A specially commissioned work in three movements for flute and piano. Each movement is in the musical style of a different Latin American country incorporating Salsa, Merengue, Rumba, Tango and Bossa Nova. Already a popular repertoire work, Sonata Latino was recently featured and analysed in a 5 page article in Flute Talk magazine. Optional parts are available for performance with flute and salsa band as recorded by James Galway. Comprises flute, 2 trumpets, trombone, alto, tennor, baritone, saxophones, piano, bass guitar, drums, 2/3 percussion. M-708010 32 6 Excerpts from "Tango Del Fuego" RCA 0906-63422-2 James Galway, produced & arranged by Mike Mower.

Programme Notes

Sonata Latino was written in October 1994 for Kirsten Spratt and Elizabeth Mucha. They asked for a piece in South American style so I wrote this sonata incorporating various Latin rhythms. It is not intended to be a purist representation of the idiom, but to sound how a contemporary latin/jazz improvising duo might play at a gig. I hoped to capture something of the personality of each country in the music. Although I have no Latin roots, I've loved the music for years and have been lucky enough to tour South America a few times with my Saxophone Quartet Itchy Fingers.

Salsa Montunate As the title suggests, draws from the Cuban/Venezuelan Salsa. The piece starts with the flute laying down a 2-3 Clave which turns into a Montuno riff. The piano picks up the Montuno whilst playing the off-beat bass line or Tumbao and this is the basic groove for the movement. After the main theme, the flute and piano "trade fours" and play a rhythmic percussive section based on the original Clave rhythm.

Rumbango You've guessed it - a mixture of Rumba and Tango type rhythms, as found in Columbia and Argentina. The piece starts with a flute cadenza which states the somewhat darker tone for this movement . I wanted to give the feel of the flute being aloof and independent from the rhythmic piano riff. The movement gradually builds through a lighter Rumba - type section to a manic, angst - ridden waltz with the pianist physically attacking the keyboard at one point!

Bossa Merengova This borrows from the more recent Bossa Nova hybrid rhythms from Brazil. I treated this movement more as a jazz player might do with "improvised solo" sections for both flute and piano. The piano writing is looser and more harmonically jazz-oriented, but in places moves into double - octave arpeggio licks evoking the Merengue style popular in Venezuela and Columbia. A coda section then returns to a salsa "turn-around" riff reminiscent of the Cuban - influenced first movement.
 

Here are some live performances of Sonata Latino from YouTube...

Movement 1. Salsa Montunate



Movement 2. Rumbango 





Movement 3. Bossa Merengova

 

And an arrangement by the Yu Flute Choir!...