Flute Lore, Pt 1
Of course, there are many historically accurate stories of how the flute originated, and as fun as those are, I like to operate on the quirkier side of the railroad tracks. So, our first and most important story is the origin of the pan flute (otherwise known as pan pipes) and its ties to the nymph Syrinx and our most famous solo work.
Pan, The Spurned Lover
The Greek myth of Pan, a half-man, half-goat creature once came across a beautiful forest nymph named Syrinx. Smitten, he begged and begged for her affection. Bringing her flower and gifts, showering her in loving bribes for her hand, she still rejected his advances. After many spurned advances, Pan grew angry. He screamed at her and threatened her, his face turning red and twisting in rage. He began to chase her.
Syrinx, being slight and quick, ran and ran, but Pan would not give up. He would not stop chasing her. Eventually, she came to a river and summoned her powers to turn herself into a bunch of reeds. Pan, being angry and spiteful came upon the reeds and slashed them to pieces. He screamed in anger and rage at his victim, but it was only moments later that he was wailing in sorrow and disgust at what he had done.
To try and rectify his wrong and allow Syrinx, the beautiful nymph, to live forever, he took the reeds and assembled the pan flute, raised it to his lips, and breathed beautiful life into the instrument, thus creating the first version of the flute that the world has ever known.
Other Interpretations of the Myth
There are a few other stories, some more or less gruesome, depending on your taste for lore. I prefer the story that’s right in the middle. I feel like it aligns beautifully with Debussy’s solo and gives context to some of the tension and releases that happen within the piece. I like picturing it as so.
In Popular Culture
My favorite under-the-radar spotting of this myth referenced in pop culture is a scene in the Disney cartoon Hercules when you first meet the character Phil.
It’s a pretty quick reference that most people wouldn’t even notice if they didn’t already know the story, which I love.
Today’s Importance
It’s important to understand the story before you can play the piece. Knowing of the plight of Pan and the tragic death of the nymph Syrinx is an incredibly poignant story that flows with the piece itself. Understanding the history of the piece is so important for your own interpretation. Syrinx is an incredible work and one of our most important works to date. If you haven’t played it yet, you absolutely should. Find it here: https://amzn.to/3KCKyaH
There are other pieces out there that are based around the lore of Pan such as “Pan!” and “Danse de la Chevre” which are all fantastic and absolutely worth checking out.
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