Debussy's "Syrinx" for Solo Flute

In this video, I revisit one of my favorite solo flute pieces, Debussy’s “Syrinx.” Written in 1913 as incidental music for the play "Psyché" by Gabriel Mourey, Debussy's "Syrinx" (alternatively titled "La flûte de Pan") evokes the ancient Greek story of Pan and Syrinx. Pan, a god who was half man and half goat, chased after the beautiful nymph, Syrinx. Syrinx hid herself among the reeds and the rivers edge and was transformed into reeds by the water nymphs. A frustrated Pan, unable to find the object of his desire, cuts the reeds and fashions them into a flute...the first pan flute.

NOTE: In this performance, I intentionally diverge from the traditional breath scheme. In light of recent scholarship, it seems that many of the traditional breath marks were added by Marcel Moyse who was known to suffer from breathing problems. In this reading, I try to rethink my traditional approach to phrasing and attempt to draw longer phrases, omitting many of Moyse's breath marks.