Search - Peter Verhoyen - piccolo;Stefan De Schepper - piano :: Piccolo Tunes

Brilliant solo lines in orchestral works by Tchaikovsky, Bartók, Mahler and Shostakovich have ensured that the piccolo is being appreciated more and more by the concert-going public, although actual recitals with this 'small flute' are still rare. Composers still unfortunately believe that the piccolo is merely capable of a shrill birdlike twittering. Whilst the works recorded here are extremely different in style, they all nevertheless demonstrate the piccolo's ability to encompass many timbres and moods, passing from tenderness to aggressive confrontation. The three short pieces by the French composers Francis Poulenc, Georges Auric and Darius Milhaud (all members of the Groupe des Six) were originally written for pipeau and piano. This CD contains also short pieces by Mike Mower and Raymond Guiot. His 'Onnivato' is a palindrome of ottavino, the Italian term for piccolo. Also we hear works of Gary Schocker, Jan Huylebroeck, and Marc Matthys. In his Echoes he returns to several compositional techniques from the past in combination with contemporary repetitive and minimalist principles. Peter Verhoyen (piccolo) is solo piccolo for the Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra. He is the co-founder of Arco Baleno, a chamber music ensemble consisting of string quartet and flute. Peter Verhoyen has given concerts in Germany, France, Slovenia, the United States and the Netherlands. He currently teaches piccolo at the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp. Stefan De Schepper (piano) has won prizes in several competitions. He has performed with I Solisti del Vento and the Ensor string quartet, the orchestras of Youth and Music Antwerp, La Chapelle de la Lorraine and the New Flemish Symphony Orchestra. He has given concerts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, France, Ireland, Sweden, Spain and the United States as well as recording for international radio and television.