b. 1953
Martin Amlin currently serves as the chair and department head of Composition at Boston University, as well as the director of Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Composition Program. He has received the majority of his training from Eastman School of Music and his instructors include Nadia Boulanger and Samuel Adler among others. His compositions are well-known throughout the world and have received several awards.
Flute Sonata No. 2 is a two movement work written for flute and piano. The melodies and harmonies create a magical world where the dialogue between the flute and the piano is absolutely breathtaking. Amlin has written it so that they often “copy” each other's lines, one right after the other, then break off into their own solo or accompaniment role. Each instrument in no way takes away from the other’s moments of glory, while giving them similar, yet very individual voices. While the first movement takes the listener (and performers) on a wild ride through his newly created landscape of reality, the second movement shows you the darker side of his world with long lines and a more minor-like tonality. The two movements, while different compliment each other beautifully forming a cohesive identity.
Flute Sonata No. 2
Three Inventions for Five Flutes is a piece written for 5 flutes with two piccolos. Premiered in Spring of 2019, the piece is written in three movements 1. Apparatus 2. Mirémi 3. Spiral Canon. The composer describes the first movement as a “little musical machine whose engine is driven by the interval of a perfect fifth”. The “machine” like movements with its robust energy and intense drive can be felt in the entirety of the piece. The second movement is loosely constructed over a simple ostinato. Beautifully in nature, Amlin really focuses on the ideas of melody and harmony with often having all the instruments play similar lines homogeneously. The final movement uses the circle of fifths for its modulations and a canon for its structure. The way he creates different lines for each instrument to have their own distinct voice while so directly contributing to the overall theme and direction of the movement is compelling and highly satisfying. This piece is absolutely fantastic and will really transport you into a whole new world of imagination.
Three Inventions for Five Flutes
Martin Almin’s music is both lyrical and direct, which forced me to notice the similarities and differences of each voice present. It drove me to listen for the homogeneous sections as well as to listen to each individual line while also just purely enjoying the attitude and charisma of each piece. Although he has no website or accounts on the usual listening platforms, he is a professor at Boston University and is an actively engaged composer and performer in his community.
For those of you who might need it:
I do not own any of the music or videos in this blog post or in any of the other posts that you may find in this blog.
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