Syrinx

Syrinx (1913)
Composed by Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
for Solo Flute
Preface and Performing Notes by Giampaolo Pretto
Published by Ricordi

Syrinx, an aphorism in music conceived for the stage, has represented since 1913 the very icon for flute players. Celebrated and always appreciated by audiences throughout the world, it consists of a short and enigmatic dance solo. Whether considered a long song, or a compelling lament, it has the ability to miraculously extract, from the depths of our psyche, an interior landscape rich with sounds and silences.

Flautist, composer and conductor, Giampaolo Pretto has been pursuing a long and varied artistic career, as the first flute of the RAI National Orchestra, a member of the Quintetto Bibiena, and as soloist, musical director of the Turin Philharmonic Orchestra and many other roles.

Protagonist of numerous recordings and radio and television broadcasts, he has long been the didactic director of the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana. Passionate about teaching, in 2013 he published Dentro il Suono, a text that gave rise to a homonymously-named flute school.