Nicoletta Favari, piano, and Christopher Salvito, percussion, of the PASSEPARTOUT DUO
Passepartout Duo performances demand a different kind of listening, of active concentration and imagination. Yes, you can let waves of sound wash over you, but it’s more like a tsunami – you’re gonna get clobbered!  If you are looking to grab hold of a beautiful melody, fuhgeddaboudit. Better get used to slamming layered tone clusters, piercing rhythm patterns and ostinato chords, polyrhythm pile-ups. In extended periods of sound decay you can hear overtones ad infinitum swirling overhead. Moments of silence become colorfully alive and as important as the sounds themselves. Frighteningly fascinating. About 90 people turned out for our annual free concert by the Passepartout Duo on Sunday July 9 and only a few left at intermission, ha-ha! I say “hats off†to our devoted audience for being curious and opening themselves to a totally different sonic experience outside of their comfort zone.  After all, this type of contemporary music is definitely out there on the scene – these 25 year-old adventurers are causing ripples in far corners of the globe. In the next six months they are touring and participating in contemporary music and film festivals in Cuba, UK, Germany, Denmark, and Iceland.
