The Golden Flute for flute and piano is in three movements (I. Andante, lyrically and vividly; II. Larghetto, mystically; III. Allegro, energetically). I was inspired by the variation methods used in Chinese traditional instrumental performance and incorporated motivic pitch material taken from the folk tune Old Eight Beats as the seed. The solo flute imitates three different traditional instruments: the bamboo flute’s flowery variation technique with various grace notes around the melodic notes in the first movement, the ancient clay blowing instrument Xun’s mysterious and dreamy voice in the second movement, and the virtuosic bamboo flute playing in the bright and fluent third movement. The piece showcases the solo flute with various development techniques and rich musical expression built from the initial thematic material.
To listen to a recording or view the Auckland Youth Orchestra’s performance visit:
The Golden Flute by Chen Yi (soloist Eva Ding with the Auckland Youth Orchestra)
For a perusal score, click here.
The score is available at Presser:
The Golden Flute
($24.99 for print score)
For more information, please contact chenyi@aol.com. And, to explore more of Chen Yi’s music visit: Celebrating 70 Years of Chen Yi