Pierre Max Dubois

Quatuor

With music for Flute Quartets being most commonly rearranged for the ensemble, it is unusual that a work is originally composed for that precise instrumentation. It is for that reason that Pierre Max Dubois' Quatuor for Flutes has been considerably well-received. As a student of Darius Milhaud, Dubois brought ideas of Les Six, of which Milhaud was a member, into the mid-1900s. Dubois' compositions are characteristically light with interesting and unusual harmonic and melodic textures, as conveyed in this Quatuor for Flutes. With all four parts being technically demanding, exploiting extended techniques to the maximum, this piece provides a challenging but enjoyable performance. Moreover, including a full score and separate parts, this edition is ideal. With few pieces for this instrumentation existing as original compositions, all Flute Quartets must ensure they try out Dubois' enticing four-movement piece.