Meditations and Memories

Meditations and Memories by Stanley M. Hoffman
Duet for two flutes of the same kind
Includes two scores

“Meditations and Memories” is a sweet, short duet that is colorful and frequently canonic in nature. The composer’s program notes indicate the sources and inspirations for these melodic fragments, which are used to generate sections of the piece. These influences include the opening of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 6, and Hoffman’s own Fantasypiece.” “A thoughtful benefit to purchasing Meditations and Memories is that even though the two parts are printed in scored notation, the piece comes with two copies, allowing for each player to have her own part.

The scored notation is helpful for ensemble playing, but the inclusion of the second copy improves distribution and avoids photocopying. Additionally, the pagination is such that a brief fermata would allow for a quick page turn without disrupting the intent of the music. “Meditations and Memories” would probably fall somewhere between Level D and E, as described in the rubric for the booklet developed by members of the NFA Pedagogy Committee, Selected Flute Repertoire and Studies: A Graded Guide. Though the range used is not huge, the requirement for excellent subdivision at a slow tempo likely requires an advancing young musician. Hoffman’s Meditations and Memories is a useful duet that flute teachers will appreciate adding to their repertoire.”

Excerpts from a review by Rebecca Johnson from the Fall 2016 edition of The Flutist Quarterly, Volume 71

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