Flute and Piano
SKU:
IS.FP4052EM
Composed
by Jef Maes. Woodwinds -
Flute. Metropolis Music
Publishers #FP4052EM.
Published by Metropolis
Music Publishers
(IS.FP4052EM).
ISBN
9790365040520.
Belg
ian composer Jef Joseph
Maes (1905 – 1996)
often described himself
as a modern romantic, and
his 1948 Arabesque and
Scherzo for flute and
piano (written as a
concours piece for the
Royal Conservatoire
Antwerp in Belgium) is a
testament to that label.
Quite aside from its
appeal to flutists as a
competition work - with
its origins as a concours
piece allowing the player
to display both technical
and musical prowess - the
music itself holds
touches of Korngold and
early Hindemith in its
lush melodies and moments
of sultry film music.
And, though Maes held no
truck with most elements
of modernism, his clever
take on neo-romantic
harmony and a healthy
touch of humor keeps the
piece sounding fresh and
appealing. Constructed on
the model of more famous
Paris Conservatoire
pieces - Gaubert's
Nocturne et Allegro
Scherzando, for example,
or Enesco's Cantabile et
Presto - the Arabesque
and Scherzo revels in the
two-movement format. The
opening Arabesque allows
the flutist to sing, with
ornamentation and
figurations highlighting
the flute's ability to
color octave-spanning
melody with technique.
The Scherzo alternates
between action sequences
and moments of reverie,
but always with an ear
towards vivid musicality
and clear conversation
between flute and
piano.
Enesco
