This collection of "Etudes for Flute" ascribe to the belief that they should be challenging, but also enjoyable and musically apt. These eleven etudes address breath control, trills, and overall musicality. I hope you will enjoy working on them, and perhaps performing them as well.
Kokopeli, the flute player, was a great Mahu, or legendary hero of the Hopi. He is said to have led the migrations through the Southwest, the sound of his flute echoing through the great canyons and cliffs. In this piece, I have tried to capture some of this sense of spaciousness, and of the Hopi's deep kinship with this land. This piece has been influenced by Native American flute songs and sounds.
Although the rhythms have been carefully notated, performers are encouraged to play with some freedom. Length of notes and pauses will vary in different acoustics and circumstances.
NFA Newly Published Music Award, 1991.
Leslie Gerber, Classical Pulse
...a heart-stoppingly beautiful piece: Kokopeli by Katherine Hoover, four and a half minutes of magic capturing Indian legend and the vast spaces of the Southwest.
Reflections is a series of free variations on a short sequence from the ancient Norwegian Olavs-fest in Nidaros. Most of it was written during a performing residency at Artpark, near Niagara Falls, New York, in 1982. I played for an hour out-of-doors twice a day, usually alone, but sometimes with mimes or storytellers. Each day I wrote a variation and performed it still in pencil sketch. Later, in New York City, I reordered the set and added a contrasting variation and a final section.
During the writing of this piece I searched for a name. Nothing seemed to fit, though the connection to native American sounds and wooden flutes were clear. Finally when it was done I was still puzzled about it, I played for 2 friends. One who is Lakota described vivid images of varied landscapes as if flying, and the other said the 2 words above, which had flashed through my mind as well.
To greet the sun is to give thanks for the great richness of the Earth and the gift of life. Various cultures have done this in differing ways, from dawn prayers to dances and ceremonies to researching the sun’s awe-inspiring power.
There is a picture by the marvelous artist Maria Buchfink of a Native American flute player; from his flute rises a cloud of kachinas and totem spirits. This piece has also risen from his notes, and it is indeed influenced by Native American music. The idea of the flute invoking beneficial spirits, be they kachinas or any others, is a very natural one. Such spirits are an accepted and valued part of life in most of the world, and the flute has been used to honor and invite their presence for countless ages.
