John Glenesk Mortimer

5 Dances

The original version of these dances was written for members of the Bern Symphony Orchestra, and Anne-Marie Sommer was able to use the very rare bass flute of the Bern Theater. In the alternative versions with orchestral or piano accompaniment, the bass flute was replaced by the alto flute and the first dance transposed accordingly. All versions use transverse flute, alto flute and piccolo. The original version also contains a rather virtuoso percussion part which requires good mallet skills on the vibraphone and xylophone; this is missing in the other versions. The first Morning Dance for bass flute (or alto flute) has an ethnic character with a pentatonic melody. One could imagine an early morning in an African village when people get up to go about their daily chores. The second, Rain Dance, is heavily syncopated and quite jazzy, but retains an ethnic feel - a tribal dance to evoke rain. It uses the standard flute. The title Dance of Seduction is self-explanatory - the piece utilizes the sensual sounds of the alto flute and vibraphone. In Dance of the Spirits we encounter spirits, represented by piccolo and xylophone. This virtuosic movement contains a three-part fugue, followed by a brief return of the opening material before the spirits vanish into thin air. The concluding Wedding Dance has a Celtic character and returns to the flute.