Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano

Score

Trio for Flute Cello and Piano

Recording

Mahlon Berv ? Flute Trio ? Listen free and discover music at Last.fm

I started writing this piece at the New York Summer Music Festival last summer with David Ludwig and Eric Sessler. I continued working on it through February of this year with Eleanor Cory, and this is the result.

As I've recently become infatuated with the music of Bela Bartok, the melody is somewhat folk inspired. The piece is written in a traditional 3 movement form, fast slow fast, and is part neo-romantic, part neo-classical.

The performance is from a reading at Mannes College.

92 together or intentionally not together?

loved piano tag at end of first movement

120 and 124 why not A#? wanted the gliss?

213 loved the counterpoint by cello here

*clap clap clap*

Well, that flutist was having trouble with her tone production at times - overblew a lot of things - dang people that insist on using too wide a vibrato. tut tut. :P VERY great piece! I was thoroughly pleased - it was very interesting throughout. I think maybe there was too much slow material, but it was GOOD material. I just jotted some notes up there as I listened - I really have nothing to complain about. Wonderful piece and congrats on that! I loved your themes and I felt you used them "just right." :)

I never thought 'cello could compliment a flute so well in the nearby range. I like the high register of the 'cello and am glad you didn't use the lower register much. With the range you used, the instruments melded together like the flavours in a delicious sophisticated chocolate. Thank you for treating me to this wonderful combination. ;)

thank you so much, I've never heard of a piece being described as chocolate, but I don't mind it! lol, it's interesting that you mention the slow part being a bit long, my teacher felt the same way, at least in terms of balance, that the slow part may run on a bit, since I end the first movement with a very slow transition. I will look at your more specific comments later, thanks again, I really appreciate any and all comments, especially constructive critiscm most of all.

Looking back on it actually feel I used the high register of the cello almost too much at times. I think it can work really well but I possibly could have used the entire range of the cello more in the piece. I'm not a string player, (I play piano) so I have a bit to learn as far as orchestration is concerned, but am really excited and eager to learn. I'm headed to IU jacobs school of music as a comp major for the fall of 09...

measure 92 is a chord that sounded great on the piano.. but didn't come out right in performance, it's a bit too dissonant for the context of the piece

too much octaves. I just checked the pdf, i didn't listen to it, but you should think about it: don't use so much octaves, because it can get boring. And anyway if you use an other sound-quantity (i don't know if you have heard about quality and quantity) that could make your piece more interesting.

consider, when you have repeated notes, like at 32, leaving empty space (either by inserting a rest, or lengthening one of the notes.) This will vary the consistency, and make it more exciting.

Overall, great work.

I really liked this. Some very interesting moments, and enough varied material to keep my interest.