The flute is - also symbolically - connected to air, or the wind. As if the musician blowing into it imparts to it his or her soul, or spirit. And the sound of the flute in fact, easily gives an experience of high energy, high feelings.
If you have a meditative bent, you can soon discover that its
sound is good at bringing about, or strengthening, a sense of
the aural energy system, or parts of it. The flute can be compared
to the chakra system, where each chakra is placed on the spine,
like the holes in the flute.
HARI PRASAD CHAURASIA: (See also under India).
A classical Indian musician, the sound of his quite exceptional
music, played on the simple bansuri bamboo flute, full of deep
and peaceful, measured feeling, is a balm for the soul. It brings
out associations to the god, looking after his flock, while playing
on his flute, so its tones float about him in the mountainside
air. HPC's flute can go very precisely into the spine - for example
listen to 15 minutes of The Night and the Ocean, on the
CD Now!
(NOTE: Unfortunately Now! is out of production, but we have many other of HPCs CDs, mostly at 159.- Contact us to hear more).
KOKU NISHIMURA: is a Japanese master of the kyotaku flute. This is deeply
meditative music - the sound is of "bells that empty the mind" (read the review
on our Japan page). AVAILABLE AGAIN through private
import - NOW ONLY 149.- Once more - unfortunately - unavailable at this time
He is recognised as one of the great flute players in the world today. Many
of his recordings can be used meditatively, see also under Classical Indian,
or as mentioned above, for example Now!, in New Age style. 115/159.-
JAMES GALWAY: Seashore/Melodies of Japan are gentle Japanese
folk melodies, written down in the 19th Century, in
Western, symphonic style, as it was "discovered" by
Japanese composers of the time. Galway plays them masterfully,
and with tender feeling. MC/CD 115/159.-
LARKIN & WHALES: Larkin has always played a softly
beautiful flute - on O'Cean, he has the company of the
calming waves of the sea, and besides, in the first minutes, the
sounds of whales communicating. Many other titles also. 115/149.-
MUSIC FOR ZEN MEDITATION:
The original New Age recording! Just as classical and beautiful,
and filled with intensity and inspiring meditative absorption
today, as it was when recorded in the sixties. Digitally re-mixed,
this is Japanese world music for all "sentient beings",
as they say over there. A classic that I can't recommend highly
enough! Jazz(!)-flautist Tony Scott, together with Japanese koto
and shakuhachi flute. 115/159.-
PAUL HORN: Many titles with his clear, improvised flute music. Inside the Great Pyramid gives a sense of the powerful energy inside three of the great Egyptian pyramids. Double length 155/225.-
Other titles, for example Inside the Taj Mahal, The
Peace Album etc. 115/169.-
OTHER TITLES: See the Native American flute music under
U.S.A., and Djivan Gasparyan
under Armenia, as well as
the shakuhachi flute under Japan,
and Giora Feidman's clarinet under Jewish.