Mayka: 10 Concert Etudes for Flute

This fascinating collection of ten short pieces is not just about playing contemporary techniques. Damnjanovic bases them on Serbian folk music and takes it a different direction entirely. Each one has a completely contrasting character, and the extended technique is used to enhance the melody which is generally played normally. Playing one, several or all of these in a recital would be a very imaginative piece of programme planning!

Mayka is a group of 10 concert etudes inspired by Serbian folk music. While Damnjanović emphasises that the focus lies on "the expressive significance of different techniques, rather than the technical aspect", these works succeed on both levels. They demand imagination, sensitivity, and freedom, yet also provide valuable studies in breath control, intonation, articulation, finger technique, rhythm, and tone colour.

All 10 etudes proved to be varied, musically interesting, and technically useful. Among the colleciton, some of the etudes stood out to me in particular:

2. Tišina (Silence)
A spacious melodic study that explores the use of silence in music and our relationship to it. The score makes use of non-typical markings denoting quick inhale, long inhale, inhales over a specified duration, exhale, and no inhale or exhale-holding suspense. I found the idea of the no inhale or exhale particularly interesting when trying to hold tension, and have used these markings in my own practice since learning this etude.

7. The Land of Blackbirds
Based on the sound of the kaval, a traditional instrument from throughout the Balkans and Anatolia, this etude must be played alongside a drone and have a wooden tone colour throughout.  Damnjanović suggests that the player find "freedom within the rhythmic complexity", capturing the improvisatory character of kaval playing.

8. Uspavanka (Lullaby)
Following its opening of a simple lullaby sung in Serbian, this etude focuses on achieving the quietest sounds possible through the use of harmonics and a slow, low register melody.

10. Tužbalica
A lamentation inspired by narikače (professional mourners) and a Serbian folk ballad, The Death of Omar and Merima. This etude is dedicated to storytelling and narrative, and invites the player to play with imagination. It also works on the use of vibrato, with sections notating the speed, rhythm, and amplitude of vibrato that should be used. The etude closes with a section for headjoint only, where the player must change pitches by moving their finger to certain points within the headjoint.

Mayka offers flautists a window into the expressive richness of Serbian folk music, as well as helping players to develop their musical voice and discover new techniques. Best suited to university-level players and above, certain etudes and excerpts could also serve less experienced players. I would love to see a version tailored to younger players, providing teachers with a valuable resource for introducing students to these concepts and traditions.