La Flute de Pan - Jules Mouquet

Jules Mouquet, a French composer, studied at the Conservatoire de Paris with Theodore Dubois and Xavier Lecroux and became Professor of Harmony at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1913. His works were mostly influenced by the late Romantic and Impressionist composers. La Flute de Pan for flute and piano or flute and orchestra is his most notable work.

La Flute de Pan is an excellent example of a neoclassical work directly influenced by Greek mythology. Pan is the legendary god of the shepherds with the body of a goat a human. In one story, Pan chased a nymph named Syrinx because she ran away before he could give her any compliments. He chased her to a riverbank, where she transformed into reeds. All Pan could do was take some of the reeds and make an instrument out of it, which is why he is commonly associated with the flute. In the 1st movement of the sonata, “Pan et les bergers” (“Pan and the Shepherds”), there is an energetic but pastoral quality where flourishes of notes evoke images of a shepherd’s busy day in the mountains. The 2nd movement, titled “Pan et les oiseaux” (“Pan and the Birds”), depicts a solemn setting with the occasional bird call ringing through the air. Finally, in the 3rd movement, “Pan et les nymphes” (“Pan and the Nymphs”), an upbeat dance breaks out with a balance of technical and lyrical passages, painting a scene where the mythological spirits of nature folic and dance in the woods.

I dedicate Jules Mouquet’s La Flute de Pan to my many friends, mentors, and teachers, who I will attempt to list: 

Brad Allen, John Benzer, David Bertman, Dr. Steven Bryant, Kelsey Garagnon, Eddie Green, Joe and Cathy Grzybowski, Dr. Julie Kastner, Franz Anton Krager, Lindsey Langford, Mr. John Mackey, Noe Marmolejo, Robert Mayes, Cory Meals, Dr. Seth Morris, Kevin McNulty Jr., the Neugent family, Dr. Howard Pollack, the Puckett family, Sara Raviotta, Melissa Suhr, Dean Surface, Dr. Betsy Weber, Marion West, and Carrie Young.

Thank you for your everlasting support, determination, hard work, and love throughout my high school and college careers. You have been my sole reason and inspiration for pursuing music and music education. You have taught me so much more than just notes on a page or how to play my flute. You’ve taught me what music really stands for and how to communicate that with others. You’ve given me the tools I need to be successful in not just my future career, but for life in general. And for that, I am eternally grateful to every single one of you and will always consider you my dearest friends, mentors, and role models. Thank you so much for investing so much of your time, effort, friendship, and support for me and I hope that, one day, I can make you proud. 

La Flute de Pan- Mouquet III. Pan Et Les Nymphes

Victoria Hitz is in her third year of teaching, as well as her third year as Associate Director of Bands at T.A. Howard Middle School. In the past two years, Ms. Hitz’s ensembles have received consistent “Sweepstakes” ratings at UIL, and Superior ratings and “Best in Class” at the Sound Waves Music Festival in New Braunfels, TX. Most recently, the Howard Symphonic Band received 3rd Runner Up (4th place overall) at the 2018 Beach Within Reach Music Festival in Haltom City, TX.

Ms. Hitz received her Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Houston and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2015. During her time in Houston, she studied flute with Houston Ballet and Opera Orchestra flutist, Melissa Suhr, and was a member of the internationally-recognized Moores School of Music Wind Ensemble, where she performed with the ensemble at the 2012 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, IL.

Ms. Hitz is a native of Keller, TX, where she was a flute section leader, Drum Major, President of the Keller Central High School Marching Band, and principal flute of the Keller Central High School Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Kevin McNulty. She is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Women Band Directors International, Phi Kappa Phi, the Golden Key International Honour Society, and Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity.