Flute Alone - Julian Sperry

CRC407-2

£10.00

Eleven works for solo flute

Track Listing:

[1] Eugène Bozza - Image Op38
[2] Georg Philipp Telemann - Fantasia No10 in F# minor - I A tempo guisto
[3]  - II Presto
[4]  - III Moderato
[5] Jaques Ibert - Pièce
[6] Claude Debussy - Syrinx
[7] Edgard Varèse - Density 21.5
[8] Arthur Honegger - Danse de la Chèvre
[9] Paul Hindermith - Acht Stücke - I Gemächlich, leicht bewegt
[10]  - II Scherzando
[11]  - III Sehr Langsam, frei im Zeitmaß
[12]  - IV Gemächlich
[13]  - V Sehr lebhaft
[14]  - VI Lied, leicht bewegt
[15]  - VII Rezitativ
[16]  - VII Finale
[17] André Jolivet - Incantation for Alto Flute
[18] Sigfried Karg-Elert - Sonata (Appassionata) in F# minor
[19] Georg Philipp Telemann - Fantasia No3 in B minor - I Largo - Vivace
[20]  - II Allegro
[21] Timothy Murray - Night Piece

Total playing time 56:49

Reviews:

"..one word sums up the music and performance - VIBRANT - Highly Recommended"
Flutewise

"Julian Sperry has had the brave idea of recording eleven works for solo flute, ranging from Teleman to a new specially commissioned work by Timothy Murray - How welcome that the sound of 'flute alone' continues to inspire composers.
One might imagine that it would be difficult to sustain a full length recital of solo flute but the richness of imagination and musical interpretation holds interest throughout. Each work is thoughtful and poised. Jolivet's Incantation for alto flute adds a further dimension to the range of the sound and Julian Sperry exhibits an equal mastery of this instrument.
This is sensitive playing with great attention to detail and phrasing; Sperry shows fine control over tone quality and is able to convey a particularly beautiful sound in the middle and lower registers of the instrument and knows how to exploit the range of colours. I was particularly struck by the hollow vibrato-less quality used sometimes, providing some magical moments.
Considering the popularity of early music at the moment, it is hard to find a convincing style for baroque repertoire played on modern flutes, but in this CD, I especially enjoyed both Telemann Fantasias. These and the Murray all show the quality of Julian Sperry's playing at its best. In Night Piece, commissioned by Sperry and written in 1993, the young Glaswegian composer Timothy Murray demonstrates a real understanding of the instrument. His use of flutter-tonguing for example is eciting and integral to the music, whereas one sometimes feels it is used purely for effect. It shows Juilian Sperry in virtuosic form and in full control of the long legato phrases.
A final word of praise for the quality of the recording: it is not over resonant and, I feel, reproduces Sperry;s true flute sound and all its nuances."
Pan Flute Journal