''Syrinx'', L. 129, is a piece of music for

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

which

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

wrote in 1913. It generally takes three minutes or less to perform. It was the first significant piece for solo flute after the Sonata in A minor composed by

C. P. E. Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and sec ...

over 150 years before (1747), and it is the first such solo composition for the modern Böhm flute, developed in 1847. ''Syrinx'' is commonly considered to be an indispensable part of any flutist's

repertoire A repertoire () is a list or set of dramas, operas, musical compositions or roles which a company or person is prepared to perform. Musicians often have a musical repertoire. The first known use of the word ''repertoire'' was in 1847. It is a l ...

. Many musical historians believe that "Syrinx", which gives the performer generous room for interpretation and emotion, played a pivotal role in the development of solo flute music in the early twentieth century. Some say ''Syrinx'' was originally written by Debussy without barlines or breath marks. The flutist

Marcel Moyse Marcel Moyse (pron. ''moh-EEZ''; May 17, 1889, in St. Amour, France – November 1, 1984, in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States) was a French flautist. Moyse studied at the Paris Conservatory and was a student of Philippe Gaubert, Adolphe Hen ...

may have later added these, and most publishers publish Moyse's edition. The piece is commonly performed off stage, as it is thought when Debussy dedicated the piece to the flutist

Louis Fleury Louis Fleury (24 May 1878 – 10 June 1926) was a French flautist, pupil of Paul Taffanel at the Paris Conservatoire. Claude Debussy dedicated the piece for solo flute Syrinx (Debussy), Syrinx to him in 1913, and Fleury performed the première ...

, it was for him to play during the interval of one of Debussy's ballets. ''Syrinx'' was written as part of

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...

to the play ''Psyché'' by

Gabriel Mourey Marie Gabriel Mourey (23 September 1865 – 10 February 1943) was a French novelist, essayist, poet, playwright, translator and art critic. Biography Gabriel Mourey was born 23 September 1865 in Marseille, the son of Louis-Félix Mourey, a dru ...

, and was originally called "Flûte de Pan". It was given its final name in reference to the myth of the amorous pursuit of the nymph

Syrinx In classical Greek mythology, Syrinx (Greek Σύριγξ) was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the amorous god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, sh ...

by the god Pan, in which Pan falls in love with Syrinx, however, as Syrinx does not return the love to Pan, she turns herself into a water reed and hides in the marshes. Pan cuts the reeds to make his pipes, in turn killing his love. ''Syrinx'' has also been transposed and performed on the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

and other instruments. It quickly became a piece of standard literature for the saxophone, and has been recorded on both the alto and soprano saxophones. It is also a track on ''Caprice'

by the trumpeter Alison Balso

Notes

External links

*
Free recording
from Emily Shin of the Columbia University Orchestra.
Free HD Video Recording
from Singaporean Flutist Jed Huang (UC Berkeley Alum) Compositions by Claude Debussy Solo flute pieces Incidental music 1913 compositions Music based on Metamorphoses {{classical-composition-stub