Brandon Patrick George : J.S. Bach, Boulez, Aho & Prokofiev: Flute Sonatas & Solo Works

Brandon Patrick George is a flutist who has gained much attention and accolades with his virtuosity and gorgeous round flute tone. He is a member of the Grammy®-nominated Imani Winds. Patrick George has performed with many of the world’s leading ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). He has appeared at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Elbphilharmonie, the Kennedy Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dresden Music Festival, and the Prague Spring Festival. As an in-demand chamber musician, George has collaborated with members of the Gryphon Trio, New York Philharmonic, Jasper String Quartet. He has performed live on New York’s WQXR with harpist Bridget Kibbey. Patrick George is now releasing his debut album J.S. Bach, Boulez, Aho & Prokofiev: Flute Sonatas & Solo Works.

Bach’s Flute Partita in A Minor, BWV 1013: “II. Corrente” is a fantastic display of tone and technical control by Patrick George. He negotiates the rapid sequences and semiquaver with ease and power. The unspoken genius to master this work is in breath control, and Patrick George does it flawlessly. The solo piece also gives the listeners a chance to hear his tone and articulation, and in this case, his breathing—outstanding playing throughout this selection.

Moving to more modern sonorities is composer Pierre Boulez’s “Sonatina for Flute and Piano.” The piece is in the Arnold Schoenberg school, and the one movement is structured in the traditional four-movement sonata form synthesized together. The Allegro section is again a stunning display of beauty, finesse, and mastery by Patrick George. The flute and piano are balanced the entire selection, which also yields a masterful performance.

J.S. Bach, Boulez, Aho & Prokofiev: Flute Sonatas & Solo Works is a wide-ranging project, but one with focus. Patrick George describes the album as a dialogue between the past and the future. The material does take in a vast period, from Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) to the Finnish composer Kalevi Aho, born in 1949. The album has fine performances of two critical chamber works for a flute and piano duo, which represent milestones in the repertoire: a sonata by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) and a sonatina by Pierre Boulez (1925-2016). The common thread is Patrick George’s beautiful tone and superior musicianship.

Brandon Patrick George: Website