Bioluminescence | Adelaide Fringe 2022 review

In a concert of solo flute works inspired by the beauties of natural phenomena, there was far more variety than you’d expect.

Bioluminescence – Music for Solo Flute.

Bioluminescence

Music

Rating: ****

The Jade

Until February 27

How absorbing can one performer and her flute be?

Well, very, if using the whole flute family from bass to piccolo and a plethora of backing electronics as well.

Melanie Walters means business and her one-hour program is jam packed with new works, all less than 20 years old, from every corner of the globe.

In a concert inspired by the beauties of natural phenomena, there were the inevitable slow moving ambient sonics of pieces such as Kenya Wilkins’ Full Moon with its sultry sleek, dark toned bass flute colours, all aphorisms and silence.

Unfortunately, the Jade Monkey isn’t well soundproofed, but Walters persevered.

Cleverly she reserved the up-tempo, jazz inspired minimalist numbers for last with Nico Muhly’s Radiant Music and Claudia Andersen’s Weather Conversations lifting the spirits using pungent electronics and edgy harmonies as Walters switched from flute to bass flute again for maximum effect.

There’s far more variety in this program than you’d expect.