For Solo Bass Flute (1998)
Audio Sample (My Lagan Love) mp3: 498 k My wife is a harpist. She became interested in Irish music because it helps her students to learn to play more naturally and freely. Through working with Irish musicians she also came to have an appreciation for the beauty of traditional Irish melodies. Because my wife teaches in our home, I have inadvertently become extremely familiar with many of these melodies and have grown to love them. While this music is playable on the flute, I really believe that it sounds better on the bass flute. The bass flute is not simply a larger version of the "soprano" flute, it does in fact have different acoustical properties. While the low register of the bass flute has a rich focused sound, the sound becomes increasingly thin as one ascends into the upper register. Many people believe that this limits the artistic value of the instrument, that the bass flute is only useful in its lowest register. The thinness of the sound of the bass flute's high register is not unlike the sound produced by ethnic flutes. Performers on these instruments take advantage of the variety of colors available on their instruments. If a particular pitch is weak or thin, the player uses that pitch for musically expressive purposes. I wanted to use the bass flute for this composition because it is capable of producing a variety of timbres much like those associated with traditional Irish flute playing. The very fact that the bass flute is different from the "soprano" flute, that it has uneven registers, makes it ideal for this piece. The opening and closing movements are based on slow airs and should be played with some rhythmic freedom. Each places the original melody in the middle of the movement encased by an introduction and a coda. In O'Carolan's Lament, the introduction is based on a few optional extended techniques. The introduction and coda of the last movement, My Lagan Love, make extensive use of optional harmonics. Use the fingering indicated by the triangular note heads to produce the given pitches. The last three measures of the piece are simply an elaboration of the tonic pitch. I wanted to accent the high "D," then have the player portamento down to the low "D." If done slowly enough, the individual pitches of the harmonic series can be heard. After some experimentation, I decided to add the high "A." This makes the harmonics easier to control and it allows more harmonics to sound. Accent the high "A" and as you back away from it allow the pitch to linger for just an instant on each of the harmonics (see musical example below). Ideally each would sound, but it is not a disaster if one is skipped. The important thing is to make it sound natural. The middle movement, Tobin's Jig, should be very rhythmic. I suggest putting a lot of breath behind the accents (even pushing from the diaphragm). The effect in the opening passage is that the player is improvising and goes off on a bit of a tangent. As the player realizes that he/she is deviating from the tune, the performer "trails off" and then begins again with full force. The end of the theme (where the score is marked "no phrase break") should flow directly into the second theme without a pause or ritard. The "trio" makes use of some optional extended techniques (see musical example below). It begins with a series of D Major arpeggios based on a special set of fingerings. These fingerings should be used for each three note group (with the exception of the final "D" in the first ending which should be fingered normally). The flutist overblows these fingerings to produce the harmonics indicated. While these harmonics need to be rhythmic, the pitches need not be the exact ones indicated. The desired effect is one of a harmonic sweep, if the fingerings indicated are used, some pitch in the desired harmonic series will automatically sound. Even though the extended techniques do make it more colorful, all of the extended techniques in the piece are optional. While I believe that the timbres created using these techniques are often quite beautiful, I am also aware that they do not work equally well for all players on all instruments. Performers should feel free to omit any or all of the extended techniques. I would much rather have a comfortable, musical performance of the work than a clumsy performance with all the "right effects." I would recommend however that the 32nd notes at the end of the second movement be played with the fingerings indicated. I don't believe that most players will be able to play them fast enough using the conventional fingerings. Last revision 7/2/2004. This page is maintained by Robert Fruehwald (rfruehwald@semovm.semo.edu). This Web page is maintained on a Southeast Missouri State University server as a convenience for users. The University does not take responsibility for the content of this site.
My wife is a harpist. She became interested in Irish music because it helps her students to learn to play more naturally and freely. Through working with Irish musicians she also came to have an appreciation for the beauty of traditional Irish melodies. Because my wife teaches in our home, I have inadvertently become extremely familiar with many of these melodies and have grown to love them.
While this music is playable on the flute, I really believe that it sounds better on the bass flute. The bass flute is not simply a larger version of the "soprano" flute, it does in fact have different acoustical properties. While the low register of the bass flute has a rich focused sound, the sound becomes increasingly thin as one ascends into the upper register. Many people believe that this limits the artistic value of the instrument, that the bass flute is only useful in its lowest register. The thinness of the sound of the bass flute's high register is not unlike the sound produced by ethnic flutes. Performers on these instruments take advantage of the variety of colors available on their instruments. If a particular pitch is weak or thin, the player uses that pitch for musically expressive purposes. I wanted to use the bass flute for this composition because it is capable of producing a variety of timbres much like those associated with traditional Irish flute playing. The very fact that the bass flute is different from the "soprano" flute, that it has uneven registers, makes it ideal for this piece.
The opening and closing movements are based on slow airs and should be played with some rhythmic freedom. Each places the original melody in the middle of the movement encased by an introduction and a coda. In O'Carolan's Lament, the introduction is based on a few optional extended techniques. The introduction and coda of the last movement, My Lagan Love, make extensive use of optional harmonics. Use the fingering indicated by the triangular note heads to produce the given pitches. The last three measures of the piece are simply an elaboration of the tonic pitch. I wanted to accent the high "D," then have the player portamento down to the low "D." If done slowly enough, the individual pitches of the harmonic series can be heard. After some experimentation, I decided to add the high "A." This makes the harmonics easier to control and it allows more harmonics to sound. Accent the high "A" and as you back away from it allow the pitch to linger for just an instant on each of the harmonics (see musical example below). Ideally each would sound, but it is not a disaster if one is skipped. The important thing is to make it sound natural.
Even though the extended techniques do make it more colorful, all of the extended techniques in the piece are optional. While I believe that the timbres created using these techniques are often quite beautiful, I am also aware that they do not work equally well for all players on all instruments. Performers should feel free to omit any or all of the extended techniques. I would much rather have a comfortable, musical performance of the work than a clumsy performance with all the "right effects." I would recommend however that the 32nd notes at the end of the second movement be played with the fingerings indicated. I don't believe that most players will be able to play them fast enough using the conventional fingerings.
Last revision 7/2/2004. This page is maintained by Robert Fruehwald (rfruehwald@semovm.semo.edu).
This Web page is maintained on a Southeast Missouri State University server as a convenience for users. The University does not take responsibility for the content of this site.
