It can be regarded as serendipity that I recently came across a recording of a series of pieces with the title “Folklorisms”. I found the pieces so interesting as far as form and style are concerned, that I desperately wanted to get to know the composer, the Dane, Lars Floee. Shortly afterwards, I was in possession of the handwritten manuscript. A few months later the pieces were performed in a musical competition by my pupils under the name Trio Elkido and were promptly awarded the first prize.
During an inspiring cooperation between the composer, the Trio Elkido and the publisher, the characteristic pieces were further developed. The result you are holding in your hand – very much to the satisfaction of the young flautists Elia Pianaro, Kira Heusler and Dominique Simmen ‐ in the form of the Elkido Suite.
The Elkido Suite consists of four movements, each of which has been inspired by a different culture. The first movement, Szitakötő, was composed by Lars Floee, after having studied the micro‐cosmos of Béla Bartók as a child. Szitakötő is inspired by Hungarian music and means “dragonfly“. The second movement, Sakura, was inspired by a traditional Japanese song Sakura which means “cherry blossom”. This song stems from the Edo‐era (1603–1868) and was written for children who learned the Koto (a Japanese musical instrument, similar to a zither). The theme of the Japanese Sakura can be found in the slow middle section of this movement and is written in the pentatonic Miyakobushi‐Onkai. The third movement, Balkanski Mish‐Mash, is characterized by Bulgarian music with its typical Balkan rhythms. Balkanski Mish‐Mash is also a Bulgarian dish that is eaten preferably in the summer, and it consists of many different ingredients, exactly like this movement. It should be noted that the third voice in this movement is written for an alto flute. The musical inspiration of the fourth movement, Granada, was a stay in Andalusia in the southern part of Spain which had been occupied by the Moors for 700 years. The Moorish influence can still be felt in the culture and the music of Andalusia.
The Elkido Suite undoubtedly has the potential to maintain a firm place in the repertoire of flute trios, to delight musicians and audiences alike, and to give concert programmes a particular nuance.
Felix Andreas Dorigo, publisher Zurich, March 2010
(Translation by Sabine Sebright)