Fenwick Smith

Great artists give free concerts at New England Conservatory—simply because they teach here.

NEC faculty member and flutist Fenwick Smith continues the great tradition of his fall recitals, performing his 35th annual concert in Jordan Hall. Smith, recently retired from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will be performing with pianist Randall Hodgkinson and harpsichordist John Gibbons, both NEC faculty.

Eugene Goossens Three Pictures: From the Belfry of Bruges, From Bredon in Cotswolds and From a Balcony in Montparnasse.

Otar Taktakishvili Sonata for Flute and Piano.

Jindrich Feld Four Pieces for Flute Alone.

Johann Sebastian Bach Sonata for Flute and Harsichord in B Minor, BWV 1030.

Goossens' (1867-1958) program notes for his three movements:

From the Belfry of Bruges
High among the bells of the famous Gothic tower; below smoke drifts lazily upward on the still air of a spring morning. A panorama of red roofs, church towers and canals; beyond, the flat green Flemish landscape stretches away to the sea haze. The confused murmur of the city mounts in an evergrowing song, climaxed by the clamour of the chimes, after which, by contrast, the stillness of the heights reigns undisturbed.

From Bredon in the Cotswolds
Summer. The rays of the setting sun cast a warm glow over the elms and fields of the plain below. The hills to the north are a purple streak on the horizon; faintly the bell of a village church is heard, and a shepherd leads his flock down the hillside. The scene is one of intimate yet all-pervading tranquility. The folk song which forms the basis of this picture seems to me to reflect most nearly the character of the landscape.

From a Balcony in Montparnasse
Paris. A panorama bounded by the Eiffel Tower and the towers of Saint Sulpice. A starry autumn night. Next door to the studio an industrious flutist practices monotonously a motive of wistful character. Down in the street an itinerant violinist competes with the invisible flutist. An unsteady tango from a neighboring dance hall, a brief "good night" from the bell of Notre Dame de Chaps, and one returns to an atmosphere of oil-paint and cigarette smoke.

Smith provided program notes for the other three pieces:

Sonata for Flute and Piano
Otar Taktakishvili earned early recognition when he composed the anthem of the Georgian Republic while a student at the Tbilisi Conservatory. He was drawn to large forms-symphonies, concertos, symphonic poems, oratorios-all inflected by the indigenous folk music of Georgia. Fortunately for flutists, Taktakishvili gave us a fine sonata in three movements. His knowledge of the flute shows in many idiomatic and virtuosic passages. He titles his second movement "Aria." In contrast to custom, the Aria is in a faster tempo than its flanking material.

Four Pieces for Flute Alone
I have always been drawn to the music of Eastern Europe - Janacek, Martinu, and their ilk. The Czech composer, Jindrich Feld gives one-word titles to his Four Pieces for Flute Alone. The first-Meditation-starts soft and high. It's a potent sketch that describes a rugged arc, and ends soft a low.
Caprice is a virtuoso piece in 3/4 time throughout; Feld shuffles his dynamics, sequences, and other devices to brilliant effect.
Intermede is more easygoing; indications such as quasi cadenza, rubato, and poco a poco ritenuto appear. Here Feld pays homage to Bela Bartok in a playful passage known to anyone who loves Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.
Burlesque is a rollicking romp, with a milder middle; the burlesque soon resumes, and goes headlong toward a preilous ending.

Sonata for Flute and Harsichord in B Minor, BWV 1034
It's safe to say that the Bach flute sonata in B Minor is the greatest work penned for the instrument. Whether performed on piano or harpsichord, or on transverse or modern flute, the music accumulates a scope and grandeur that is unique. I'm delighted to continue a long association with my colleague John Gibbons, one of the foremost harpsichordists of the day.