Catching the sounds in the air
INFORMATION
Instrumentation: Solo Flute
Duration: 07’ 30”
Year of Composition: 2015
The work received its premiere performance on April 29, 2015, by Alfredo Muñoz at California State University, Northridge, Northridge, California.
RECORDING
Soloist: Alfredo Muñoz
PROGRAM NOTES
Catching the Sounds in the Air was inspired by the poignant sounds that the modern-day flute can produce. I tried the best to capture the image of contemporary art, architecture, and paintings in my imagination. The first movement draws attention to the beautiful sonorities where the flute captures low, haunting emulation a "dark air." I intentionally let the composition manifests itself in a slow, dark realm, deliberate unfolding frequent suspensions of the pitch, color, and timbre that deliberately draw the listener's attention to a specific sound. This composition employs some serial techniques, but they do not control the piece. Instead, serialism is treated like every other element in the work—a sonic quality that can be brought to the attention or left dormant as found in the second movement.
I have always wanted to write a jazz composition, and even though this composition is movement is not to be swung in time, it truly depicts my love for modern jazz. As the subtitle suggests, "cool air" is something that I want the player to imagine, something like going to the beach and have a nice cold beverage. The rhythms and melodic motifs heard during the first few bars depict that cool, airy, jazz feel to this piece. Inspiration from this piece came after hearing several flute players improvising on the flute on big band and Latin jazz charts.
The last movement tries to these low multi-phonic sonorities that depict the Centre Pompidou in France. I tried to capture an image of twirling those pipes around my head and producing this angelic, howling sound that even though they make a certain pitch, the perfection of that pitch is not certain. The flute tone in this movement is illustrated by the various usage of multiphonics, especially during the breathing, and further emphasized by singing and playing, resulting in a difference in tones and buzzing. Long notated inhalations frequently alert the listener that even though this magnificent contemporary structure's pipes are lifeless, sounds and sonorities are present when there is wind in the air traversing through these pipes, appropriately catching sounds in the air.