Carla Rees: Flute Transformations

‘Transformations’ 

Carla Rees, flutes  

Thea Musgrave: Narcissus
Kaija Saariaho: Couleurs du vent
David Gorton: Partita for alto flute  

One of the UK’s most pioneering flautists brings a typically adventurous and imaginative programme to Durham, on the theme of transformation. In Musgrave’s Narcissus, the flute’s sound is transformed through electronic delays, exploring the story of Narcissus interacting with his shadow. Saariaho’s Couleurs du vent takes material from her earlier works and transforms them into a new piece for solo alto flute, centred upon the colour palette of the flute, created by the air. Finally, we present the world premiere of David Gorton’s Partita for solo alto flute, commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Thea Musgrave Fund, which transforms Bach’s keyboard music into a tour-de-force for the Kingma System alto flute.  Partita for alto flute is supported by the Royal Philharmonic Society, with a grant from the RPS Thea Musgrave Fund.