Monday 1 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Giga by Braun

 from “Pièces sans basse”

This gigue is the twenty-second of Jean-Daniel Braun's Pièces sans basse for flute or bassoon, published in Paris in 1740 together with Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor. These solo pieces are usually attributed to Braun, even though the front page states that they are “by the same author as well as by various others”.

Categories: Baroque Jigs Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 2 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 4

This Adagio is the opening movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C minor by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 3 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Study in C major by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a little study in C major by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 4 April 2024

Tune of the Day: The Priest and His Boots

 Traditional Irish jig

The earliest version of this tune can be found in Playford’s The English Dancing Master (London, 1651) under the title “An old man is a bed full of bones”. The melody appears to have been known throughout the British Isles, and particularly in Ireland, where a special dance was performed to it.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 5 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Corrente by Braun

 from “Pièces sans basse”

This is the twenty-third of Jean-Daniel Braun's Pièces sans basse for flute or bassoon, published in Paris in 1740 together with Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor. These solo pieces are usually attributed to Braun, even though the front page states that they are “by the same author as well as by various others”.

Categories: Baroque Courantes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 6 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 4

This Allegro is the second movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C minor by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 7 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Study in C-sharp minor by De Michelis

 from “24 Exercises”

This Allegro is the tenth study from a collection of 24 esercizi by Italian flutist and composer Vincenzo De Michelis.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Monday 8 April 2024

Tune of the Day: The Limerick Tinker

 Traditional Irish jig

This Dorian-mode jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's celebrated collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. Some people have pointed out that the tune might be related to an older Irish jig, “The Gold Ring”.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 9 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Fantasia by Braun

 from “Pièces sans basse”

This is the twenty-fourth of Jean-Daniel Braun's Pièces sans basse for flute or bassoon, published in Paris in 1740 together with Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor. These solo pieces are usually attributed to Braun, even though the front page states that they are “by the same author as well as by various others”.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 10 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Menuet by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 4

This minuet is the third and final movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C minor by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 11 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Study in A minor by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a minuet in A minor by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

Categories: Etudes Minuets Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Friday 12 April 2024

Tune of the Day: The Boy from the Mountain

 Traditional Irish jig

The earliest appearance of this jig is under its Irish title, “Buachaill ó’n Sliabh”, in the large mid-19th century music manuscript collection of County Cork clergyman and uilleann piper James Goodman.

The present ornamented setting is taken from Francis O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1907.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 13 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Minuetto by Braun

 from “Pièces sans basse”

This lovely minuet is the twenty-fifth of Jean-Daniel Braun's Pièces sans basse for flute or bassoon, published in Paris in 1740 together with Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor. These solo pieces are usually attributed to Braun, even though the front page states that they are “by the same author as well as by various others”.

Categories: Baroque Minuets Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 14 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Marche by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 5

This march is the opening movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C major by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Marches Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 15 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Study in B major by De Michelis

 from “24 Exercises”

This study in double tonguing is the eleventh piece from a collection of 24 esercizi by Italian flutist and composer Vincenzo De Michelis.

Categories: Double tonguing Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 16 April 2024

Tune of the Day: The Woodcock

 Traditional Irish jig

This catchy jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. O'Neill's source was Chicago policeman and fiddler Timothy Dillon. Although this is the earliest known appearance of the tune in print, the melody is related to that of older jigs such as “How Are You Kitty?”.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Wednesday 17 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Bizaria by Braun

 from “Pièces sans basse”

This is the last of Jean-Daniel Braun's Pièces sans basse for flute or bassoon, published in Paris in 1740 together with Braun's Flute Sonata in E minor. You may find its title spelled with a varying number of r's and z's, but the short form “Bizaria” appears to be the most common one in manuscripts.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 18 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 5

This Adagio is the second movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C major by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 19 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a study by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

The second half of this piece, starting with the switch to C major, only uses 4 notes. If you are up for a challenge, the whole 16 bars can be played (an octave higher) on a single fingering, by using harmonics!

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Saturday 20 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Dunmanway Lasses

 Traditional Irish jig

This jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's celebrated collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903.

Dunmanway is a market town in County Cork, in the southwest of Ireland.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Sunday 21 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Andante by Braun

 from Flute Sonata in E minor

This Andante is the opening movement of the first of the six Op. 7 flute sonatas with bass accompaniment by French flutist and composer Jean-Daniel Braun, published in Paris in 1736.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Monday 22 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 5

This Allegro is the third movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C major by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 23 April 2024

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

 from “24 Exercises”

This study is the twelfth piece from a collection of 24 esercizi by Italian flutist and composer Vincenzo De Michelis.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Wednesday 24 April 2024

Tune of the Day: The Boys of Ballinafad

 Traditional Irish jig

This jig first appears in Francis O'Neill's collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. It is however closely related to the Scottish jig “Teviot Brig”, which was first printed in Nathaniel Gow's Complete Repository in 1817.

Ballinafad (meaning “mouth of the long ford”) is a village in the south of County Sligo in the west of Ireland.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Thursday 25 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Braun

 from Flute Sonata in E minor

This Allegro is the second movement of the first of the six Op. 7 flute sonatas with bass accompaniment by French flutist and composer Jean-Daniel Braun, published in Paris in 1736.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 26 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Air by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 5

This air is the fourth movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C major by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 27 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Study in E minor by Clinton

 from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”

Today we propose a little study by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Sunday 28 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Let It Be So

 Traditional Irish jig

This quirky jig appears to be unique to Francis O'Neill's collection The Dance Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1907.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 29 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Waltz No. 15

 by Johannes Brahms

This waltz comes from a set of 16 short waltzes for piano duet written by Johannes Brahms. Published in 1865, and dedicated to the Bohemian musicologist Eduard Hanslick, the pieces had an instant success, contrary to the composer's expectations. Over time, number 15 in A-flat major has acquired a life of its own.

You can choose to play this flute arrangement as a slow, sweet lullaby. Take advantage of dynamics to express all its feelings.

Categories: Dance tunes Lullabies Romantic Waltzes Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 30 April 2024

Tune of the Day: Gigue by Mattheson

 from Flute Sonata No. 5

This gigue is the final movement of a sonata for 3 flutes in C major by the German Baroque composer and music theorist Johann Mattheson. It was published in Amsterdam in 1708.

Categories: Baroque Jigs Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate