Flute Impressions

It was the French impressionist composers who brought the flute to light as a solo instrument. Since then, flutists have had an ever-increasing musical pallet with which to explore the unique nature of the instrument and distill its expressive qualities through paintings in sound.

"Flute Impressions" begins with four contrasting works: "INSPIRATION"(1987), written by American composer David N.Baker, "HUMORESQUE"(1894),composed after Antonin Dvorak's first visit to the United States; "BOSSA MERENGOVA" from Sonata Latino (1994), by British flutist/composer Mike Mower; and the American folk melody "AMAZING GRACE"(1779), first published in the Virginia Harmony Book (1831) and arranged here for solo flute by the artist. Although these pieces differ considerably in musical colour and texture, they display the flute's ability to express both the subtle and the dramatic.

The next six sections explore imagery of exotic forms and emotional impressions. "PAN AND THE BIRDS" from Opus 15,"La Flute de Pan" by Jules Mouquet (1867-1946) depicts the Greek god Pan, who was half goat and half man. Seated in the woods, surrounded by the sounds of distant horn calls and the echoes of bird songs, the mythical creature plays a lament of unrequited love on his flute of reeds.

"REVERIE" written by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) as part of a set of five piano works evokes a landscape where dreamy forms rise from musical colours which are profuse but not sharp. Flute and piano converse pausing for the silences which Debussy referred to as"...a means of expression and perhaps the only way to give the emotion of a phrase its full power."

"THE SWAN" by Camille Saint-Saens(1835-1921) was transcribed from his "Carnival of the Animals" for two pianos and orchestra. The elegant melodic line -supported by the clear and fluid accompaniment-conjures images of a swan gliding over waters bejewelled by sparkling light.

Frederik Chopin's (1810-1849) piano NOCTURNES are the most enduring legacy of his poetic vision and represent one of the greatest genres of romantic art. Here the flute assumes the improvisational vocal style of the melody line originally played by the right hand.

The words of the exotic and imagined held an ongoing fascination for Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Written in 1907 as a vocalize, "HABANERA" is an artistic depiction of a seductive Cuban dance of African origin in which the performers use sensuous movement of the arms, eyes, head, and hips to captivate the viewers' attention.

Regarded as the greatest master of French song, Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)wrote "MORCEAU DU CONCOURS" at a time when the popular flute pieces stressed flashy finger technique and virtuosic endurance. By contrast, this 19 bar gem is a kind of musical still life that requires virtuosity in the artistic expression it demands of the performer.

"FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE" by Russian Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1905) and "THE CARNIVAL OF VENICE" by Italian composer Giulio Briccialdi (1818-1881) complete the spectrum of flute impressions in this recording. Both demonstrate the flute's pyrotechnic agility and evoke the spirit of painter Henri Matisse with bold colours and infectious movement.

Nina Assimakopoulos.