Program Notes

Som(bra) is scored for amplified alto and bass flutes. The title is a play on Portuguese words that mean “sound” and “shadow,” symbolizing one flute as the shadow of the other. The score incorporates unconventional performance techniques, specifically instructing both players to sing while playing. As they produce both sung and played pitches within the flutes' tubes, the combination of frequencies results in the emergence of additional and differential tones. These subtle resultant tones are what can be described as “a shadow of sound,” and they become a central focus of exploration in the piece. Notably, the alto flute takes on the role of “melodic translation,” transforming the resultant sonorities created by the simultaneous playing and vocalizing of the bass flute.

Som(bra) also draws loose analogies to the evocative sound of the shakuhachi, the traditional Japanese bamboo flute. It employs techniques such as gradually unfolding lines, airy gestures, microtonal inflections, and highly controlled vibrato. This fusion of elements creates a captivating and immersive musical experience, capturing the interplay between the two flutes, their “shadows of sound,” and the unique sonic possibilities that emerge from their combined voices and instrumental sounds.

— Felipe Lara