ILTA
Flutist Stefanie Abderhalden and percussionist Kyle Flens (Arcomusical, Ensemble Dal Niente) headline this collection of solos and duos for flute and percussion by three American composers—Robert Fleisher, Robert Honstein, David Maki—and the Romanian-Greek composer, Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), whose centennial has been celebrated internationally this year. Additional percussionists Katie (Wiegman) Burdett, Malika Green, and Thomas Loretto (1953-2016) contribute to this lively mix of engaging and evocative music.  Combining live performances, studio recordings, and electroacoustic works, this eclectic album stems from a 2016 concert presented at Northern Illinois University. The entire flute family from piccolo to contrabass flute is showcased here, together with a wide variety of percussion instruments including pots, pans, pipes, jars, and a tree. David Maki’s flute and percussion duo Ilta (“evening” in Finnish) recalled for him the unique glow of the northern sky between sundown and around midnight, observed on a visit with his father to their ancestral homeland. His Inertia, composed for the rare combination of steelpan and marimba, is performed live here by NIU alumnae Malika Green and Katie (Wiegman) Burdett, for whom it was created.  Robert Fleisher’s Five Pieces for Flute and Percussion interweave nods to the past with more recently composed materials, in three duo movements alternating with solos for each performer. His vintage musique concrète tape pieces Loretto Alfresco and Altro Alfresco, recorded outdoors in rural Wisconsin, transform childhood friend Tom Loretto’s improvisations with an array of “found” percussion instruments into high-speed, high-pitched duets with himself.  Kyle Flens contributes two stunning solo performances of Robert Honstein’s Chorale from An Economy of Means for prepared vibraphone and Iannis Xenakis’ virtuosic multi-percussion solo Rebonds A, for 2 bongos, 3 tom-toms, and 2 bass drums.
David Maki  (Contributor),     Iannis Xenakis  (Contributor),     Robert Fleisher  (Contributor),     Robert Honstein  (Contributor),     Kyle Flens  (Contributor)    &                   1                  more   Format: Audio CD
{"Manufacturer": "Neuma Records", "Run time": "1 hour and 12 minutes", "Date First Available": "October 9, 2022", "Label": "Neuma Records"}