Composed for Emmanuel Pahud and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, this mesmerizing 14-minute concerto for flute and strings from 2003 has also been recorded by Sharon Bezaly on BIS. Pipe Dreams follows one of Vine's preferred architectures: a single movement with three sections in the classic ‚moderate-slow-fast' form. Although the solo lines are unashamedly virtuosic, the composer states that his intention was ‚not to dazzle but to explore as much dreaminess as possible, filtered through the wilfulness of a metal pipe which believes it has no limits'.
‚A haunting central passage provided a satisfying emotional counterweight to the scintillating brilliance of the outer sections.'
The Australian (Murray Black), 19 October 2009