Lisa Friend/ Rohan De Silva - Gabriel Faur�, Claude Debussy: Essence - Lisa Friend plays Faur� and Debussy

The flute takes a very special place in French music, particularly so in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As a result (and in addition to a great deal of original repertoire for the instrument) there is a significant body of work transcribed for flute and piano, which Lisa Friend and Rohan De Silva explore in this exquisite programme. Faur�s first Violin Sonata, composed in 1875 � 76 works particularly well in transcription, and with its sweeping melodies and lack of double-stopping. The rapid scale passages in the third movement are especially effective. Debussy�s Pr�lude � l�apr�s-midi d�un faune, based on a poem by St�phane Mallarm�, is regarded by many (including Boulez) as the birthplace of modern music, Ravel choosing it to be played at his funeral. The original orchestral version opens with one of the best-known flute solos in the repertoire, making this transcription particularly appropriate.