Seven Planetary Pieces for solo flute

Seven Planetary Pieces
For solo Flute
by Marja Slotemaker

The association of heavenly bodies with musical scales and intervals (the ‘music of the spheres’) has an ancient tradition. These pieces use the planetary scales in their mirror form, as is fully explained in the notes that are part of the volume.

The music is written without barlines, which in turn leads to some challenges with the durations of the notes.

Skill level: C

About the Author
Marja Slotemaker de Bruine was born in Holland in 1898. She was a clergyman’s wife for 25 years and spent many of those years living in Indonesia with her husband. She grew up in a very musical family and she was a very good pianist. Her knowledge of and interest in modern music was phenomenal. She was also always up to date with the latest literature. Her marriage broke up when she was in her fifties and then she became more and more involved with anthroposophy and music therapy. She met Dr Hans Heinrich Engel when she was doing some music in Camphill Christophorus in Holland and she became part of the research group around him in relation to music therapy. She worked together with Hans Heinrich in Glencraig in the therapeutic work, but also began to work on her own ever more.

Marja spent some time as a coworker in Franz Löffler’s home for boys, but she never became a curative educator as such. During that time Marja worked for a time with Annie von Lange and had singing lessons with Maria Führmann. The planetary scales were very close to her heart and she composed many pieces for various instruments in these scales, including the music for passion week, ‘Charwoche’ for 2 voices and instruments, which was performed very regularly in Glencraig for many years.

Marja was a devoted and enthusiastic composer and would write music for any combination of instruments for all possible occasions. She left a large collection of manuscripts into my care at her death in 1990. She still composed until in her late eighties.
Edeline LeFevre, Camphill Community Glencraig

First published by Upper Esk Music
3 pages of music.
30.3 x 21.5 cms, 12 x 8½ inches.
Stitched.