Damase, J-M :: Duo concertante pour flute, harpe et orchestre a cordes

The Duo Concertante for flute, harp, and string orchestra - one of the great masterworks written by Jean-Michel Damase, here presented in a reduction by the composer for flute, harp, and piano.

Damase, as a composer, had a particular bias for the combination of flute and harp - his mother, the renowned harpist Micheline Kahn, was his earliest musical influence, and she more than left her mark. Damase's Sonatas for flute and harp sit at the height of the repertoire thanks to his incredibly sensitive treatment of the two instruments, and they launched frequent commissions - many, of course, performed by his mother.

The Duo Concertante is the mature masterwork resulting from Damase's deep familiarity with the instruments. The first movement (of two) embodies the more classic, melodic interplay of flute and harp; thick and beguiling phrases thread through a mix of impressionist and neo-romantic writing. The second movement, however, is a clear homage to Ravel and Debussy, mixed with the quasi-exotic writing Damase does so well. Great uncoiling lines wend their way from flute to harp and back again in a huge exploratory form of cadenza, accompanied on and off by the orchestra.

For advanced players.