Works for flute quartet, flute and percussion, and piano trio performed by flutist Paula Robison, percussionist Ayano Kataoka, Musicians from Marlboro, and the Claremont Trio.
Today we explore three pieces intended for a specific patron or performer. Mozart’s Flute Quartet was written at the behest of the wealthy amateur flutist Ferdinand De Jean. Much has been made of Mozart’s purported distaste for the flute, and he struggled to complete the four concertos and six quartets De Jean requested. Listening to this delightful music, though, and the prominent role the flute plays, one can’t help but wonder whether Mozart was being entirely truthful. Kirchner’s Flutings for Paula was originally written for Ms. Robison in 1973. Kirchner reworked it some thirty years later to feature percussion prominently, in the version we’ll hear today. The pairing of flute with vibes and wind chimes creates a verdant, magical mood. Kirchner’s Trio No. 2 was originally written at the urging of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson trio. This work, the composer writes, is evocative of a bygone era of music, a time when form and feeling were of paramount importance, and inextricably linked.
