Credited with "double-handedly" reviving contemporary music for the guitar, Sergio and Odair Assad bring their intriguing mix of Brazilian and classical music to the Hopkins Center this evening.
Their program consists of works by an array of composers from classical to modern, including Scarlatti, Piazzolla, Gershwin and Gismonti.
The music of the Assad brothers breaks through culture, age and musical barriers. Combining classical, jazz and Brazilian sounds, their music challenges anyone who wishes to confine it, and is instinctively appealing to all who hear it.
Often reminiscent of the chords of a piano, and as smooth and liquid as the harp, the guitar melodies pour forth through the fingers of these talented brothers. Their precise technical abilities are wonderfully matched by the rich and elegant wielding of nuance and tone.
"I believe we were meant to be a team right from the first time we picked up our guitars," the Assads said in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch interview. "Such interaction can only really happen with brothers, because we shared every aspect of our musical education together."
The bond they share enables them to reach a perfect intimacy and integration rarely achieved in musical duos.
Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil in the early 1950s, the brothers begun playing the guitar at a young age. Their unique ability to play as a pair was evident from the start.
Led by their mandolinist father, they began exploring Brazilian music together. As teenagers, their talent led them to Rio de Janeiro and the guidance of Monina Tavora, herself a student of Andres Segovia.
The Assads first performed in the United States in 1969 under a "Youth for Understanding" program. Their international career truly took off ten years later with a major prize at the "Rostrum of Young Interpreters" in Bratislava.
They have since traveled the world in their concert tours and are considered by many to be the foremost guitar duo of today.
The connection shared by the brothers is evident in the intricate dovetailing of their melodies and rhythms. Their sounds mingle effortlessly, often appearing as one integrated instrument, each necessarily dependent upon the other.
"A most remarkable duo -- so closely knit was their playing that you continually had a feeling of an ideal singularity of expression, impetus and intent. Even the most delicate, fleet filigree was perfectly matched in tone and touch," sums up one writer for the Dallas Morning News.
Deftly matching each other in tempo and rhythm, the brothers weave a texture rich in tone and vibrancy. With pieces ranging from mysterious and dark to lighthearted and exuberant, their music captivates and enthralls from the first moment.
Haunting laments and vibrant celebrations alike catch the listener unaware. Their sounds creep inside the soul, only to itch to be released again from the inside out.
Syncopated rhythms give way to flowing melodies as Sergio and Odair spin enchanting tales with their guitars. Understanding their instruments and each other, no height of expression or intricacy seems unattainable.
In addition to their duo recitals, the Assads often accompany orchestras in concert. They have recorded over ten CDs, receiving acclaim worldwide. Sergio himself transcribes many of the pieces they play, and has composed some of his own, including "Saga dos Migrantes," on the album of the same name.
For skill and technical ability, the Assads can hardly be matched. Flying through intricate pieces with ease, Sergio and Odair astound. Far from being distracted by the complexities, however, the audience is certain to be pleasantly overwhelmed by the exuberance and sincerity with which the brothers play.
The performance is tonight at 8 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium. Tickets are $17.50 for general public, $8.50 for Dartmouth students.
