Picc. 2 Fl. Afl. Bfl (piccolo, 2 flutes, alto flute, bass flute) - Intermediate-...(+)
Picc. 2 Fl. Afl. Bfl
(piccolo, 2 flutes, alto
flute, bass flute) -
Intermediate-Advanced
SKU: FT.FM557
Composed by James
d'Angelo. Flute Quintet -
Piccolo, 2 flutes, Alto
Flute, Bass Flute. Score
and parts. Forton Music
#FM557. Published by
Forton Music (FT.FM557).
ISBN
9790570484560.
The
Wounded Angel (2013) is
written for piccolo, two
flutes, alto flute and
bass flute, and is
dedicated to Christine
Turellier, a professor of
flute at the Lille
Conservatory of Music
(France) where the work
was premiered. These
pieces were inspired by a
painting entitled The
Wounded Angel (1967) by
the visionary British
artist Cecil Collins
(1908-1990). His works
have been the basis for a
number of D'Angelo's
compositions. For
example, one of his
latest pieces for
orchestra takes its
inspiration from Collins'
painting The Angel of the
Flowing Light (1968). In
his extensive output the
artist often used angels
and fools as symbols of
purity and wisdom. In the
painting, the earthbound,
winged, wounded angel is
lying on its side with
its eyes closed. Its
colours blend in with the
purplish colours of the
earth. In the distance is
a mountain shaped like a
pyramid while the sky is
filled with shades of
orange. Just at the point
where the mountain meets
the bleak landscape we
see the sun just rising.
This angel has been
injured and fallen to
Earth and in its distress
has to find a way of
healing itself and
ascending to its
spiritual home. In this
highly impressionistic
piece the piccolo stands
for the wounded angel. It
has a three note motif
and its wound is
suggested by the semitone
difference of the second
note each time the motif
is repeated. The piece is
a voyage through all the
states of mind the angel
experiences. For example,
there are moments of
contemplation and peace
where the alto and bass
flutes play rocking
rhythms in open fifths.
The final bars of The
Wounded Angel portray the
gentle power of the angel
to heal itself and return
to the heavens. Here,
following the motif of
the gently rocking
rhythms the piccolo plays
two ascending fourths
leading to a G sharp
which has its resolution
in the angels keynote
A.
This Angel
