Monday 9 March 2026
Traditional Irish jig
This jig first appears in Francis O'Neill's Music of Ireland (Chicago, 1903). Collector George Petrie, whom Paul de Grae believes is O'Neill's source for the tune, describes it as a “rebel's march in 1798”, a reference to the Irish Rebellion of 1798 against the British Crown.
Sunday 8 March 2026
from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”
Today we propose étude No. 27 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.
Saturday 7 March 2026
Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier
This prelude opens the second section of the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.
Thanks to Paolo for contributing this piece!
Friday 6 March 2026
from “Carmen” by Georges Bizet, arranged for Flute solo
This piece originally came just before Act 2 of Bizet's famous opera Carmen. It's a little march, later sung by Don José, concerning his military platoon. The lighthearted air was later also included as an instrumental piece in Carmen Suite No. 1, where the theme is introduced by the bassoons, and then, as usual, distributed among the woodwinds for its few repetitions.
Thursday 5 March 2026
Traditional Irish jig
This jig first appeared in Francis O'Neill's celebrated collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. However, its first strain is clearly part of the same family as “The Creel of Turf”.
Wednesday 4 March 2026
from “30 Caprices for Flute Solo”
Today's piece is the ninth étude from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo.
Tuesday 3 March 2026
from Sonata for Two Flutes No. 1
This Largo in B minor is the fourth movement of the first of Jean-Baptiste Loeillet's Six sonatas of two parts, made on purpose for two German flutes, composed in 1720.