Friday 1 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Morag MacNeil, Tangasdale

 Strathspey by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This particular melody, a lively strathspey, was composed by his son, Rory, and is named after a beach on the isle of Barra. You can listen to the author's own recording of the piece here.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Strathspeys Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 2 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Sarabande by Paul Merkus

 for flute and piano

Today's piece was kindly contributed to our collection by guest composer Paul Merkus.

This Sarabande is my very first opus number, originating in 1983, at a time when I often played flute duets. That is why the first appearance of this Sarabande was as a duet for two flutes.

Because it was difficult to do the harmony justice in a flute duet, I also made the present version for flute and piano. The key has been changed as the Sarabande has been transposed down to G major.

The beginning of the melody is based on the effect that repeating the same note builds tension. After four bars of “monotony”, the built-up tension is relieved by a scale figure, after which a typical sarabande melody follows. In the second part, a contemporary modulation transitions into the recapitulation, followed by a melancholy conclusion.

Categories: Contemporary Sarabandes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Sunday 3 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Handel

 from Violin Sonata in A major

This Adagio in F-sharp minor is the third movement of a sonata for violin and basso continuo in A major, HWV 372, first published in 1730. It was originally thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, but modern scholars consider this doubtful, and have labelled it as “spurious”.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 4 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in G-sharp minor by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the thirty-ninth study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 5 September 2023

Tune of the Day: The Ladies of Carrick

 Traditional Irish jig

The earliest known appearance of this jig is in the Stephen Grier manuscript collection, dated 1883. Stephen Grier (c. 1824–1894) was a uilleann piper and fiddle player. A native of North Longford, he moved to Newpark, Bohey, Gortletteragh, in South Leitrim in 1852.

There is a village called Carrick in southwest County Donegal, but there are also other places with the name (derived from the Irish carraig, ‛rock’) in Ireland.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 6 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Largo by Quantz

 from Flute Sonata in C minor

This is the opening movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata in C minor for flute and continuo, QV 1: Anh. 5. As the “Anh.” (“Anhang”, German for annex) in the opus number suggests, the attribution of this sonata to Quantz is questioned by scholars.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 7 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Presto by Telemann

 for two flutes

This Presto is the fourth movement of a flute duet in E major by the prolific Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann. It was first published by Telemann himself in 1727 as part of a collection of 6 flute duets, TWV 40:130-135.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 8 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Briccialdi

 from “18 Studi o Soli”

Today we propose the second piece from 18 Studi o Soli per flauto (“18 Studies or Solos for flute”) by 19th-century Italian flutist and composer Giulio Briccialdi.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 9 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Ceridwen and Martin's Nusa Lembongan Wedding

 Reel by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This particular reel, whose title is often abbreviated to just “Nusa”, was composed by his son, Rory. Nusa Lembongan is an island located southeast of Bali, Indonesia.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Reels Difficulty: easy
Sunday 10 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Handel

 from Violin Sonata in A major

This is the fourth and final movement from a sonata for violin and basso continuo in A major, HWV 372, first published in 1730. It was originally thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, but modern scholars consider this doubtful, and have labelled it as “spurious”.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: advanced
Monday 11 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Vivace by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This Vivace is the opening movement of a flute trio in D major, QV 3:3.2, by Baroque flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz. This trio was probably written between 1726 and 1727, while Quantz was staying in Paris as part of his extended educational journey.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 12 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in G-sharp minor by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the fortieth study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 13 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Charlie Stewart

 Traditional Irish jig

One of the earliest appearances of this jig, under the title “French Fancy Dance”, is in the 1859 music manuscript collection of amateur musician M.E. Eames, who judging from some of the tune names in the collection probably lived in Philadelphia. As “Prince Charles”, the melody also appears in the manuscript collection of Irish clergyman and piper James Goodman (1828–1896).

The familiar title “Charlie Stewart” was probably introduced by Francis O'Neill in his popular early-20th-century Irish music collections.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Thursday 14 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Quantz

 from Flute Sonata in C minor

This is the second movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata in C minor for flute and continuo, QV 1: Anh. 5. As the “Anh.” (“Anhang”, German for annex) in the opus number suggests, the attribution of this sonata to Quantz is questioned by scholars.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 15 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Largo by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This Largo is the second movement of a flute trio in D major, QV 3:3.2, by Baroque flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz. This trio was probably written between 1726 and 1727, while Quantz was staying in Paris as part of his extended educational journey.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 16 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in C major by Briccialdi

 from “18 Studi o Soli”

Today we propose the third piece from 18 Studi o Soli per flauto (“18 Studies or Solos for flute”) by 19th-century Italian flutist and composer Giulio Briccialdi.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 17 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Field of Bells

 Reel by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This lively irregular-time melody was composed by his son, Rory. You can listen to the author's own recording of the piece here.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Difficulty: advanced
Monday 18 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Handel

 from Violin Sonata in F major

Today we propose the opening movement from a sonata for violin and basso continuo in F major, HWV 370, first published in 1732. It was originally thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, but modern scholars consider this doubtful, and have labelled it as “spurious”.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 19 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Rigaudon by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This is the third movement of a flute trio in D major, QV 3:3.2, by Baroque flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz. This trio was probably written between 1726 and 1727, while Quantz was staying in Paris as part of his extended educational journey.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 20 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in D-flat major by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the forty-first study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 21 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Jack-of-All-Trades

 Traditional Irish jig

This jig appears to be unique to Francis O'Neill's early-20th-century collections Music of Ireland (1903) and The Dance Music of Ireland (1907), both published in Chicago.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 22 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Quantz

 from Flute Sonata in C minor

This is the third and last movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata in C minor for flute and continuo, QV 1: Anh. 5. As the “Anh.” (“Anhang”, German for annex) in the opus number suggests, the attribution of this sonata to Quantz is questioned by scholars.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 23 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Minuet by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This is the fourth movement of a flute trio in D major, QV 3:3.2, by Baroque flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz. This trio was probably written between 1726 and 1727, while Quantz was staying in Paris as part of his extended educational journey.

Categories: Baroque Minuets Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 24 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in A major by Briccialdi

 from “18 Studi o Soli”

Today we propose the fourth piece from 18 Studi o Soli per flauto (“18 Studies or Solos for flute”) by 19th-century Italian flutist and composer Giulio Briccialdi.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Monday 25 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Hunt

 Reel by Rory Campbell

Today's tune is taken from a collection kindly donated to us by piper Roddy Campbell from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This fast reel was composed by his son, Rory, who recorded it in his 2001 album Nusa.

Categories: Celtic Music Contemporary Reels Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 26 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Handel

 from Violin Sonata in F major

Today we propose the second movement from a sonata for violin and basso continuo in F major, HWV 370, first published in 1732. It was originally thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, but modern scholars consider this doubtful, and have labelled it as “spurious”.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: advanced
Wednesday 27 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Vivace by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This is the last movement of a flute trio in D major, QV 3:3.2, by Baroque flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz. This trio was probably written between 1726 and 1727, while Quantz was staying in Paris as part of his extended educational journey.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 28 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Study in D-flat major by Ferling

 from “48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone”

Today's piece is the forty-second study from 48 Études pour hautbois ou saxophone, composed around 1835 by German oboist and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm Ferling.

Categories: Etudes Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 29 September 2023

Tune of the Day: The Muffin Man

 Traditional English tune

“The Muffin Man” is a popular traditional nursery rhyme and children's song. It was first recorded in a British manuscript circa 1820.

Do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man.
Do you know the muffin man
Who lives on Drury Lane?

The man in question, who lived on Drury Lane in London, may have been a man whose profession was delivering baked goods to Victorian households, or possibly an impoverished beggar man.

“The Muffin Man” has been referenced several times in the Shrek series. First mentioned in Shrek (2001), a variant of the lyrics is used in a scene where the villain Lord Farquaad tortures and interrogates Gingy the Gingerbread Man.

Categories: Nursery rhymes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Saturday 30 September 2023

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Quantz

 from Flute Sonata in D major

This is the opening movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata in D major for flute and continuo, QV 1: Anh. 10a. As the “Anh.” (“Anhang”, German for annex) in the opus number suggests, the attribution of this sonata to Quantz is questioned by scholars.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate