| Description |
The Sunken Forest is a duo for flute and piano that was composed at the Fire Island National Seashore, a small, nationally- protected segment of the thirty-two-mile-long barrier beach island called Fire Island, NY.
The work uses three simple extended technique sequences for the flute. The fingerings for these measures can be found on the last page of the flute part; otherwise, the work uses traditional flute and piano playing techniques.
"The most constant thing about life on Fire Island is change. Natural forces continuously reshape the 32-mile long barrier island. Only the most stable structures, natural or man-made, can withstand this dynamic environment. The Sunken Forest supports several ecosystems—each with its own distinct climate, soil and vegetation. Sometimes the ecosystems closely interrelate, such as the freshwater bogs which dot the maritime forest. In other cases, the boundaries between ecosystems are more sharply defined, as between the swale and the forest." |