INOX
solo flute
3’
September 2023
written for Wessel Flutes
Performances
24/09/23 - Wessel Flutes Relaunch, Burgh House, London
INOX is a work for solo flute, commissioned by Jonathan Myall of Just Flutes to mark the relaunch of Wessel Flutes - instruments made entirely from stainless steel, or inox, the French industrial term from which the piece takes its name.
The compositional process mirrors the precision of the instrument's manufacture. All forty pitches of the flute's chromatic range, from low B to high D, are paired with forty techniques, including both conventional and extended techniques, such as whistle tones, multiphonics, and vocal sounds. Random number generation is used to determine the pairings of pitch and technique, and the order of such pairings. The result is a comprehensive survey of the Wessel flute's sonic possibilities, revealing the breadth of colour and character available across its full range.
“Davey is already making a name for herself as both a flute player and composer, and this piece is another demonstration of her creative imagination and distinctive compositional voice. [...] The combination of digital processes and creativity seems to match the Wessel production approach very well, and the piece is a wonderful showpiece of colours and sonorities. Davey’s performance was superbly controlled (including some impressive vocal sounds and whistle tones) and it was great to hear the new flute in the hands of a young performer who was able to use it for so much expression and flair.”
- Carla Rees for PAN, Journal of the British Flute Society
