Fluano Pianute —1992

Fluano Pianute was commissioned by Emily Swartley-Newbold and Benjamin Whitten, and subsequently recorded by Bart Feller and Robert Koenig on Robert Maggio’s album Riddles.

Movements

1. bounce – minimalize
2. floatupspace – meditate
3. izimanlime – musical box
4. beditate – mounce
5. musing boxical – spoatupflace

Program Notes

The movement titles of Fluano Pianute suggest the playful structure of the entire work, which might as well have been titled “My endings are my beginnings.” The five movements are “braided” together by related themes: the ending of the first movement is the same as the beginning of the third; the ending of the third is the beginning of the fifth; the ending of the fifth is the beginning of the second; the ending of the second is the beginning of the fourth; and the ending of the fourth is the beginning of the first. Thus, each movement consists mainly of two sections, sometimes related in character, other times highly contrasting, perhaps even incongruous. The musical/emotional landscape of the work is mercurial and varied, requiring of the players a mix of energy and lyricism, cheerfulness and spiky-ness, delicacy and excitement, irony and passion, charm and grace.