Work

Programme Note

This specially commissioned work was first performed at the 1988 International Festival of the Arts in Wellington. The musical material is derived fromt he piano’s opening bar, and the resulting style combines the appealing simplicity of triadic harmonies with mathematical processes. There are three clear sections marked by the changes from flute to alto flute and back: outer sections exploiting the clarity and brilliance of the usual C flute, and a rich cantabile middle section for the larger (so deeper) alto flute where the piano provides a gentle accompaniment built on a a slowly contracting ostinato-like figure.

Commissioned:

Commissioned by Uwe Grodd, with assistance from New Zealand Composers Foundation and Queen Elizabeth II

Difficulty:

Advanced

Funders:

• Creative New Zealand

Performance History

	11 May 1990	Performed by Margaret Lion (piano) and Mark Underwood (flutes) at St John’s Smith Squre in London
		Margaret Lion