C. Debussy – Moonlight

Adaptation for 5 flutes in C

 

 

The “Bergamasque suite” is, probably the most popular suite composed for piano by Claude Debussy. Written and revised several times over 15 years, piano style of the suite has been changed substantially compared to the first version of 1890. The same III movement, the “moonlight” had another name: it was originally called “Promenade Sentimentale”.

However, both in the piano and in the orchestral version elaborated by authors such as A.Caplet and L.Stokowski, the suite maintains considerable charm.

Alternating two highly contrasting musical styles such as the Baroque and the Romantic and even if expressing various feelings in the first two movements  like joy, melancholy, delicacy and drama, the moonlight shows to be sensitive in its duration, expressing the typical Debussy style from the first to last note.

 In this version you need a flute quintet of flute to express all the harmonic richness of the third movement. The flute solo, in constant oscillation between the detachment and the merger with the group, despite often it raises to considerable heights, will maintain, even in the third octave, light weight and a lot of expressiveness.

In the second part the piano arpeggio is repeated by alternating multiple instruments, which, to simulate the piano effect will enhance the sound in the low notes and then to diminish in going up in the highest sounds.

Have a good fun!