Expanding The Flute Repertoire: Five Works by Caribbean Composers
Author: Christine Gangelhoff, Guest Contributor
There is certainly no shortage of great flute music in our world. Flutists across the globe have the opportunity to play music both from the classical canon and by contemporary composers. There is growing interest in playing music from not just composers of European descent but also composers representing a diverse population, specifically BIPOC composers. As a professional flutist, I have always enjoyed opportunities to work with living composers and performing music that is relevant to my students and audience.
I have been a music professor at the University of The Bahamas for over a decade and have done extensive research on Caribbean composers. I have learned of incredible works by composers who have international careers and those who are more regionally based. Luckily for me, some of that music has included works for flute, whether solo or chamber. In this entry, I’d like to share five of my favorite pieces that would be great additions to any flutist’s repertoire, whether as a teacher or a performer.
1) Sonate Vodou Jazz by Haitian composer Julio Racine
Instrumentation: Flute and piano
Julio Racine (1945-2020) was a Haitian flutist, conductor, and composer. He studied at the National Conservatory of Haiti and the University of Louisville School of Music. After his studies, he returned to Haiti where he became Professor of Flute and Conductor of the Holy Trinity Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestre Philharmonique Sainte Trinité).
Sonate Vodou Jazz is in three movements. This piece offers three styles in one: the form and instrumentation are classical in nature; the rich, extended harmonies create a jazz sonority; and the rhythmic patterns, especially in the piano part, were inspired by traditional Haitian folkloric music.
Listen to recording of Mvmt 2:
Available for purchase at fluteworld.com: https://www.fluteworld.com/product/sonate-vodou-jazz/
2) Volonté by Jules Eduoard Héraux
Instrumentation: Melody instrument (flute) and piano
Julio Racine also produced arrangements of Haitian folk music. The series Chansons d’Haïti is a compilation produced by soprano Karine Margron with music arranged by Racine. The series is an initiative to preserve and disseminate the musical heritage of Haiti. The volume on méringue is arranged for melody instrument and piano and can easily be adopted for flute and piano. One of my favorite tunes from this volume is Volonté, a Haitian méringue originally composed by Jules Eduoard Héraux (1891-1960). The version you can listen to here, based on Julio Racine’s adaptation of the work, was arranged by the ensemble C Force:
For purchase information, visit: https://forfhaiti.org/chansons-dhaiti-songs-of-haiti/
3) Fantasía sobre el seis Mapeyé by Puerto Rican composer Ana María Hernández
Instrumentation: Solo piccolo (also works for solo flute)
Ana María Hernández holds the position of Solo Piccolo and Flutist of the Puerto Rico Symphony. She is also an active international soloist, clinician, and scholar. Her debut CD Flauta Boricua/Puerto Rican Flute features exclusively works by Puerto Rican composers. Hernández has also arranged works for the flute and piccolo. One such arrangement is Fantasía sobre el seis Mapeyé.
The seis is a type of Puerto Rican Jíbaro dance music traditionally performed by poet/singers known as trovadores. Hernández’s arrangement is based on a traditional melody and includes several sections that are improvisatory and virtuosic in nature.
Listen to Hernández’s recording of the work:
Available for purchase at: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/fantasa-sobre-el-seis-mapey-digital-sheet-music/21938012
4) Una Isla: Dos Mundos by Dominican composer Darwin Aquino
Instrumentation: Flute and violin (doubling on percussion)
Dominican conductor and composer Darwin Aquino studied composition at the Conservatoire National de Strasbourg in France with Italian maestro Ivan Fedele and served as composer in residence for the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic.
His 2015 composition, Una Isla: Dos Mundos, is an example of Aquino’s investigations of the African origins of folk music in the Dominican Republic. In this work, he is specifically inspired by music from the Gagá and Rará traditions of Dominican Republic and Haiti. He draws on this inspiration by adding to the performer’s lines percussion instruments that harken to those musical traditions: bongo, whistle, windchimes, triangle, and cajón.
Listen to audio on Aquino’s website:
https://darwinaquino.com/works/
Available for purchase at: https://www.cayambismusicpress.com/aquino-una-isla-dos-mundos-p/cmp-1076.htm
5) One for Hermeto by Rowland Sutherland
Instrumentation: Flute (or violin), cello, and piano
Rowland Sutherland is a British flautist, composer, arranger, bandleader and educator, with roots from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He composes and performs classical, jazz, non-Western and contemporary musical styles with ensembles, bands, orchestras and as a soloist. Rowland has composed and arranged for a number of artists, bands and ensembles in the UK and around the world.
One for Hermeto was inspired by Hermeto Pascoal, the godfather of contemporary Brazilian jazz. The style and structure of this work reckons Hermeto’s ballads with continuous flowing lines and forward motion. The piece is very improvisatory in nature, and the performers have the option to add further embellishments.
Listen to an excerpt of the work here:
http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/1324115
For purchase information, contact the composer directly: http://www.rowlandsutherland.com/
About The Author
Dr. Christine Gangelhoff is a multi-dimensional practitioner of music. She is an experienced performer; an enthusiastic teacher and mentor; an advocate for arts and cultural institutions; and a dedicated scholar. She is currently Associate Professor of Music at The University of The Bahamas and has also held positions on the faculties of Memorial University of Newfoundland and St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Dr. Gangelhoff is a founding member of the chamber ensemble, C Force. Since its formation in 2008, the group has been featured in concert throughout the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada. Their aim is to showcase little-known classical composers of the Caribbean region in original compositions, transcriptions, and arrangements.