Thank you, Eddy! Yes, it was very fun to make. I always love when I first hear both parts together for the first time.
Regarding my embouchure....I played a little flute every night for about two weeks prior this recording but it still was not totally back yet. I may re-record this piece and last night I took out my flute again, but within 10 minutes my lips felt like they were going to fall off. Hurt real bad!

Very interesting recording, Monica, especially since you've recorded it solo and this gave us something to compare it to.

Two things got lost: the use of rubato in the middle (6/8) section, which your solo recording did so well. When you're doing multiple tracks, this must be very nerve-wracking to attempt. Solution? I don't know - perhaps you'd have to listen to the piano track on earphones while playing the flute, which I imagine would be aggravating at least.

The other thing: The una corda passage in the 6/8 section is so effective in the solo because it changes the timbre of the piano. But the flute did not change timbre. However, there may be a workaround: Can you eliminate the vibrato in your sound? If so, doing that during the una corda section could be very nice. I've known singers who used this effect in Debussy (in the vocal Claire de Lune). I know nothing about the flute, so perhaps this is nonsense.

Thank you, Stewart. I know what you mean about making that spot softer. Good idea! I'm just not sure I can do it since my breath control is not what it once was. I'm going to redo this one today and will try, though (and hopefully my lips stay on and I don't pass out ). Also, last night I was doodling around with my editing program and figured out how to eliminate my annoying gasping breath in-takes, so at least I can get that part better.


*edit about six hours later*.... I tried to re-record this today, but it didn't go well. So I re-edited the original files. Thanks to Rainer for mentioning the possibility of eliminating my breathing noise...that's what I did now. I also left the volume of both tracks alone, so this is the more natural sound (minus breathing, hiss, and adding reverb....)

Hi Monica,

You've been holding out on us! Who knew you are also a flautist? (I just looked in your bio where it's mentioned, but over the years I had forgotten that.) And your self-collaboration with the flute and piano parts in this Grenados duet worked so well. Everything is very well synchronized. It's a beautiful melancholy piece beautifully played and recorded. Congratulations!

In my university days I had the opportunity to rehearse the Mozart Sonata in D for flute and piano (similar to the version for violin and piano) with a young lady student preparing for a jury exam. I found that working with her was not unlike accompaning a singer--quite different from collaborating with a violinist or another pianist, as examples.

David

Hello Chris,
Now I know why you don't like Couperin: he writes in various places that his pieces can be either played by the harpsichord alone or by viols, flutes, oboes etc.. Especially for some pieces which are written on three staffs. Yes you are definitely a kind of austere puritan... But we like you as such: Couperin was advocating that music should be a 'Concert des Nations'. I think he would have wished the same for PS if he had lived in our time...

oh oh oh.... I hope Richard sees this! I was right when I mentioned Couperin!

Not "we".... You'll have to speak for yourself on this one, Francois. He didn't say that your collaboration adds no musical value like he said about mine. I don't think that is fair....

Thank you David!