ONE of Argentina’s most important composers of the 20th century was Alberto Ginastera and this concert celebrated the centenary of his birth, exploring music written over almost 40 years of his life of just 57 years.

The first half began with a rhapsody for violin and piano, and featured two other pieces for piano, five songs and a guitar sonata.

The violinist, Suyeon Kang, accompanied by Argentine/Australian pianist, Marcela Fiorillo, showed an uncanny feeling for “Pampeana” No 1 Op 16, playing with great passion. Starting very quietly and slowly, the piece gradually built in volume, tempo and intensity finishing with a fiery flourish. A superb performance.

Canberra’s soprano diva, Louise Page joined Fiorillo for “Five Songs”, written between 1938 and 1943. In these five short but diverse songs about despondency, unrequited love, courtship and even a crazy moon and snub noses, Page adeptly changed her demeanour in each one, her very fine voice dealing effortlessly with every nuance demanded, and all in Spanish.

Fiorillo also played the two solo piano pieces with the flair and affinity for her native Argentina that we here in Canberra have come to expect, indeed respect. She was passionate and wonderfully expressive, pulling a great deal of light and shade from the, at times, quite abstract compositions.

The second of these, “Malambo”, Op 7, explored the tuning of the guitar – E-A- D- G-B-E – and led very neatly indeed into the “Sonata for Guitar” Op 47, which started with the very same motif.

The marvellous guitarist Andrey Lebedev played the three movements of the very technically demanding sonata brilliantly. There were sounds one would never expect to hear from a guitar, including the occasional strum of the strings in the tiny space between the tuning keys and the nut at the top of the fingerboard. That, and drumming on the wood, very complex chord structures, fast melody lines, unbelievable dynamics and much more besides created an enthralling performance.

The single work in the second half was the “Serenata for baritone, cello and chamber ensemble” Op 42. The three movements were settings of poetry by Pablo Neruda.

Ginastera dedicated it to his second wife, Aurora Nâtola.

The soloist, Javier Vilariño, actually an Australian but with a Latin background, half spoke half sang the poems with deep spirit, in Spanish, against a complex and very abstract but highly evocative orchestral accompaniment, expertly led by Roland Peelman. Vilariño, even when not speaking/singing, was utterly at one with the poetry and the music. The Italian cellist, Paolo Bonomini, also acquitted his part in the performance with great style.

But it was the percussion section that really grabbed my attention. It was a very busy time for Eugene Ughetti and Kaylie Melville playing all manner of tuned and non-tuned instruments, and with some amazing subtleties. I heard birds, the wind, and even how a moon shimmering on the water might sound. They did it all splendidly.

This was a truly magical performance, ending a truly magical concert.