(SW 1079)

Small Talk for Flutes
for nine flutes

Nine flutes, with a piccolo taking the first part, is certainly an unusual scoring. Written at the suggestion of Ruth Wentorf, President of the German Flute Society, the work received its first performances as part of the 2026 International Flute Festival in Guangzhou, China, and at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. The performances featured an international line-up of players and were well received by large, equally international audiences.

Lasting approximately five minutes, the piece develops from tiny motivic and thematic cells, an approach that may also be reflected in its title. Despite its brevity, it unfolds in several tempo sections, most of which flow seamlessly into one another.

Above all, its rhythmic complexity, of a kind often found in neoclassicism, makes the work a virtuoso showpiece for this ensemble, well suited to a special festival occasion. Its silvery, sparkling sound creates an atmosphere that at times is bucolic and idyllic. Here and there, it brings to mind the opening of Smetana’s The Moldau.

Martin Schmeck