Sophie Dufeutrelle
Marine for flute orchestra
© 2016 Alphonse Leduc
Marine is a new,
nine-minute piece for flute choir from piccolo to contrabass flute by French
composer and flutist Sophie Dufeutrelle. She dedicated it to Dale and David
Straubinger, “for whose friendship and unconditional support I am very
grateful.” And now I will list all the ways in which I adore this composition.
Marine utilizes
easily executed extended techniques like breath attacks, pizzicato tongue, and
whistle tones, to be “improvised” on a loop. In fact, the first four short
sections, meant to create a seaside atmosphere with fog, wind, seagulls, and
fishing boats, rely entirely upon these sounds. Then the piece abruptly locks
into a “Chanson et Danse”, in which melodies are evenly passed through the
parts, and harmonies are reminiscent of common practice tonality, but at times
appropriately crunchy and dense to evoke a moody day at sea. The resultant
performance is absolutely charming and beautifully painted in sound.
The difficulty level of this piece is listed in the score as
“mainly intermediate and advanced”. In fact, when I first received the score, I
thought it would only be playable by adults because of the extended techniques,
but there is a very well done live video on You Tube, at the time of this
writing, in which middle school and early high school students perform under
the direction of the composer. Although the low flute parts are rather
challenging for players new to these instruments, there is even a special (C
flute) part included for beginners, so that mixed age and ability groups can
perform together. The composer also
makes a note that, if low flutes are missing from the ensemble, they can be
replaced by other instruments (cello, bassoon, double bass, etc.). In this way,
what could have been a very impractical piece is actually quite adjustable if
one is flexible in thinking.
The score and parts are beautiful to read, with whimsical
drawings to inspire each short improvisatory section. Dufeutrelle even includes
enough parts for the entire orchestra (multiple copies of the C flute parts,
etc.), so that there is no need to feverishly photocopy minutes before the
first rehearsal. I am touched by the thoughtfulness she has put into preparing
this publication, from its inception to its final printing.
Marine is a truly
interesting contemporary piece for flute orchestra, and it can be used with a
wide range of abilities and ages, making it a piece that will always be useful
in your library. It has wonderful pedagogical
potential, looks like great fun to play, and it is a sheer delight to
experience as a listener.
Nicole Riner ©2016
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