7 Modal Flute Duets
by Laura Lentz

Coming in December 2025 in a new version of Modal Flute Warmup (or sold separately as a bundle with 80 Discovery Flute Cards at Conway Publications), this set of duets is arranged from brightest to darkest—from the luminous clarity of Lydian to the unstable mystery of Locrian. These duets give flutists an opportunity to explore the modes more deeply in an ensemble setting, and are perfect to play with friends, colleagues, or students. Each duet is written with each mode’s sound, mood, and expressive potential in mind.

In writing these pieces, I followed where each mode seemed to lead: toward spaciousness or motion, shimmer or stillness, playfulness or mystery. There are introductory notes for each duet, and players are invited to explore the mode first, playing through it slowly, listening for its particular color, mood, or energy. You could improvise short melodies or linger on certain intervals, noticing how they feel against one another.

There are additional notes about the musical features for each duet, including notes on extended techniques if they are used.

As with the Modal Noodles in the original version of the book, each duet includes an optional improvisation prompt. Using the style or feel of the piece as a springboard, explore centering your improvisation on the gravitational notes of the mode—the tones that feel like “home” and offer a natural sense of rest and orientation. These notes draw the ear, shape phrasing, and guide tension and release. They are especially useful starting points for improvisation, since they provide stability from which musical ideas can depart and return.

I also provide a quick takeaway for improvisation that offers a general guideline to follow, and specific suggestions are given in the introduction for each duet. You can use these as a guide, though you are encouraged to give yourself space to experiment, explore, and enjoy these improvisational opportunities. Drones can be helpful when practicing or improvising. A sustained pitch (from a tuner, keyboard, app, or another instrument), or drone, can provide a stable reference point for both tuning and expression. I have provided drones for each duet available on my website, created by Rochester composer Sean William Calhoun. 

The duets may be played in the order presented or explored in any sequence that sparks curiosity. Each piece encourages open interpretation and personal expression; tempi and dynamics are suggestions. You might explore playing the duets on other flutes (alto, bass, etc.). Above all, you are invited to trust your instincts as you play.

7 Modal Duets:

1. Op. 75: After Koechlin (C Lydian)
This duet draws on the warmth of the Lydian mode to evoke the lush harmonies, atmospheric textures, and expressive lyricism characteristic of French composer Charles Koechlin (1867–1950). The first movement of his Sonata for Two Flutes, Op. 75 — with its fluid interplay and color-rich sound world — was a direct inspiration for this piece.

2. Fireflies (E Mixolydian)
Surrounded by firefly light, let Mixolydian warmth and the fluttering 7/8 pulse carry you through a landscape of wonder. 

3. Symphonia (rooted in Dorian: C Phrygian → Bb Dorian → F Lydian-Mixolydian→ D Dorian)
Some parts of this duet were written while I was visiting the medieval city of Bologna, Italy in summer 2025. Being surrounded by the architecture and atmosphere of that historical period inspired me to draw on the music of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), a 12th-century abbess, writer, composer, and visionary. The six-part duet invites players into a primarily improvisation-based dialogue. The title Symphonia comes from Latin, meaning, “harmonious sounding together,” evoking resonance, unity, and balance.

4. In quiet curiosity (C Dorian)
At the midpoint, this duet in the gentle and reflective Dorian mode offers an introspective pause — a space to explore and wonder, in quiet curiosity. 

5. Phantom shadows (G Phrygian)
The Phrygian mode stirs with shadows — dark and unpredictable. In the shadows, sound behaves differently: timbres flicker, edges blur, and silence holds secrets.

6. Whispering wind (B Locrian)
The Locrian mode is the most fragile and dissolving of the set. Whispering wind is shaped by breath, silence, and spacious pacing. This duet uses fragile, breathy textures combined with gentle moments of dissonance to help reflect the character of Locrian, the most unstable and unresolved of all the modes.

7. Montebello (A Locrian)
Montebello (Beautiful mountain) takes its name from Via Montebello, the street in Bologna, Italy, where this piece was written in summer 2025. Inspired by Terry Riley’s minimalist piece In C, this rhythm-driven piece invites players to explore the Locrian mode in a different way from Whispering wind. Through short, 10 repeating rhythmic cells, Montebello invites you to explore this mode with more grounding and drive. This piece is for two or more players.

-Notation by Will Pyle
-Thank you to the following people for feedback on these duets as I developed them:
Laura Smoller, Alexandra Hine, Annette Farrington, Tessa Brinckman, Roxanne Willard, Jon Russell, Maria Mucaria,
Luca and Pier Albano