Monday 1 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Presto by Quantz

 from Flute Duet No. 1 in G major

This Presto is the final movement of a Flute Duet in G major that the famous German flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz composed in 1759.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 2 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in F-sharp minor by Berbiguier

 from “Eighteen Exercises or Etudes for Flute”

This is the last étude from 18 exercices pour la flûte traversière by French Romantic composer Benoit Tranquille Berbiguier. The whole collection is now available for download!

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 3 October 2012

Tune of the Day: The Red-Haired Girl of Tulloch

 Traditional Scottish Strathspey

This beautiful Scottish strathspey is in the key of B Dorian, meaning that not only F's and C's, but also G's are to be played sharp.

Tulloch is an area to the north-west of Perth, one of the most important cities of central Scotland.

Categories: Celtic Music Strathspeys Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 4 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Andante by John Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in A major

This slow Andante is the opening movement of Sonata No. 4 in A major from John Ranish's XII Solos for the German Flute, Op. 2, first published in London in 1744.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 5 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Scherzando by Telemann

 from Canonic Sonata for Two Flutes No. 5

This is the final movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's fifth Canonic Sonata for two flutes. As with all of these sonatas, the two players play the exact same melody, but (in this case) two measures apart.

Categories: Baroque Canons Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 6 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in C major by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

This easy étude in C major is taken from the second book of Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies by Italian composer Ernesto Köhler.

Thanks to Bruno for contributing this piece!

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 7 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Student sein

 German student song

The melody to this student song was written in 1906 by German composer Otto Lob. The full title, “Student sein, wenn die Veilchen blühen”, means “Being Students when the Violets Bloom”.

This is the most beautiful celebration of life!
Lord, let it never end!

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Monday 8 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Larghetto by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

Here is the second movement of the first Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 9 October 2012

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.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 10 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in B minor by Andersen

 from “24 Etudes for Flute”

Here is another étude by Joachim Andersen. This 3/4-time Adagio in B minor is study No. 6 from Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33. It will let you revise many different rhythmic patterns.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 11 October 2012

Tune of the Day: And Thou Were My Only Dear

 Traditional English dance tune

This melody is unique to the 1757 country dance collection Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, published in London by Charles and Samuel Thompson.

Categories: Dance tunes Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 12 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in A major

This Allegro is the central movement of Sonata No. 4 in A major from John Ranish's XII Solos for the German Flute, Op. 2, first published in London in 1744.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 13 October 2012

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”.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 14 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in D major by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

This easy common-time étude in D major is taken from the second book of Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies by Italian composer Ernesto Köhler.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Monday 15 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Lob der edlen Musika

 Traditional German folk song

The title of this German student song translates as “In praise of noble music”. The melody dates back to the 18th century.

A musician was walking along the Nile with viol and bow
When a crocodile burst out of the river below.
The beast showed his teeth, bristling in his jaw,
And moved to swallow him in his gaping maw.
The man put bow to viol, pale with fear,
Played swiftly, sweetly, as his courage did appear.
When the sprightly sounds reached the monster's ears
For joy he began to shed crocodile tears.

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 16 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Adagio in A minor by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

This Adagio in A minor is the third movement of the first Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

This piece has nothing to do with the famous Adagio (the one in G minor) that was once attributed to Albinoni, but then turned out to be a 20th-century composition.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 17 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Largo by Loeillet

 from Sonata for Two Flutes in E minor

This Largo in E minor opens the second of Belgian Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Loeillet's second book of Six sonatas of two parts, made on purpose for two German flutes, first published in London in 1720.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Thursday 18 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in E major by Andersen

 from “24 Etudes for Flute”

Here is another étude by Danish flutist Joachim Andersen. This Andante sostenuto in E major is study No. 9 from his Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 19 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Johnny I Do Miss You

 Traditional Irish polka

This polka comes from County Kerry, Ireland, and is also known under the title “Johnnie I Do Love You”. It is usually played either in D major or in G major.

Categories: Celtic Music Polkas Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Saturday 20 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Larghetto by John Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in A major

This Larghetto is the third movement of Sonata No. 4 in A major from John Ranish's XII Solos for the German Flute, Op. 2, first published in London in 1744.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 21 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Andantino by Quantz

 from Flute Duet No. 2 in A minor

This is the central movement of a Flute Duet in A minor that the famous German flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz composed in 1759.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 22 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in A minor by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

This easy étude in A minor and F major is taken from the second book of Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies by Italian composer Ernesto Köhler.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 23 October 2012

Tune of the Day: O alte Burschenherrlichkeit

 German student song

This traditional German song dates back to at least 1843. It is also popular in Sweden, where it is known as “O, gamla klang- och jubeltid” (”O, old sound and jubilation time”).

Oh old student glory,
where have you disappeared?
Never to return to the golden times,
so joyous and unbounded!
In vain I gander all around,
I can find your trace no more.

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Wednesday 24 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Menuet of Mr. Duport

 by Mozart, transcribed for Flute and Piano

This minuet, which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote for piano in 1789, appears to be based on an unidentified tune by cellist Jean-Pierre Duport.

Thanks to Ana for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Classical Minuets Difficulty: easy
Thursday 25 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Loeillet

 from Sonata for Two Flutes in E minor

This Allegro in E minor is taken from Belgian Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Loeillet's second book of Six sonatas of two parts, made on purpose for two German flutes, first published in London in 1720.

Thanks to Joyce Kai for contributing this piece!

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 26 October 2012

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

 from “24 Etudes for Flute”

Here is another étude by Danish flutist Joachim Andersen. This Allegro in C# minor is study No. 10 from his Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 27 October 2012

Tune of the Day: The Garb of Old Gaul

 Traditional Scottish march

This 18th-century patriotic Scottish march and song is about Highland soldiers during the Seven Years War (1756–1763). The music was written by General John Reid, who was a senior officer of the 42nd Regiment of Foot, and who later founded the chair of music at the University of Edinburgh. Robert Burns described the piece as “This excellent loyal Scottish song” and states that it first appeared in print in 1769. Today, the melody still serves as the slow march of all Scottish battalions in the British army.

According to David Murray (Music of the Scottish Regiments, 1994), “Cases have been known, where some soldiers have believed that ‘Old Gaul’ was some ancient regimental hero immortalised in music, but the mundane fact is that Gaul was a province of the Roman Empire corresponding to Eastern France and Western Germany. Its natives were reported to have worn a mantle or cloak belted round the body in the style of the ‘Feile Mor’, the belted (Highland) plaid of yore. Hence the kilt is the ‘Garb of Old Gaul,’ and hence too, the words of the opening verse”:

In the garb of old Gaul with the fire of old Rome,
From the heath-covered mountains of Scotia we come;
When the Romans endeavoured our country to gain,
Our ancestors fought, and they fought not in vain.

Sunday 28 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

This Allegro in C major is the fourth and final movement of the first Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 29 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Presto by Telemann

 from “Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses”

This is the second 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”.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 30 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Finger Exercise by Köhler

 from “25 Romantic Studies”

This is the fifth étude from Ernesto Köhler's 25 Romantic Studies, Op. 66. Despite its title, it is not very difficult; just start at a moderate tempo and make sure that your fingers move like clockwork, then gradually speed it up.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 31 October 2012

Tune of the Day: Wütend wälzt sich einst im Bette

 Traditional German song

This is a song about Prince Frederick IV (1574–1610), who shortly after assuming control of the government of the Electorate of the Palatinate fell prey to alcoholism, leaving state matters largely to his chief minister. The melody to the song was composed in 1887 by Karl Friedrich Hering.

Madly in the bedclothes churning
Frederick, Prince of Palatine,
All good manners rudely spurning
Shouted out loud across the Rhine,
“How did I get home last night?
I must have been extremely tight!”

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy