Dramatic Monologue for flute and piano (Viktor Stepurko) PRINTED

This work is around 5 minutes and is one-movement centered around creating a dramatic interplay between the flute and piano. The main theme of the work comes from the composer’s second symphony, which he decided to use as inspiration to write a new work utilizing it for flute and piano. The flute often has a vocal line to be a voice in memory of the victims of war. The composer takes inspiration from the monologue style used by Shostakovich in his post war symphonies. It begins with a “Moderato” in a legato character where the piano introduces the main theme. The flute then enters with a counter melody that includes rhythmic elements from the main theme the piano is playing. As the section progresses the flute takes over the melody, while the piano takes over the counter melody the flute was playing but then fragments it between the hands. This leads into a unison statement of theme between the flute and the two voices of the piano. The next section “Andante” presents fragments of the main theme in the piano while the flute plays a passage of eighth notes ascending and descending across the range of the flute. A return to the opening tempo and material in the piano occurs, while the flute responds with eighth note fragments. The following section “Allegro ma non troppo” presents a new theme in the flute that is more disjunct mainly consisting of eighth notes in large intervals overtop of quarter notes in the piano. As it progresses elements from the main theme sneak into this theme. The piano takes over playing the second theme that turns into a sequential passage of ascending eighth notes while the flute plays a lyrical syncopated melody overtop that develops into the main theme. It then undergoes variation while the eighth note sequential passage returns in the piano. The work continues in a dialogue texture between the flute and piano utilizing fragments from the various themes to conclude the work. The ending of the piece quotes the coda from Arthur Honegger’s Third Symphony “Anti-War.”

More information can be found here: https://www.ukrainianchambermusic.com/#/piece/STEPURKO%2C%20Viktor/Dramatic%20Monologue