Ian Clarke - Deep Blue

Katie Riley, Flute
Ming-Li Liu, Piano
Werner Recital Hall
October 14th, 2019
Recorded by Brandenburgh Productions

Ian Clarke is a flutist and composer whose abilities are among the best in the industry. His compositions bring a new level of excitement and passion to the music world. His music often includes extended techniques such as multiphonics, circular breathing, singing & playing, and pitch bending. A primary feature of Deep Blue is Clarke’s use of pitch bending.

Deep Blue is another piece that is very special to me. I discovered it my junior year of high school. I have memories of listening to it every night just being amazed in how something so simple could be so stunningly beautiful. This composition is partly inspired by the ocean and whale song. But it’s not the type of relaxing beach trip you’d expect. The melody is sorrowful yet nostalgic. The pitch bends are reminiscent of a whale communicating to its whale friends in the depth of the sea.

In preparation for my performance of this piece, I listened to various recordings of whale song. One particular recording on Spotify, titled “Lamenting Whales”, perfectly encapsulates the effect I believe Ian Clarke was getting at in his composition of Deep Blue. In my performance I hope to create the atmosphere of being deep underwater as a whale lamenting to my whale friends.