Court Dances for Flute and Piano

All three of these captivating dances have an improvisatory feel and Harberg shows her understanding of the flute by exploring both its agility and expressive qualities in equal measure. Both outer movements are rhythmic, the opening Allegro using dialogue between the flute and piano to great effect and the last Allegro cascades notes in flamboyant fashion. The central Andante is wonderfully expressive and free. Each movement would stand alone certainly but play all three and your audience will love you even more!

This three-movement work for flute and piano has a duration of around 14 minutes. Commissioned by a consortium of 57 flute players, Court Dances was premiered by Cobus du Toit with the composer at the piano, at the 2017 NFA Convention in Minneapolis and was winner of the Newly Published Competition. Harberg has said in interviews that ‘Melody has been at the heart of my approach to composing from as early on as I can remember’; in this piece, this is particularly apparent in the slow movement, the Air du Cour, which features sweeping legato phrases heard over an undulating and simple piano accompaniment. The piece as a whole was inspired by a game of squash, so as one might expect, the outer movements feature strong rhythmic energy and punchy accents. Combining the new and the old, the titles of the movements reflect baroque courtly dances, and one can sense the influence of the Courante and Tambourin respectively in the first and last movements. Harberg’s Courante features off-beat accents and detailed articulation markings which help to give the music a sense of drive. The final movement features scurrying semiquavers and percussive effects, creating an exciting and engaging ending to the work. This piece is firmly within the American new music aesthetic, using tonality and rhythm in ways that are likely to have a wide appeal. The f lute part is relatively challenging, requiring fast finger control in the outer movements and a good sense of rhythm. Suitable for university level players upwards, this is also likely to appeal to advanced amateurs.