The twelfth edition of the Enchanted Flute national tour commenced on 12 May, bringing to Romania’s cities hit chansonettes of the Parisian bohème. Flautist Ion Bogdan Ștefănescu and accordionist Fernando Mihalache offered Romanian audiences a unique recital in which the enchanted flute and seductive accordion created a Parisian atmosphere from days gone by, a musical illustration of the adage that all roads lead to Paris. Le temps des fleurs (Dalida), La Mamma (Aznavour), Les Champs-Elysées (Joe Dassin), La Foule (Edith Piaf), and La valse à mille temps (Jaques Brel) are just a few examples of the songs this year’s concert-goers were able to enjoy in renditions on the flute and accordion.
The programme was rounded off with chansonettes, refined pieces brimming with feeling, verve and humour, by composers including Jean Marais, Lully, Debussy, and Satie. At the same time, Ion Bogdan Ștefănescu and Fernando Mihalache played works by Romanian composers who made careers for themselves in Paris, including Karol Mikuli and Vladimir Cosma, musically whisking the audience away to the banks of the Seine. The Enchanted Flue national tour began in Caracal on 12 May, with the next stop being the Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest, on 14 May. In June, the tour reached Deva, Brașov and Jassy. At the first two concerts, flautist Ion Bogdan Ștefănescu and accordionist Fernando Mihalache were joined on stage by double-bassist Ionuț Baranga and percussionist Petru Ioan Riti.
During ten years of touring, we have presented the most inventive and innovative of programmes, which have made musical connections quite uncommon for Romanian concert seasons, shattering all the canons of classical music recitals. This edition too brings a novelty that will create shock, curiosity, and a good mood, thanks both to its wholly special and hitherto untested combination of instruments—flute and accordion—and its highly appealing programme.
Ion Bogdan Ștefănescu
Itinerary:
12 May – Caracal
14 May – Bucharest, Romanian Athenaeum
9 June – Deva, Pro Arte Concert Hall
10 June – Brașov, Patria Concert Hall
11 June – Jassy, Union Concert Hall
2 July – Bucharest, Film Garden (CREART)
15 July – Alba Iulia, Princes Palace (inner courtyard)
The Enchanted Flute at the Romanian Athenaeum
