Trapset

5 min.

May 18, 1999
Patti Monson, alto flute
The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse
Hunter College, New York City

Patti Monson was in the latter stages of recording Conspiracies, a CRI disc that featured flute pieces that found a variety of ways to project multiple lines, when in 1998 she asked me to contribute to the project. I came up with Trapset, an alto flute piece that, with tongue stops, key clicks, tongue pizzicati, and fluttertongued notes simulates a battery of percussion. Trapset can be performed on its own, but I made it the initial part of a four-part work, called Rumors, each part composed for a different member of the flute family and each bent on de-naturing the instrument from its accustomed nineteenth-century sound. It also became the impetus for the much larger Island, music for choreography by Molissa Fenley that she premiered in 2000 at The Kitchen in New York City. Patti re-recorded Trapset, as part of the complete Rumors, for a release on Albany Records, called High Art, in 2002.

“a dictionary of colorful effects”

• May 18, 1999: Patti Monson, alto flute, The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College, New York City
• February 10, 2000: Patti Monson, alto flute, MATA, Anthology Film Archives, New York City (also The Heaven of Animals from Rumors)
• March 6, 2000: Patti Monson, alto flute, Christ and St. Stephen’s Church, New York City
• January 13, 2001: Judith Pearce, alto flute, Coyote Consort, Crowder Hall, University of Arizona, Tucson
• January 29, 2001: Patti Monson, alto flute, Lawrence Univeristy Conservatory of Music, Appleton, Wisconsin
• February 10, 2001: Christopher Krueger, alto flute, Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
• February 18, 2001: Christopher Krueger, alto flute, Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts
• January 4, 2003: Zara Lawler, alto flute, St. Paul’s Methodist, Church, Nyack, New York
• March 1, 2003: Patti Monson, alto flute, Opus 21, Merkin Concert Hall, New York City
• July 25, 2003: Patti Monson, alto flute, Bang On A Can Summer Institute of Music, MASS MoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts
• May 3, 2004: Zara Lawler, alto flute, First Presbyterian Church, Evansville, Indiana
• February 16, 2005: Erin Lesser, alto flute, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
• February 20, 2005: Erin Lesser, alto flute, Concordia College, Bronxville, New York
• July 27, 2005: Erin Lesser, alto flute, Yellow Barn Music Festival, Putney, Vermont
• September 7, 2005: Cheryl Gobbetti-Hoffman, alto flute, Slee Hall, University of Buffalo, New York
• September 25, 2005: Cheryl Gobbetti-Hoffman, alto flute, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
• May 6, 2007: Patti Monson, alto flute, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Port Angeles, Washington
• September 15, 2007: Paolo Bortolussi, alto flute, Pacific Spirit Concert Series, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
• November 1, 2007: Tim Munro, alto flute, Eighth Blackbird, First Fridays Artwalk, University of Richmond, Virginia
• February 16, 2008: Mary Fukushima, alto flute, University of Wyoming New Festival, Laramie
• March 4, 2008: Mary Fukushima, alto flute, Regnier Hall, Kansas University Edwards Campus, Overland Park, Kansas
• January 31, 2009: Tereasa Payne, alto flute, Florida Flute Convention, Altamonte Springs, Florida
• March 12, 2009: Mary Fukushima, alto flute, University of Wisconsin, River Falls
• June 13, 2009: Tim Munro, alto flute, Eighth Blackbird, Ojai Festival, California
• September 16, 2009: Mary Fukushima, alto flute, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
• November 24, 2009: Erin Lesser, alto flute, NewSoundWorlds series, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
• December 6, 2009: Camilla Hoitenga, alto flute, Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto, Japan
• December 9, 2009: Camilla Hoitenga, alto flute, Tokyo American Center Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• February 24, 2010: Nicole Camacho, alto flute, Avant Music Festival, Wild Project, New York City
• September 30, 2010: Laura Barron, alto flute, Music on Main, Vancouver, British Columbia
• February 22, 2011: Erin Lesser, alto flute, Kaeuper Hall, Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois
• July 13, 2011: Conor Nelson, alto flute, Texas A&M University, Commerce, Texas
• August 12, 2011: Conor Nelson, alto flute, National Flute Association Convention, Charlotte, North Carolina
• October 14, 2011: Conor Nelson, alto flute, Bowling Green New Music Festival, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
• November 13, 2011: Conor Nelson, alto flute, 2011 Flute Festival, University of Akron, Ohio
• January 26, 2012: Martha Cargo, alto flute, Greenfield Hall, Manhattan School of Music, New York City
• January 28, 2012: Conor Nelson, alto flute, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
• February 10, 2012: Conor Nelson, alto flute, Tenri Gallery, New York City
• February 12, 2012: Conor Nelson, alto flute, University of Kentucky, Lexington
• May 22, 2014: Mary Fukushima, alto flute, DuoSolo, Shanghai New Music Week, Shanghai Conservatory, China
• June 22, 2014: Mary Fukushima, alto flute, Cortona Sessions for New Music, Cortona, Italy
• July 1, 2014: Mary Fukushima, alto flute, Civitella Ranieri, Umbertide, Italy
• October 1, 2014: Paolo Bortolussi, alto flute, Barnett Hall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver