Mya Caruso

Music and Magic: Man and the Cosmos in Jolivet's Suite en Concert Mya Caruso

André Jolivet was a passionate, individualistic,and internationally celebrated composer whose musichas long been celebrated in the flute community. Heused his compositions to express his belief in themagical and spiritual connection between man and theuniverse. This belief was instilled in him early,inspired by his constant exposure to non-Westerncultures. In his Suite en Concert for flute andpercussion, Jolivet does not rely on a particularcompositional technique; rather he integrates thenumerous primitive and spiritual influences in hislife. Using atonality, repetition, corporeal, andspiritual rhythm, he also incorporated sounds heheard during his travels to Africa and Asia includinggrace notes, flutter tonguing in the flute part, anda variety of percussion instruments. Although the majority of this work focuses onJolivet and his Suite, other composers shared hispassion for the importance of spirituality in music,most notably, the Finnish composer Tauno Marttinen. Marttinen?s Alfa for flute and seven cymbals shareswith Jolivet the use of music to connect with thespiritual while adhering to no single compositionaltechnique.