Best Flute Forward

by Peter Kroll ©2005

THE PIED PIPER FANTASY: Chen Yi: The Golden Flute for Flute and Orchestra • John Corigliano: The Pied Piper Fantasy • Katherine
Hoover: Medieval Suite. Alexa Still, flute; James Sedares/ New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Koch Intl. KIC-CD-7566 (73:07)

In actuality, this is a CD of concertos. In all three pieces, the flute clearly dominates. Hoover says that her suite was originally for flute and piano and was “inspired by characters and events described in Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror. The 19-minute work quotes from medieval sources and develops them for this century. Well-crafted, the piece at first seems mainly quite enjoyable, no small achievement. However, further listening demonstrates a greater range of feelings than first apparent, at least in the slower movements. The “Black Knight” movement is haunting and even frightening at points, appropriate to its namesake. The movement on the young princess begins with a delicate theme for flute softly backed by the orchestra. Violins enter to enhance the delicacy, which continues throughout the section. The work gives flautist Still, who is from New Zealand, a wonderful chance to show her ability to convey the composition’s subtleties.

The Corigliano piece is probably the best known of the three on this CD. It was written for James Galway and has been recorded by him. In performance, the hall is in darkness and stage lights come up; the soloist is dressed like a piper and has children both come onto the stage from the audience when he first beckons and then follow him out of the hall at the work’s conclusion.

Removed from its staging, the piece loses some of its impact but not as much as might be expected. This performance fully captures all of the work’s interesting and inventive moments: the glory of the rising sun, the haunting tune given to the Piper, his battle with and victory over the rats, the pompousness of the townsfolk, his capture of their children and the emptiness of the ending after the children have left the hall. Corigliano has written a modern classic with a refined compositional skill hardly noticeable but very effective. Still and the orchestra outdo themselves in their execution and ensemble work. I was especially struck by Still’s ability to capture the many moments of tenderness found in the piece.

Chen Yi’s composition poses some paradoxes. She writes that she “decided to compose a flute concerto using a western flute to speak the language of Chinese wind instruments such as the dizi made from bamboo and the xun made from clay....” She also utilizes some of the compositional modes found in “traditional chinese bamboo flute performance.” In fact the 19-minute work’s only theme is in the “initial three measure phrase, which is melodic material drawn from a Chinese folk tune....” The opening movement (whose sections are played without break) makes engaging use of colors and harmonies along with inventive thematic development with and in the orchestra. The second movement, where Chen attempts to capture the “mysterious and dreamy voice” of the xun, is captivating. The concluding section especially allows for Still again to demonstrate her marvelous virtuosity, all in the service of the music. This movement rises to an almost war-like intensity, with powerful orchestral contributions. A coda for the solo flute is mournful, a mood consistent with the conclusion of a war. Yet, there is a brief lively fanfare at the very end of the piece. Let me say that the work stimulates both the mind and the heart. The paradox I spoke of before relates to the composer’s need to use a Western instrument to speak the language of a different but related instrument. I wonder why this is so. That is, why not write a flute concerto by itself using Chinese compositional and instrumental techniques? Or, why not write a concerto for xun and orchestra? Certainly that would be appealing to at least some Western listeners most of whom, I assume, have never heard a xun or dizi? I would be interested in hearing what motivated Chen to write what she did. Is it a form of nostalgia for her homeland? Some type of political correctness? I note that I
listened to the work before I read the program notes and greatly enjoyed it even if I have no idea how a xun sounds. It is just good music and that is all it needs.

Kudos again to the remarkable Alexa Still and to Sedares and the New Zealand Symphony who are admirable supporters in each composition.
The disk is generous in the amount of music it provides, another plus.