Reaching for the Moon: Flute

Name: Reaching for the Moon: Flute
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-EP14599
Price: 12.95 USD
Availability: InStock

for Solo Flute

By Gloria Coates

Level: Advanced

Item: 98-EP14599

$12.95

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In 1987/1988 Gloria Coates wrote a solo for alto recorder in collaboration with the recorder player Dörte Nienstedt. Extreme dynamic increases, simultaneous playing and singing, hard accents, fluttering tonguing, multiphonics, upward glissandi and vibrato go beyond the usual framework of music for recorder and led to the title 'Breacking through'.

The version for transverse flute was written with Edmund Wächter (premiere 19 October 1988). The main aim was to utilise the greater range of the transverse flute and to transfer the expressive elements. Glissandi and multiphonics in particular demanded new fingerings. As no specific sounds were required for the multiphonics, but the additional notes were to determine the colour and expression of the main tone, there were many possibilities here, which the composer had played for two days in various combinations until she finally found her favoured sounds in this empirical approach. As it was ultimately an independent piece, it was also to be given its own title and after the first performances took place under various names ('Breaking Through III', 'Breaking out'), Reaching for the Moon finally emerged.

Two additional versions with tape were also heard at the premiere: in 'Fiori', the flute enters into a dialogue with the perking and chattering of the cockatiel of a friend, Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. And in 'Fiori and the Princess', the princess also takes an active part in the 'conversation'. Here it becomes clear that Reaching for the Moon

was also conceived as 'bird music', for which Gloria Coates received her first inspiration from a cockatoo in a pet shop.

The opening motif (theme) serves as a formative element, which changes in parts and runs through the entire piece in fragments. A twelve-tone row with a song-like rhythm and a 'quasi-sex chord' in a wide register at the beginning corresponds to listening habits, from which one is immediately torn away by fluttering tonguing and multiphonics.

This 'theme' can also be found in other flute pieces by Gloria Coates, as a kind of 'leitmotif' for flute:

'Lichtsplitter' for flute, viola and harp (1988)

'Märchen Suite', from which "Der kleine Däumling" (1987)
'Phantom' for flute and piano (2004) is a duo version of "Reaching for the Moon" without reprise.

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Publisher: Edition Peters

ISBN13: 979-0-01-413825-7

UPC: 9790014138257

SKU: 98-EP14599

More about this title

About the Composer: Gloria Coates

Gloria Coates is an American composer known for pushing the boundaries of traditional instrumental writing, particularly with extended techniques that expand what instruments can express. Her collaborative approach to composing, working directly with performers to discover new sonic possibilities, has shaped a body of work that challenges musicians to expand their technical and interpretive skills.

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Why we love this

Coates has created a flute solo that treats extended techniques not as novelties but as essential voices in the musical narrative. The piece demands complete command of the instrument's full arsenal, yet the writing is purposeful and expressive rather than gratuitous, making it a genuinely rewarding challenge for advanced players.

What to expect

Reaching for the Moon is a piece that reaches upward with restless energy and emotional urgency. Its layered textures of singing, tonguing variations, and timbral shifts create an almost vocal quality, as though the flute is trying to break free from its usual constraints and speak in multiple voices at once.

Who it's for

This solo belongs in the hands of advanced flutists who are fluent in extended techniques and eager to explore repertoire that pushes artistic boundaries. It suits performers preparing a contemporary recital, competing in high-level competitions, or studying twentieth-century flute literature that goes beyond the standard canon.

How to get the most out of it

Spend time with the multiphonics before polishing the overall interpretation. Coates discovered these sounds through empirical experimentation with the performer, so multiple fingering solutions exist; find the combinations that feel natural under your hand and produce colors that speak to you.
Balance the simultaneous playing and singing so the sung layer supports rather than overwhelms the flute line. The interaction between the two should feel like an extension of your own voice.
Shape the glissandi with intention. They are expressive gestures, not technical displays; let them rise and fall with the emotional arc of each phrase.
The extreme dynamic shifts require careful breath management. Mark your air points not just by phrase length but by the emotional weight of each section.

How to use it

Feature this as a standalone contemporary work on a recital or concert dedicated to avant-garde repertoire. Its compact yet substantial length makes it an effective single-work showcase, or pair it with other extended-technique pieces to create a thematic program exploring the expanded flute.