Flute & Percussion

Little Match Girl

Abigana, B

Little Match Girl for flute and vibraphone with suspended cymbal based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen. Includes score and parts.

The coloristic and registral transformations occurring in Daniel Adams' Twilight Remembered allude to the gradually dimming hues of sunset over water. The sounds move gradually from high to low from the beginning to the end of the piece. Four-mallet technique is required.

Duration: 6'. Instrumentation: Flute, percussion (3 triangles, brake drum, 3 suspended cymbals, large tam-tam).

3 Inventionen BWV 772, 777, 779 [3 Inventions BWV 772, 777, 779]

Bach, JS

Bach, JS Three Inventions (BWV 772, 777, 779) for 2 flutes, vibraphone and marimba

Estratos

Barboza, P

Pedro Barboza presents ESTRATOS for flute, percussion, and tape (electronics). A complex work requiring a high level of virtuosity from both players in a distinctly modern musical language that uses atonal sounds and aggressive ideas to mimic ancient ritual music.

Duration: 11'. Percussion (1 player): Bongos, 3 Tumbadoras, Goliat, Vibraphone.

Spirit Dance by Marilyn Bliss

Inspired by Indigenous shaman ceremonies, Spirit Dance for Native American flute and maracas features bending tones in the flute and, after an opening evocation, a long accelerando that steadily builds to an ecstatic conclusion. The flute part may also be played on concert flute, or adapted for shakuhachi.

Leaves is a duo in five short movements: I. pensive (alto flute, vibraphone); II. dreamily (flute, crotales and vibraphone); III. floating, effortless (piccolo, crotales); IV. focused (alto flute, vibraphone); V. powerful, radiating (flute, vibraphone). The movements vary from lyrical to percussive, from spacious and subtle to active and evolving. Extended techniques and other contemporary conventions are clearly indicated through performance instructions and diagrams. Winner, 2021 National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition, Mixed Duets Category.

Duration: 10'.

CONSTELLATIONS for flute, piano, and percussion (1 or 2 players) by Howard J. Buss is part of a series of compositions by the composer inspired by the awesome grandeur and beauty of the cosmos. The forward thrust, narrative quality, and colorful ambiance of the music suggest the musicians are on a wondrous journey exploring a series of varied and colorful star systems. The juxtaposition between agitated chromatic passages and tonal, focused sections is analogous to the experience of viewing up-close, seemingly chaotic space 'debris' (dust, rocks, gas, etc.) as contrasted with the beauty and exquisite organization of star systems viewed from afar.

Inspired by Glacier National Park in Montana, the 3 picturesque movements, Dawn, On the Trail, and In the Realm of Twin Falls, capture the awe-inspiring grandeur and beauty of the rugged landscape.

Kaleidoscope

Buss, HJ

New Edition! Renotated 2021

This colorful 'theme' and variations was written for the McCormick Duo. The theme is a rhythmic pattern which is varied in a manner similar to the transformation of images as seen through a kaleidoscope. Both performers have an equally important role in presenting the musical material. The percussion includes marimba, bells, 2 suspended cymbals, temple blocks, bell tree, and tambourine.

Duration: 8:20; Difficulty: Grade IV-V

Howard Buss presents Modern Times for narrator, flute doubling piccolo, and four percussionists.

'A powerful, dramatic depiction of life in our time. Provocative, at times mystical, and occasionally humorous, this work addresses an eclectic range of subjects such as taxes, neglected children, team mascots, and the information glut. The tenor of Buss social commentary is somewhere between the witty jeering of Mark Twain and the pithy insights of Sinclair Lewis. In his free verse one finds provocation without violence and intense anger without profanity.'

- The Tampa Tribune.

The sophisticated music of MODERN TIMES transports the poetry into the dramatic and colorful sound world of the flute and percussion ensemble. The result is a unique and fresh view of the culture(s) in which we live. The writing is mature and fresh, yet is within reach of a solid college ensemble.

Movements (that may be performed separately): I. Info Glut, II. Night Tide, III. The Hunt, V. Five Question Interlude, V. The Asphalt Blanket, VI. To a Neglected Child, VII. Giggles!?!, VIII. Modern Times.

Percussion distribution: Perc. 1: Xylophone, lion roar, tam-tam, vibraslap, 2 suspended cymbals, Chinese bell tree & bongos;
Perc.2: Marimba, snare drum, bass drum, 2 anvils (metal pipes may be substituted), glass jug or jars (to be broken for the sonic effect), conga drum, wind chimes & triangle;
Perc. 3: Vibes, roto toms, tambourine, tam-tam, police whistle, shaker, duck call;
Perc. 4: Orchestra bells, timpani (4), agogo bells, 2 suspended cymbals, hi-hat, wind chimes, wood block, frog croak (may be imitated vocally), boing box effect (a flexitone may be substituted), triangle & guiro.

Mysterious Exit

Buss, HJ

The title refers to the inexplicable disappearance of the 14th Century Sinagua Indians who inhabited an area in what is now the State of Arizona. This work was inspired by the composer s visit to the Sinagua pueblo ruins and is a musical representation of how the Sinaguan culture graced the austere and forbidding landscape of the region. The central section of the piece exhibits some of the intriguing rhythmic asymmetry found in Hopi dance songs.

Perc. 1: Orchestra bells, temple blocks, suspended cymbals(medium and large), bead pod rattle, metal wind chimes.
Perc. 2: Marimba, medium suspended cymbal.
Perc. 3: Xylophone, large suspended cymbal.
Perc. 4: Vibraphone, tom tom(American Indian), sleigh bells, bean pod rattle, suspended cymbals, bell tree.

Commissioned for the McCormick Duo and the 30th Anniversary of the National Flute Association. Percussion instruments (one player) include: Marimba, suspended cymbal, tambourine, bongos, wood block, wind chimes, and agogo bells.

'The opening section, Masada presents angular solos against percussion accents, with ascending legato passages for the flute. The music turns more florid and Middle-Eastern in style before a peaceful coda. Storm on Mount Sinai offers sharply rhythmic music accented with tambourine and a more febrile bazaar-like flute writing. The Flock by the Sea of Galilee contains an oddly memorable five-note percussion motif under a lovely bucolic flute theme. The Road to Jerusalem makes a haunting finale with elaborate passages against pulsating percussion. Scenes from the Holy Land is an effective and colorful work with deftly varied music and tackled by the musicians with skill and understated virtuosity Buss intimate style requires. It makes its effects with point and economy and would be a boon to flute and percussion duos searching for program material.'

- The Gramophone, April 2005

A dramatic tour de force for flute and percussionist during which both performers recite the text. Mystical and lyrical sections contrast with intense and explosive passages.

The percussion includes vibes, bells, roto toms, bass drum, tambourine, cowbell, cymbals, wind chimes, bell tree, tam-tam, temple blocks, maracas, and a lion roar.

Dedicated to the McCormick Duo, this colorful, engaging work juxtaposes mystical, lyrical, and energetic sections in a manner analogous to the ebb and flow of emotions experienced by the composer during meditation on the awesome grandeur of a starry night. From mystical, quiet murmurings to intense and brilliant forte passages, the music showcases the great expressive range of the flute and marimba duo.

Howard J. Buss presents Two Caprices for flute, oboe, and marimba.

A rousing showpiece in 2 engaging movements. Evocation moves from the mysterious opening to a beautiful extended section in a pensive mood. Romp features beautiful lyricism and spirited rhythms with a Latin flare.

For flute and marimba. The interaction of the lyrical melodies in this beautiful and frequently performed work is reminiscent of the patterns created by intermingling waves on the surface of water.

Composed for Chamber Cartel, whose initial season Nonstop called for a concert each month for a year. Needless to say things would get a little crazy, and it was indeed a death cage match to the finish. This piece embodies that epic battle of completing such a season. Premiered on the last concert of the season, this piece highlights a classic brawl between two flutists and two percussionists. Four enter, but do four leave?

Percussion includes: marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, 3 tom-toms, mounted sleigh bells, 2 suspended cymbals, and whip.

The idea of Rituals came about in 2007, when Dr. Angela Rowland, a founding member of the Macau Chamber Orchestra in Macau, proposed an idea to write a piece for piccolo and percussion inspired by the popular Chinese lion dance. Can adopted the idea, and incorporate other urban scenes that he have encountered in New York City, to create this three-movement piece. Rituals was commissioned by the Walden School, for the Firebird Ensemble, Boston.

Percussion Instrumentation: Small slide whistle, Domestic ceramic cup, Woodblock (medium), Brake drum, Flexaton, Small Beijing Gong, Cowbell, Bongos (2), Hi-hat, Snare drum, Kick drum.

Vocalise

Chenowith, W

Wilbur Chenowith presents the Vocalise, a captivating duo well-suited to recitals. The marimba part requires four-mallet independence and one-handed rolls. An expressive and romantic duo for a wonderful combination of instruments.

Instrumentation: Flute, marimba (4-octave).