Virtuoso Flute Trios is the latest recording on Paul Fried's Golden Tone Records label. It features the artistry of flutists Paul Fried and Alan Weiss, as well as the fabulous playing of acclaimed pianist Bryan Pezzone who is a master of all genres in Los Angeles CA. Paul Fried lives in Los Angeles CA, and has long been regarded as one of the worlds foremost flutists. He is one of a tiny list of flutists who have performed as solo flutist for three of the worlds greatest orchestras, the Boston Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony and as guest Solo Flute with the Berlin Philharmonic, under Herbert van Karajan. Paul is currently Solo Flutist of the Los Angeles based New West Symphony. In addition he is flutist for over 200 movies. These include The Spirit, Cat in the Hat, Ice Age, Twins, most of the Lethal Weapon and Die Hard movies, Robin Hood, The Grass Harp, Hoffa and many others. Paul is dedicating his performance on the CD to the memory of his principal teacher, Julius Baker. Alan Weiss has been the Artist-in -Residence of the William S. Haynes Flute Company since 2004, and a member of the Boston Classical Orchestra since 1987. Alan has been principal flutist with the Virginia Symphony as well as a member of the Iceland National Symphony, Mexico City Philharmonic, and the State Orchestra of Mexico. He is a former Flute Professor of the Boston University College for the Arts for a decade. His performance on this recording is dedicated to the late Phillip Kaplan of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Bryan Pezzone has been a freelance performing and recording artist in the Los Angeles area since 1987. he is known as a versatile performer who is comfortable in classical, contemporary, and improvisational styles. He performs with composers as diverse as Pierre Boulez, John Williams and John Adams and records on countless film and television sound tracks. He is the pianist for Free Flight, a cross over classical/ jazz quartet. These concerts feature many of his own compositions. In addition Bryan initiated a performing series that he calls "Freedom Series" which involves improvisations and verbal musings of life. He has been principal pianist for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra - 1991 to 1999, as well as the former Chair and Founder of Math focussed Keyboard Department at the California Institute for the Arts from 1987 to 2000. He abandoned both those positions in order to discover new paths. Bryan is passionate about continuously redefining himself and his role as an artist/musician/person in todays complex and eclectic culture. The Virtuoso Trio CD begins with three lovely, charming and rarely played or recorded works of Theodore Bohm. These were arranged from musical fragments of Mendelssohn and Lachner, music which was originally for two sopranos and piano. The first song was from a text by Heinrich Heine. The second mvt. - second song is from a text by Carl Klingemann. The third movement (song) is from a text by Friedrich Ruckert. Bohm was the famed flutist, teacher, composer and inventor of his own flute. The Bohm flute system helped make flutists much more able to perform works of great technical difficulty, and opened a new world for composers. Bohm always contended in his teaching, as many others have as well, that the flute is the closest instrument to the human voice. Bohm had all his students sing works before they practiced them to emphasize the similarities between the human voice and flute. Certainly, these lovely Mendelssohn arrangements are further proof of the closeness the flute has with the human voice. The second work on the CD is the iconic work by Franz Doppler, Andante and Rondo. Franz Doppler was renowned as flutist, composer and conductor. He lived and worked most of his early years in Pest Hungary and later moved to Vienna Austria. Together with his brother Karl who also was a conductor, they formed a flute duo that performed extensively in Europe and in America as well. This work has a warm and reflective first movement, followed by a Rondo dominated by Hungarian folk dance music, which ends with a great flourish of runs in the two flutes. It was a great joy to me to finally record this work which i've loved ever since playing it in the early years of my career. The third work on the CD is the Duettino based on American Themes, again by Franz Doppler. During the early 19th century composers of Europe became infatuated with America the bustling new democracy of the New World. Composers such as Dvorak and Doppler held high hopes for this new nation, and dedicated music to these hopes. In this work, one can hear many early American songs woven into the texture of the work. The first tune is Hail Columbia. The next tune heard is the arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner, followed by the Boatman Dance. The work ends featuring the famed theme from Yankee Doodle, which becomes a technical tour de force and exciting ending via Dopplers gifted composition. The fourth work on Virtuoso Flute Trios is the famed JS Bach Trio Sonata in G major. During a period from 1729 to 1741, JS Bach was the leader of one of Leipzig's two musica collegia. This was an ensemble of some thirty, mainly amateur musicians and college students who met each week and performed chamber music concerts. These musical events would often include secular cantatas, concertos, orchestral overtures and smaller ensembles such as duets, trios and quartets. Music performed would often be arranged and performed later for various other instruments. In the case of the trio in G major BMV 1039 for two flutes, there is also an arrangement BMV 1027 which is exactly the same for viola de gamba and obligato harpsichord. In addition, three of the movements of this work have also been transcribed for organ. It is therefore hard to discern for a fact that it was originally for 2 flutes. In this arrangement for two flutes, the first movement begins with a long solo line in the second flute part. The truth is, that both flute parts in this JS Bach are equally important. All the movements have fantastic counterpoint which seems to give the work a bigger feeling, than just three musicians performing. Perhaps the most memorable composition is the third movement which floats along in a static manner, almost to infinity. I regard this work of Bach as the most famous and real anchor for the CD. The final work we recorded is the G major Trio Sonata by Friedrich Kuhlau. Kuhlau was a composer who was born in Germany in September of 1786 and died in March of 1832. His parents were poor, but were able to purchase a piano for him and provide piano lessons. in 1810 he moved from Germany to Copenhagen Denmark to escape the conscription of men his age into the army of Napolean. Kuhlau had a harsh beginning to his life when at the age of seven, he fell into the street and lost his right eye. Although he was a prolific composer, many of his compositions went up in the flames of his home which burned down. He became personal friends with Beethoven, and Beethoven became the great influence in his compositions. In Denmark, Kuhlau gained fame as a pianist and conductor. Equally important, Kuhlau loved the music of Beethoven and championed his works more so than many of the other conductors in Europe. Kuhlau wrote so many works for flute, that he became famous as the Beethoven of the flute. His compositions, whether for solo flute, flute duos or flute trios -- quartets and quintets with strings contain strong flourishes which often have the feeling of Beethoven. This is particularly true of the last movement of this Trio Sonata with its powerful writing for the piano, and its tour de force ending for both flutes. Other recordings of Alan Weiss can be found at www.alanweissflute.com Other recordings of Paul Fried can be found at www.paulfriedflute.com