The Final Flourish Unlocked: Renowned Flutists' Tone Color Choices in the Last Measures of Syrinx

Listening to masters through a tone color analytic framework reveals the creativity that each brings to a given piece of music. For fun, I've been listening to every recording I could find of Syrinx, since it gives us flutists so many chances to use tone colors creatively. In consideration here are just the last three measures of the piece, give or take. The last notes descend from a middle B natural by a whole tone to E flat, then resolve on a D natural, just a half step below the E flat. Debussy’s score calls for the entire phrase to be "Tres Retenu," or "Very Reserved." The B natural is to be surfaced a bit more two beats after its piano entrance with "marque," but as the whole tone scale descends, the sound gradually fades away (perdendosi), ending on the D natural held under a fermata. This ending phrase invites each performer to do something with tone colors, and additives to them like vibrato, in a way that is both unique but also appropriate for achieving the goal of the piece. Most use a pink tone color, which is hollow, and pastel, with minimal to no vibrato. Others break out successfully and remarkably, as well.

The Last Measures of "Syrinx", by Claude Debussy

In this post, we explore how seven celebrated flutists—Marcel Moyse, Tom Nyfenger, Julius Baker, and Sharon Bezaly—approach this final phrase in their recordings. Their interpretations reveal distinct tonal colors, phrasing choices, and expressive nuances that bring fresh life to Debussy’s delicate ending.

Marcel Moyse’s Hollow Pink Tone

Marcel Moyse’s recording of Syrinx is really very intense, and it is also one of the very first. His rendition of the last phrase is marked by a hollow sound with no vibrato. He uses a pink tone color, showing purity, but adds some high-end partials interrupt the sound’s smoothness, but in exchange we get the perception of hollowness, or a vacuum, something empty - perfect for the end of this piece.

Moyse’s choice to avoid vibrato creates a sense of stillness, which complements the hollow feeling. The listener feels the note slowly fading into silence, capturing the essence of perdendosi. His tone is delicate yet substantial, making the final notes feel like a natural breath trailing off into the air.

Tom Nyfenger’s Otherworldly Tone Colors

Tom Nyfenger’s interpretation of the last phrase shares similarities with Moyse’s but adds more complexity in tone color. He begins the phrase on B natural with a pink tone, then shifts to an orange tone on the first beat of the second to last measure. This marked and distinguished sound carries more harmonics, making the B natural stand out clearly as Debussy requires.

As Nyfenger descends, he returns to pink but with greater hollowness perhaps because of he has more higher end partials in his sound than Moyse in these two measures. The effect is fresh and astonishing, both complimenting Moyse but at the same time adding something excellent that also fits within the program of the piece. That "something excellent" is his more vivid tone color choice in this instance.

Nyfenger's use of vibrato elsewhere in this piece is worth a series of articles, perhaps. It's really amazing.

Julius Baker’s Search for, and Addition of Undertones

Julius Baker takes a similar path to Nyfenger's, starting with a marked B natural and descending through the whole tone scale. In his recording, Baker appears to “fish” for the hollow tone color, experimenting to find the right balance. He very quickly achieves a convincing hollow sound with rich undertones, perhaps even more than Nyfenger, also nodding to Marcel Moyse but using the pink tone color base with more undertones than Moyse and Nyfenger.

Baker’s approach feels exploratory and intimate, as if he is carefully shaping the fading sound in real time. The undertones add depth and mystery, enhancing the sense of the music dissolving into silence.

Sharon Bezaly: Vibrato as Tone Color Additive and Articulation

Sharon Bezaly innovates in her use of tone colors, as well. She starts the last phrase with orange, fades quickly to pink, then back to orange on the first beat of the penultimate measure, creating a dipthong like effect, almost articulating the fiinal works with the sound of her flute alone. She descends by whole tone down to the E flat, she articulates each note with a flutter of vibrato that disappears leaving what starts as an orange tone color, but then becomes pinker and pinker as she approaches the D natural.

What Makes These Interpretations Stand Out?

The last notes of Syrinx are deceptively simple but demand good tone color choices in consderation of all that happened in the preceding measures. The descending whole tone scale and the final half step create an opportunity for the flutist to create, filling the gap between the written notes and instructions from the composer, and the mind of the listener.

Key elements that distinguish these performances include:

• Tone color: Choices range from hollow pink to marked orange, pastel shallow pink, and combinations of these.

• Vibrato use: Some avoid vibrato for purity, others use subtle vibrato to add warmth or coldness, and still others realize the value of vibrato to articulate.

• Harmonics and partials: The presence or absence of upper partials shapes the sound’s texture.

• Phrasing and pauses: Dramatic pauses add tension and highlight the final note.

• Recording environment: Reverb and acoustics affect how the ending is perceived.

  
  

These factors combine to create endings that are both personal and faithful to Debussy’s vision.

Bringing the Last Notes to Life in Your Own Playing

For flutists seeking to interpret Syrinx, the final phrase offers a chance to explore tone color and expression deeply. Here are some practical tips inspired by these masters:

• Experiment with tone colors by adjusting embouchure and air support to find pink, orange, or pastel shades.

• Try this phrase yourself and use different tone colors to create the desired emotional effect for your listeners.

• Use no vibrato or very subtle vibrato to create a hollow pink or light orange color.

• Explore pauses between the last notes to add emotional weight.

• Record yourself in different acoustic settings to hear how reverb changes the sound.

• Listen closely to recordings by Moyse, Nyfenger, Baker, Bezaly, and others to understand their choices.

• Let me know who you like best, and why, for fun!