If you’re looking for something new and inspiring try these really imaginative pieces. All are winners from the NFA new music competition and they’re all fabulous!
Prokofiev arranged Emily Beynon: Cinq Melodies for Flute and Piano
Emily Beynon has taken these five melodies which Prokofiev originally penned for voice, and turned them into beautiful flute pieces. They are all so varied in character and range from the elusive to the skittish coupled with moments of real power and sadness. I’m sure that Prokofiev would have been delighted with the result! Difficulty Guide: 8
Linda Hallam-Sutto: Like Chicken for Flute Duet
If you are in danger of taking the flute too seriously then it’s definitely time to try this crazy piece. Innovative, quirky and such fun, it’s the perfect antidote to the normal pressures of practice and performance. It will certainly be a talking point in any concert and nearly everyone will think that both it and you are fantastic! Difficulty Guide: 7
Adolphus Hailstork: Circus Butterflies for Two Flutes and Piano
Adolphus Hailstork has produced a work for two flutes and piano that pays hommage to the writing of the nineteenth century stalwarts while taking it onto a completely different level. These butterflies fly around in traditional harmonies which are spiked with barbs of dissonance, dovetail over a larger range and with more energy, and interact with the accompaniment which is now a much more important part of the texture. The result is a virtuoso piece that perfectly encapsulates the title. Have fun with this one! Difficulty Guide: 8-9
Amanda Harberg: Firefly Triptych for Alto flute and Piano
Amanda Harberg writes great flute music and these three atmospheric pieces are really lovely. Journey into Night, marked’ Nocturnal and freely’ has an improvisational feel throughout, ‘Sad and haunted’ indicates that Invocation is declamatory in nature with short alto phrases over translucent chords. The ‘attacca’ into Midnight Jam is seamless with very little change of mood until a scherzo-like section suddenly appears. Well written and imaginative, these three movements are utterly compelling! Difficulty Guide: 8-9
Ravel arranged Mel Orriss: Le Tombeau de Couperin for Flute Orchestra
Mel Oriss has achieved the near impossible here with this outstanding transcription of Ravel’s fantastically colourful Tombeau de Couperin. She has captured as much of the detail as possible in all six of the movements by weighting the scoring in the lower flutes and allowing the upper parts to have a greater clarity. This has given us the opportunity to access this marvellous music with sensitivity and skill, and her work is a complete triumph. Lucky us! Difficulty Guide: 9
* National Flute Association of America
