Ned Rorem’s clarity of emotional expression is perfectly suited to the ‘breathy gold’ of the flute. Covering much of the composer’s career, these pieces range from the early Mountain Song, which captures the spirit of a rural Kentucky folksong, to the meditative and spectacular Four Prayers. Rorem worked closely with and was “honored to be so dazzlingly represented by” the performers on this recording, describing flutist Fenwick Smith as “a Faun and a Daphnis all in one.”

The bulk of this program is reissued from a recording previously released on the Etcetera label, and described as “a wonderful recording of excellent flute music” (America Record Guide). As a Naxos artist, Fenwick Smith has already recorded three acclaimed volumes of music by Philippe Gaubert. Four Prayers also appears on the ‘Eight Visions’ recital by Marya Martin (8559629), but this excellent survey of Ned Rorem’s chamber works for flute has no real competition, and can be regarded as definitive when considering the involvement of the composer in its preparation.

A dedicated teacher, Fenwick Smith has taught at New England Conservatory since 1976. He was the recipient of the conservatory’s Laurence Lesser Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2006 he retired from the Boston Symphony Orchestra after a distinguished 28-year career.