1. Sonatina for Flute and Piano by Karel Husa. Published by Associated Music, Inc. and distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation. Available on-line
from www.musicdispatch.com or from major vendors and specialty flute stores, such as Flute World, Carol Nussbaum Music, etc.
Price: $17.95.
Despite its title, this 15 minute long work by this Pulitzer prize winning Czech composer is a major addition to the sonata repertoire.
Husa’s Sonatina was a student work written for the violin in 1945 while at the Conservatory in Prague. Karl Husa was a resident of the U.S. from 1954 and
ended his career teaching at Cornell University. It was there in Ithaca, NY that Leone Buyse, who in urged Husa to adapt this piece for the flute, premiered the
final version of this sonata in July of 2002. With full typical fast, slow, fast arrangement for the movements, this Sonatina is tuneful and harmonically interesting,
with a style similar to that of the Hindemith Sonata, although much more lightly scored and less contrapuntal. The technical difficulties for the flute and piano are
not extreme and should be playable by advanced high school and younger college students. This would be a good introduction to mid-20th century musical style and the
rhythmic drive of the melodic lines and pungent choral underpinning give it a full and mature sound. (J.E.P.)
2. Music of Venezuela performed by Marcos Granados and the Mundo Ensemble. A CD recording produced and distributed by Granados, at his website,
www.sunflute.com, where you can hear samples and view live video performances. Selections are available from iTunes in MP3 format,
or the full CD recording can be purchased directly from www.cdbaby.com. Price: $15.00.
This is a first-rate recording both in the clarity and fidelity of the CD and the brilliance of Marcos Granados’ performance. Accompanied by a small group
of traditional instruments (the cuatro-style guitar, bass and percussion) supplemented on some tracks with a trumpet, Granados plays 16 traditional songs, dances,
and traditional pieces from his native country with a zest and drive that is infectious and beguiling. His technical feats on this recording are nothing short of
astonishing. The richness of his tone, his rapid finger work on complicated patterns, the crispness of this articulation and accents, his unflagging endurance, and
his intonation in the extreme high tessitura of many of these pieces, simply makes your jaw drop. Don’t play this CD in your car or you are likely to be stopped
for speeding as the spirit of Granados playing takes you along for the ride, or you may be late for your appointments because you have pulled over to the side of the
road so you could focus on this tour de force of flute artistry. Brava Virtuosismo! (J.E.P.)
3. The RealFlute Project; a comprehensive online resource by flutist, Nina Perlove. Online at
http://www.realfluteproject.com/REALFLUTE/About.html
Nina Perlove is a relatively young, but very experienced, flutist with a growing reputation, who currently is teaching at the University of Northern Kentucky, across
the river from her alma mater the University of Cincinnati where she received her D.M.A. degree. Moreover, she is a fine writer, music critic, and advocate for modern
music. When Perlove began posting her videos on YouTube last year, a good deal of comment and heated discussion surfaced on some of the on-line flute chat groups,
especially on the Galway-Flute-Chat. Who was this person with the temerity to raise such substantive issues of teaching and playing style? What authority did she
have to voice her opinions and take such strong stances. She responded directly and with heartfelt commitment to her art and to her approach to the flute. She also
continued to put her videos on the web and to post regularly to her blog which presents her personal “discussions about music, flute, performing, teaching, and
life as it relates to art.” You can find some outstanding live performances online here:
http://www.realfluteproject.com/REALFLUTE/My_Performances.html.
In the past few months, Perlove has garnered great praise and strong support from many corners of the flute world for her on-line video master classes on Articulation,
Breathing, Fingering Sound Production, Vibrato and especially for her tantalizing posting of recordings by “the Mystery Flutist” and her demonstrations
of her testing of 10 flutes and head joints of different metals made by the same fine flute maker, Lillian Burkart. Perlove produces these videos in her teaching
studio with a minimum of equipment and fuss. She simply has the confidence to turn on the machine and play and talk in a direct and straightforward manner. The
recordings probably don’t represent her best work, but they show off her ideas and her obvious talent very well. Take time to explore this rich website and
to listen and watch her exceptional performances. You will be impressed. (J.E.P.)
From the February 2008 issue
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