Free Flute Sheet Music

Tune of the Day: Matona mia cara

Orlande de Lassus, also known as Orlando di Lasso, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance. He is today considered to be one of the two most famous and influential musicians in Europe at the end of the 16th century, the other being Palestrina. Lassus demonstrated complete competence in the expressive styles of the Italian madrigal, setting Petrarch and Ariosto alongside the best native speakers. Yet he also left essays in the simpler and lighter Italian genre of the villanella, two books' worth. “Matona mia cara” (“My Dear Lady”), from the second published collection, exemplifies his efforts in the genre. The text of this madrigal represents a particular subset of the broad category villanella, the todesca, in which German soldiers are the butt of various jokes. In this case, an inept German soldier stumbles upon his words as he tries to convince an Italian lady to accept his attentions.

Tune of the Day: Bransle Double

A branle (or “bransle”, pronounced somewhat like ‛brawl’) is a 16th century French dance style which moves mainly from side to side, and is performed by couples in either a line or a circle.

The double branle is a simple form of branle, usually involving two phrases of two bars each. This form was not sufficiently different from the pavan to be of interest to composers, so pieces with this name rarely occur in the instrumental books of the time unless they are specifically designed for dancers.

Tune of the Day: The Glens of Mayo

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

You probably know that a glen is a narrow valley, but maybe not that the Mayo of the title has nothing to do with the creamy sauce! Rather, it is the name of a large county in the West of Ireland.

Tune of the Day: Hand In Hand

This is étude No. 12 from Ernesto Köhler's 25 Romantic Studies, Op. 66. It is not particularly difficult, but it is important to play this piece with a vigorous rhythm so that it resembles a polonaise, which is a rather slow dance. Each time you meet two eighth notes on the first beat, play the first one very short and stress the second one.

Tune of the Day: Loure

This Loure, a slow dance of the Baroque period, is the second movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's Concerto a tre for Flute, Horn and continuo.

Thanks to Anne for requesting this piece, and thanks to José Luis for contributing it!

Tune of the Day: Red Pepper

Published in 1910, “Red Pepper” is indeed a spicy rag well in keeping with the jolly cakewalking red peppers as illustrated on the front cover of the original sheet music.

Its composer was Thomas Henry Lodge (now better known as Henry Lodge), an American piano performer and composer of popular music. With the hits “Temptation Rag”, “Sure Fire Rag” and “Red Pepper” he established himself selling music in stores and on the vaudeville circuit. He worked in bars and cabarets before eventually becoming the pianist of the well-known dancers, Irene and Vernon Castle. In all his work, Lodge was fascinated with the minor tonality, and made more creative use of it than any other ragtime composer.

Tune of the Day: The Field of Flowers

This jig appears to be unique to Chicago Police captain Francis O'Neill's early-20th-century collections Music of Ireland (1903) and The Dance Music of Ireland (1907). It is however related to an 18th-century tune known as “The Girl I Love”, which is attributed to the Irish gentleman piper Larry Grogan.