Friday 2 October 2026
Tune of the Day: Study in G minor by Gariboldi
from “Etudes mignonnes”
Today we present the tenth study from Italian composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's Etudes mignonnes (Dainty Studies), Op. 131.
Thursday 1 October 2026
Tune of the Day: Affettuoso by Telemann
from “Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses”
This is the first movement from the sixth of Telemann's Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses, ou à deux Violons, ou à deux Flutes à bec, or “Sonatas without Bass for Two Transverse Flutes, or Two Violins, or Two Recorders”.
Wednesday 30 September 2026
Tune of the Day: Procession of the Nobles
by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, arranged for solo flute
The opera-ballet Mlada (which is the name of a main character) was composed between 1889 and 1890 by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
An orchestral suite was derived from the opera by the composer himself in 1903, and included five numbers. The final piece, which is known as the “Procession of the Nobles” and originally opened the second act of the opera, is by far the most famous; with its high-spirited brass fanfares and boisterous percussion, it comes extremely close to being a march... in 3/4 time!
If you find the opening too monotonous, you may want to skip directly to measure 20: that's the main theme.
Thanks to Elizabeth for suggesting this piece!
Tuesday 29 September 2026
Tune of the Day: Come Up Stairs With Me
Traditional Irish slip jig
This lively 9/8-time jig first appears in Chicago Police Captain Francis O'Neill's collection Music of Ireland, published in 1903.
Monday 28 September 2026
Tune of the Day: Study in F-sharp minor by Kummer
from “32 Etudes amusantes et instructives”
This is the eleventh study from German flutist and composer Caspar Kummer's 32 Etudes amusantes et instructives, Op. 129, first published in 1858.
Sunday 27 September 2026
Tune of the Day: Allegro assai by Quantz
from Flute Duet No. 2 in A minor
This is the opening movement of a Flute Duet in A minor that the famous German flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz composed in 1759.
Saturday 26 September 2026
Tune of the Day: Vivace by Telemann
from Sonata in F minor
This is the fourth and last movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's Sonata in F minor for bassoon (or recorder) and basso continuo. It's marked “Vivace”, which is Italian for “lively”, so it should be played at a lively tempo. As always, however, remember to play it slowly when you first sight-read it, even if you feel capable of rushing through the whole movement at performance tempo (which is highly unlikely for most people!).