This recording fulfills my own personal goals to revisit and record some of the solos I have played in films over my long career as well as concert music written for me by celebrated film composers. I have had long-standing professional relationships with all of the composers on this disc over several decades, having played on more than 1,200 movies, many of them scored by these composers. Le Papillon was written for me by David Rose in 1980 and I played its premiere in the same year. It has been my wish ever since to help secure a place for it in the flute repertoire with a recording.
Born in Los Angeles, the progeny of two wonderful, highly respected musical families, I grew up as a musician with the support, encouragement and advice of my father, several uncles and cousins, all busy, working professionals. My father, cellist, Joseph DiTullio, my sister, pianist Virginia DiTullio Royer, and I performed for many years as the DiTullio Trio. Living in Los Angeles, I have had the opportunity to pursue simultaneous careers in recording as well as all facets of classical music.
Words can never express my gratitude to John Williams, John Barry, Danny Elfman, Laurence Rosenthal, and posthumously, Jerry Goldsmith and David Rose, for the honor of playing in their orchestras for literally decades. Their music has filled me with joy and provides an outlet for music-making of an entirely different kind. Although I love playing classical music, playing movie music of the quality that they produce completes a musical circle for me that I value beyond measure. I thank them for allowing me to adapt and include their music in this presentation. Thank you to David Rose Publishing for commissioning the reduced orchestration of Le Papillon to make this recording possible, and for permission to make this first recording of the work. Thanks also to Larry Rosenthal for his permission to make the first recording of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Special thanks to composer Mark Watters for his remarkable adaptation and orchestration of the music to Hook. And finally, special recognition and thanks to my nephew, Ronald Royer, for composing Short Stories for this CD, arranging the movie music and Le Papillon, conducting the recording sessions, and taking care of a myriad of details as the project’s co-producer. It is largely due to his efforts that this CD was conceived and became a reality.
Finally, now that it is complete, there is the realization and satisfaction that there is more than an hours’ worth of new repertoire for the flute. It is at once beautiful, challenging, fun, and musically rewarding. I take great satisfaction in sharing this music as a legacy to future flutists. May they enjoy playing it as much as I.
–Louise Di Tullio, August, 2009
