WARNING! Gustnadoes Ahead (2008)

duration 6:00

flute and cd (EA)

Commissioned by The National Flute Association for the 2008 High-School Soloist Competition in Kansas City, Missouri August 7-10, 2008

Gustnado—Colloquial expression for a short-lived, shallow, generally weak tornado found along a gust front. Gustnadoes are usually visualized by a rotating dust or debris cloud." The soundtrack is made up mostly of transformed flute sounds, some of which emulate sudden swirling figures, others a sudden explosion and some granularised: sounds that are stretched in time, or are granules, short and fast. And there are many other transformations, plus a few electronic sounds. The solo flute interacts with these sounds. The score includes the solo flute part and a representation of the soundtrack with timings and other important information. The flute part includes extended techniques such as multiphonics, aeolian sounds, timbre trills, over blowing on harmonics, harsh Ch K Ch k sounds, and of course, ordinary tone production. The piece is loosely in variation form with a flurry of sound in the introduction, then a presentation of the main thematic material, which is further altered and developed.  A quasi recapitulation of the opening ends the piece.

WARNING! Gustnadoes Ahead