Duozona

Some classical music sounds heavier than rock music, particularly huge orchestral and operatic arrangements like Wagner's Die Walküre and the Symphonic Dances of Rachmaninoff. Explosive compositions like those often bring to mind images of deranged composers with tussled hair and furrowed brows, waving a baton at an army of horns and strings. Well, you'll find none of that vibe in Duozona's Colors; this is an album of nothing but classical music for flute and guitar, a whimsical collection that sails along like an autumn leaf in the breeze. Duozona, comprising the husband-and-wife team of Chuck and Theresa Hulihan (guitar and flute, respectively), have made some interesting selections here. The songs, while sparse, are mellow and uplifting. The first 15 minutes of the CD are dedicated to Southwestern Suite by composer Sy Brandon, and include a distinct desert flavor, from the campfire acoustics of "Cowboy Songs" to the flute-driven folk of "Mexican Songs" (the first movement, also a woodwind whirlwind, is "Native American Songs"). From there, the pair delves into translating the works of European composers, from the somnolent melodies of French composer Eugene Bozza's Berceuse et Serenade to the simplistic tonality of Czech composer Jan Truhlar's Sonatina Semplice Op. 18 (written especially for flute and guitar) to the high-energy flamenco flavor of French composer Jacques Ibert's Paraboles. In a sense, the Hulihans — both music teachers at Glendale Community College — have created a sampler platter of stripped-down world music in the classical realm.