Flutist Lance Suzuki finds inspiration in nature for his House Music Series performance of Toru Takemitsu’s Air. A work for solo flute, Air was composed late in Takemitsu’s life and has a still, contemplative sound. Suzuki chose the piece because it’s one of his favorites and because the ideas of air and breath are so vital to our times today.

Suzuki began playing with Metropolis Ensemble early on in its inception. He remembers a beautiful concert at The Times Center in New York City, where the programming was superb and the music sounded incredible. He has always enjoyed the eclectic programming of Metropolis Ensemble, and has thoroughly appreciated all the time he’s spent with the group.

For this video, Suzuki took footage of the beach in Hawaii during a relaxing day off with friends to go along with the tranquil music. Air has been one of his favorite unaccompanied works for a while, and he knows it very well. Here, he highlights the music’s interconnectedness with nature—Takemitsu always enjoyed the outdoors—by allowing the smooth sounds of the ocean to seep easily into the composed music, adding new dimensions to the sound of the solo flute. In a time where so many of us are cooped up indoors, Suzuki hopes to remind us of the vast beauty of our natural surroundings. — Vanessa Ague

 
Episode: 46
Date: September 8, 2020
Artist: Lance Suzuki
Instrumentation: Flute
Work: "Air"
Composer: Toru Takemitsu
 

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