Seraglio for Bass Flute and Finger
Cymbals (1992)
by Michael Isaacson
In the
summer of 1992 I was commissioned by flutist Toby Caplan to compose a brief
duet for contra-bass flute and solo percussion for the 1992 National Flute
Association convention in Los Angeles. Two octaves below the C Flute,
the contra-bass flute notes are truly felt as well as heard. I was
enthralled by this rare instrument and went about composing a sensuous, "Sheherezade-like"
solo with finger cymbal accompaniment which would suggest the atmosphere
of a harem. Here in the more accessible alto and bass flute versions,
the work nicely retains the mystery of the east.