Tuneful Music (flute octet)

Tuneful Music was commissioned by Chus Garcia, director of the Conservatorio Profesional de Música Joaquín Turina, for a flute meeting at her Madrid Center in March 2020. The piece served as the closing concert for this event and was successfully premiered by the participants.

The material for “Tuneful Music” originated from four pieces of my musical “Fang i Setge,” which I had composed several years prior. Adapting the arrangement for eight flutes required a thorough revision of the original material. The instrumentation I selected includes one piccolo, five flutes (with the first flute doubling on piccolo), one alto flute, and one bass flute.

The composition is divided into four independent movements:

Melodic Theme: This movement features an open and cheerful atmosphere, with melodies presented in a ternary rhythm and sudden modulations to various tonalities.

Children’s Song: The second flute transitions to piccolo to achieve higher sonorities. This fast-paced movement has a light character, characterized by brilliant staccato passages and delicate articulations.

Processional March: This movement is the most profound and intense of the piece, featuring a processional march based on an old folk melody that evolves through changing textures.

Rumba: The most lively and exciting movement, “Rumba” begins with a slow introduction before launching into an energetic 4/4 rumba dance with syncopated rhythms and a captivating melody. A brief central section in 3/4 time and chamber-like textures provide contrast before returning to the initial rumba dance theme, concluding with a brilliant ending.