André Jolivet
Suite en concert pour flûte et percussion or Concerto for flute Nr.2 (1966)
Duration: 16’
I – Modéré – Frémissant
II – Stabile
III – Hardiment
IV – Calme – Véloce – Apaisé
Premiere : 23rd february 1966 by the Percussionists of the French National Radio Orchestra, conductor : Daniel Chabrun, solist : Jean-Pierre Rampal
Instruments :
Flute and 4 Percussions
5 TBl., Guiro, Hi-Hat, 2 SD., Tamb M.., 2 BD., 3 Cowbells, Claves, 2 Tambourines., 3 Tomtoms, 2 Pair Maracas, 3 Triangels, 2 WBl., Jingle Bells, Bongos, 3 Cymbals, Tamtam, Whip, Castagn.
André Jolivet’s Suite en Concert for Flute and Percussion was the composer’s second concerto for flute. A prolific French composer, Jolivet’s works are regularly performed worldwide. Jolivet’s reputation as a staunch individualist is demonstrated by his vast compositional output of more than 200 works, many of which were groundbreaking for their time. Jolivet sought “to give back to music its original ancient meaning, when it was the magical, the incantatory expression of the religious beliefs of human groups.” Suite en Concert achieves this in no small way by combining the earthly ancient sounds of drums and flute, some of the earliest instruments known in existence. In four movements, Suite en Concert is a jewel of melodic beauty, virtuosic flute composition and sensitive percussion composition. The four percussionists rapidly navigate a battery of drums, woodblocks, cymbals and rattles to accompany the sustained and often melodically disjunct flute part.
-Lee Hinkle-
Annotated by Laurent Warnier