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Flone: Letters To A Young Poet
Flone: Letters To A Young Poet
(2013)
ne
Mara
Gibson
For
flute
alone
“I hold this to be the highest task of a bond between two people: that each should stand guard over the solitude of the other.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
Background:
I first heard Luisa Sello play in Thailand in 2011. Her performance in Chiang Mai struck me through her dramatic flare, theatrical stage
presence and masterful sound, with impeccable phrasing and intonation. After corresponding for more than a year, she heard my work E:
clipse for wind symphony which premiered at Mahidol University in 2012; at which point, she asked me to write her a solo piece. Having
never written for solo flute, I was eager, but a bit intimidated by a renowned list of composer giants from the genre. I re-acquainted myself
with the repertoire, and flute players. The pieces that resonated for me both formally and musically returned time and time again: Density
21.5, Bach’s a minor partita, Syrinx, Berio’s Sequenza, peppered with a bit of Sciarrino and Takemitsu. All the pieces I was drawn towards
treated the flute as a polyphonic instrument. The idea of dividing a melodic line through counterpoint has been a fascination for me,
especially for a primarily melodic instrument. Register, attack and dynamic (among other parameters) can allow multiple lines to emerge,
even though only one is playing. Perception of how our ear separates parts is a core interest in this piece, derived emotionally from the
Rainer Maria Rilke quote. “I hold this to be the highest task of a bond between two people: that each should stand guard over the solitude
of the other.”
Program notes:
Flone is meant to imply an arrow, piercing, to divide, a splice to split; also, it suggests, being alone, and protecting that solitude.
Formally, the piece is constructed around “tension points” initiated by tempo changes resulting in sudden, dramatic shifts in personality.
The dissonant multiphonics, derived from the diminished seventh progression in the Allemande of Bach’s Partita, signify the onset of a
change. The Bach quotation gradually becomes more identifiable until one third of the way through the
piece,
(similar
to
a
technique
I
explored
in
E:
clipse),
when
it
then
fractures
itself,
and
echoes
the
opening,
more
ethereal
in
character,
gradually
returning
in
a
flipped
dynamic
shape
(crescendo
from
mp
to
f).
What
begins
the
piece
as
a
descrescendo
(a
dying
away
of
sound
to
“niente”),
ends
the
piece
with
a
tension,
a
crescendo
with
sudden
interruptions,
distractions
and
disruptions.
Inventory
of
Musical
materials:
There
are
five
primary
materials
for
this
piece.
Each
material
should
have
it’s
own
distinct
character
and
personality.
The
player
can
shape
these
personalities
as
fit.
• Bach
partita
(from
Allemande)
–
a
reminiscence
for
the
past
• Whistle
tone
(W.T.)
–
far
away
call
for
the
future
-‐-‐play
as
quietly
as
possible
• Sounds:
o x-‐note
heads:
pop
–
clicks
–
angular,
shift
-‐-‐when
notated
with
staccato,
play
as
spit
attack;
without
staccato
(play
key
click
with
flute
sound
with
less
articulated
end
attack)
o gliss.
(and
chromaticism)
–
connector
-‐-‐quick
chromatic
grace
note
runs
should
create
a
similar
effect
to
gliss.
figures;
start
at
quarter
tone
if
necessary
(for
example
in
m.
22,
second
half
of
first
beat,
play
a
lowered
a-‐natural
for
ease
to
the
g-‐sharp
gliss.)
o flutter
and
accents
–
playful
in
the
present,
the
moment
-‐-‐duration
not
strict
-‐-‐articulation
chart
from
less
to
most
Less:
legato,
tenuto,
staccato,
accent,
tenuto
accent,
flutter,
triangle
accent:
More
• Multiphonics
-‐“tension”
points,
interruption
(like
a
train
whistle)
-‐-‐fingerings
suggested
in
score,
but
not
strict
(/=rim,
o=open
hole,
.=closed
hole)
-‐-‐for
multiphonics
tied
to
single
pitches,
preserving
dynamic
shape
to
niente
is
more
important
than
single
pitch
Note:
tempos
should
speed
up
and
slow
down
dramatically.
Specific
tempo
markings
should
be
used
as
a
guide.
Tempos
not
strict,
but
intended
for
dramatic
effect.
Mara
Gibson
12/15/13
Freely
Flone
for flute alone Mara Gibson
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70
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.
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duration: approx. 7 minutes