Gannon, L :: Music for Flute

Music for Flute: Etudes and Concert Works

Gannon, L

The American Composers Alliance presents the collected flute works of Lee Gannon, several published for the first time.

The '2 Etude-Caprices' are early Gannon works, written with an evident flutists' eye for style - clear strains of Kohler and Hindemith meld, resulting in contrasting etudes (the first romantic, the second fleet) filled with sly chromaticism and unexpected harmonic shifts that foreshadow later developments in Gannon's musical language.

The 'March' was penned before Gannon began his full expansion into his compositional powers. Much like the 'Etude-Caprices' it was probably created as a bit of a challenge to the composer himself - the clean staccato tonguing at forte, the embouchure technique required for smooth large leaps, and the requirement of an attractive yet forceful sound in the altissimo register.

The more mature 'Six Etudes' spring from Gannon's deep familiarity with musical Modernity as a composer - with an understanding of current musical trends, and an intent to preserve and teach them from the perspective of a (deserved) expert. The Etudes cover several techniques used frequently in Modern music: new ways of expressing accel. and rit., measureless rhythms, looping repeats, spatial notation, trills as note timbre, and box notation.

Gannon composed 'Derelict' in 1989 to exploit his own technique as a flutist. A number of extended techniques are used such as harmonics, flutter-tonguing, and most notable, slap tonguing. The first section is constructed using a seven note set of pitches that is arranged in various ways, which represents the HIV virus. The second section contrasts with the first by using more melodic material that is very serene, even delicate. In the third and final section, there is a struggle between the musical material used in the first two sections.

The 'Three Pieces in Crystal' are the closest Gannon comes to writing a standard recital work for his own instrument, and they allow the concert flutist to explore Gannon's music alongside other great American flute repertoire of the late 20th century. One might think he would appreciate being thought of in the same breath as his teachers or contemporaries - Copland's 'Duo', Griffes's 'Poem'; Liebermann's 'Sonata'; ...and Gannon's 'Three Pieces', perhaps.