Friday, August 15, 2008

Some of my favourite things...Argerich playing Prokofiev

Dear Flutists,

Three posts in as few days; we must be getting to the end of the summer holidays. It seems that everyone is slowly trickling back home again, after various vacations, and everyone seems so much more relaxed and open-minded. Obviously long vacations are very much needed by us all.

But now, back to my favourite things:

1. Flut Zalad: I have been arranging massive numbers of suites for flute trios; this is extremely fun if not a bit trop-trop-soprano-based. I've been taking all the great-loved songs and sea chanties of my mixed up celtic past and using Sibelius software to score them into fascinating C-flute trios. My current flute group Flut Zalad is preparing for some local house concerts, to be followed up by big stage concerts (Random Acts at the Port on March 4/09 for one). I will announce these arrangements for trio as "publishable" at some point, and make them available for purchase. If I do say so, they are toe-tappers and mezmerizers. Most are derived from the brain plus public domain. Nothing could BE more unifying to the poor old brain. Shopping for flute trios has been interesting. Some of the finds that I've unearthed on the web (that's quite an image!) are here:
McGuire's Celtic Knotwork, available from www.justflutes.com is a marvellous short work for three flutes. It's stunning to listen to the Scottish Flute Trio play it on their CD. You'll really want to hear this CD. :>)

FLUTE.NET Publications is a site that sells composed works for flute and ensembles of flutes. If you listen to the full length mp3s, you'll find yourself buying several pieces of sheetmusic. I know I did. :>)

2. Next, I have been reading one incredibly fabulous classical music blog. I've mentioned this one before here, but I'm truly reading it like a novel. FABULOUS, and hats off to Jeremy Denk's amazingly deep yet squirmish music blog. I just LOVE it. The above links back to the old blog (start there for sure) and then eventually you can catch up with the new blog here.

3. And finally; I have discovered through searching for good classical music blogs, that Deutsche Gramaphone is streaming live videos of summer concerts online until September.
This Martha Argerich Prokofiev Concerto no. 3 is stupendous.

After much applause the orchestra then plays Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. Well worth a huge listen on a rainy afternoon in August. (Getting a chance to play in an orchestra such as this is a great goal for young flute students also.) And,not only is Argerich my absolute favourite in terms of intensity and Authority/Authenticity, but the viewpoint that the camera is filming from is indeed the viewpoint of the flute section. Interesting to be "sitting just exactly right there" and hearing my favourite performer play one of my favourite works.

Enjoy,
Best, summertime Jen
Comments (2)
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Jen
So glad your going to publish some of your trios. Having heard some I know they are certainly excellent.

When you perform them with your trio you should share some recordings of them with us all and the different flute groups. Then we will know which ones we might purchase.

best wishes

Saturday, August 16, 2008 5:42:00 PM

 
Blogger jen said...

Of COURSE we'll share mp3s of our trio playing the new pieces. :>) If they're any good, of course! hahahahaa!! Jen

Saturday, August 16, 2008 7:45:00 PM

 

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