The Suite Antique, originally for flute, harpsichord, and strings, was first performed at the 1979 Cookham Festival by Duke Dobing and the London Baroque Soloists. The six movements were later arranged for flute and piano; subsequently they were adapted for flute and harp, with the composer's permission, by Eira Lynn Jones.
Amongst the six movements are:
Prelude
This gentle movement consists of a 64-bar melody in simple AABA form followed by a short coda.
Aria
The beautiful Aria, with its slow-moving harmony underpinning a cantabile line, is reminiscent of some of J.S. Bach's most expressive slow movements.
Ostinato
Here the composer plays with the rhythmic ambiguity of groups of six quavers, which can be treated either as three pairs or as two groups of three: this movement continually changes from one grouping to the other.
Programme notes copyright David Sumbler
1998. You may use them elsewhere, but please credit the author,
and also inform Aeolia by e-mail.
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