Composed with the assistance of flutist and soprano Rebecca Simpson-Litke. Performed by Rebecca at UBC Recital Hall in 2003 and the Sonic Boom Festival in Vancouver in 2005, and by Patricia Green in Esprit Orchestra’s New Waves Festival in Toronto, May 2007. Winner of first place prize in SOCAN’s Young Composer competition, Pierre Mercure division, 2003.
Piece for Flute and Voice
2002,
10’ 45”
For one performer, flute and soprano.
Program notes
David Litke's Piece for Flute and Voice is to be played by a single performer, a flutist with a soprano voice. The piece explores various combinations and juxtapositions of singing and playing; the performer is required to sing and play simultaneously, and to make transitions between the two timbres.
The early stages of the piece emphasize the similarities between the sound of the voice and that of the flute, highlighting their common origins in the human breath. Over the course of the piece, however, a process of differentiation occurs; although they are borne of the same esprit, the two modes of sound production explore and develop their unique characteristics, each finding its individual strengths and personality.
