Programme Notes

Jonathan Cohen - Metropolitan Contrarians

Composed for the mighty contra section of the Metropolitan Flute Orchestra, Paige Long, Director, to be premiered at the first International Low Flute Festival, held in Reston, Virginia, April 2018.

This quartet shows off three lovely octaves of the contra with a jazzy infectious groove. In addition to tutti playing, each part has its moment in sun with the others backing. Show your audience why low flutes are cool.

While written with contras in mind, is suitable for four equal-key instruments.

Scored for 4 contras. Performance time: 2:00 approx


Press quote:
“Cohen’s quartet for contrabass flutes, part of the publisher’s International Series, was composed for the contra section of the Metropolitan Flute Orchestra directed by Paige Long. This quartet shows off three octaves of the contra with a jazzy infectious groove, highlighted by solo and tutti sections. The work is a great addition to the low flute repertoire. While written for four contrabass flutes, it can be played on any four equal-key instruments (four altos, four basses, etc.), which makes it a versatile piece for any library.” - Flutist Quarterly, Summer 2019


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