Duo Eunoia brought the Royal Albert Hall’s Classical Coffee series to a close. This renowned programme is part and parcel of the venue’s long-standing partnership with the Royal College of Music, offering audiences a chance to hear young talent perform in an intimate setting. Coffee and pastries are served in the Elgar Room as you settle into the programme of your choice, sipping a hot drink with a view of Kensington Gardens’ opulent Albert Memorial. It is a charming activity for a lazy weekend in the city.
Duo Eunoia is especially well-suited to this kind of event. Comprising violinist Inês Delgado and pianist Laura Casas Cambra, the duo specialises in softer performances that nurture imagination and connection. Their name, ‘eunoia’, is of Ancient Greek origin, and translates as ‘beautiful thinking’ or a ‘well mind’. It reflects ‘the beauty of a harmonious and positive outlook on life, marked by receptivity, goodwill, and kindness towards others’, all of which were palpable in their performance. Duo Eunoia’s stage dynamic was warm and inviting throughout, ideal for the concert-lecture format.
Their programme this Sunday included a range of pieces: some by household names such as Maurice Ravel and Enrique Granados, and others by lesser-known or contemporary composers such as Isobel Dunlop and Marika Takeuchi. Inês and Laura introduced each of them beautifully, bringing to life the mystical desert that inspired Elena Kats-Chernin’s Bucharian Melody, the whimsical Alice in Wonderland scenes illustrated by Roxana Panufnik’s Down the Rabbit Hole, and Carlos Paredes’ nostalgic reminiscences of youth in Verdes Anos.
Beyond simple scene-setting, Duo Eunoia also offered the audience intriguing technical insights. Before performing Violin Sonata M.77, II. Blues—Ravel’s response to the explosion of American jazz in 1920s Paris—Inês provided a brief demonstration of ‘strummed pizzicato’, a technique that allows the violin to imitate a guitar. Similarly, Laura explained the technical preparations required to perform Marika Takeuchi’s Memories. By applying white tack to the piano strings, she temporarily muted the keys to produce a muffled, woody tone. The percussive quality worked well for Takeuchi’s piece, immediately conjuring images of sleepy rainfall.
By the end of the programme, everyone was thoroughly relaxed. Both Inês and Laura are talented, expressive performers who clearly take great care in how they present the music and connect with the audience. Their Classical Coffee concert was a very human affair, and while much of their repertoire is lyrical, easy-listening music, sometimes that’s just what you fancy. After all, it’s better to save Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor for those times when you aren’t holding a vanilla Danish and a latte!
Duo Eunoia ended its run on the 22nd of March. Tickets for other Royal Albert Hall shows can be found here – https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets