Thursday 1 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Presto by John Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in A major

This Presto is the fourth and last 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 2 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Largo by Loeillet

 from Sonata for Two Flutes in E minor

This Largo in G major 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: easy
Saturday 3 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in B major by Andersen

 from “24 Etudes for Flute”

Here is another étude by Danish flutist Joachim Andersen. This Andantino in B major is study No. 11 from his Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 4 November 2012

Tune of the Day: March of the King of Laois

 Traditional Irish tune

This ancient melody has been associated with the Irish family of O'Moore, and may have been composed in praise of one Ruairi Og O Mordha, a head of the family during the 16th century and a famous Irish hero of the resistance to English colonization of the time.

The tune is in the key of D Mixolydian, meaning that there is no leading-note (C's are not sharp).

Categories: Celtic Music Marches Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 5 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Grave Adagio by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

This “Grave Adagio” is the opening movement of the second Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 6 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Soave by Telemann

 from “Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses”

This is the third 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
Wednesday 7 November 2012

Tune of the Day: In the Moonlight

 from Köhler's “25 Romantic Studies”

This is étude No. 7 from Ernesto Köhler's 25 Romantic Studies. The piece is somewhat similar to a siciliana, a 6/8-time genre characterized by lilting rhythms; it is to be played with full focus on musicality.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 8 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Alt Heidelberg, du feine

 Traditional German song

“Alt Heidelberg, du feine” (“Old Heidelburg, you fine”) is the first line of a poem in praise of the city of Heidelberg, Germany, which was set to music in 1861 by organist and composer Simon Anton Zimmermann.

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 9 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Siciliana by John Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in G major

This Siciliana is the opening movement of Sonata No. 5 in G 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: advanced
Saturday 10 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Vivace by Loeillet

 from Sonata for Two Flutes in E minor

This Vivace 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
Sunday 11 November 2012

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

 from “24 Etudes for Flute”

Here is another étude by Danish flutist Joachim Andersen. This Moderato in G# minor is study No. 12 from his Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 12 November 2012

Tune of the Day: The Firefly Hornpipe

 Traditional Scottish tune

This jaunty hornpipe in the key of B-flat major dates back to the nineteenth century. It first appeared in print in Howe's 1000 Jigs and Reels, published around the 1867.

Categories: Celtic Music Clogs Hornpipes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 13 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Larghetto by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

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

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 14 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Spiritoso by Telemann

 from “Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses”

This is the fourth and final 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
Thursday 15 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in C major by Gariboldi

 from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”

This is the very first étude from Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives. It is extremely simple and offers no technical difficulty whatsoever; for this reason, you should strive to play it perfectly, respecting all of the provided indications. Remember to play it at a slow but steady tempo.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Friday 16 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Go Tell It on the Mountain

 Traditional African-American spiritual

This African-American spiritual song, dating back to at least 1865, has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers. It is considered a Christmas carol because its original lyrics celebrate the Nativity of Jesus.

Thanks to Rachel for suggesting this tune!

Saturday 17 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Andante by Sarti

 from Flute Sonata No. 2 in C major

This Andante is the opening movement of a Sonata in C major for flute and continuo, written around 1750 by Italian Classical composer Giuseppe Sarti.

Thanks to Doug for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Classical Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 18 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Vivace by Loeillet

 from Sonata for Two Flutes in E minor

This Vivace in E minor is the fifth movement 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: easy
Monday 19 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in F-sharp major by Andersen

 from “24 Etudes for Flute”

Here is another étude by Danish flutist Joachim Andersen. This Allegretto in F# major is study No. 13 from his Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33. It can easily be considered a study in accidentals... don't let all those sharps scare you!

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 20 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Jockey's Delight

 Traditional English jig

This jig appears to be unique to the third volume of Charles and Samuel Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, published in London in 1773. Its original setting is in B-flat major, but we transposed it to E-flat major in order to fit the range of the flute.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 21 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Allegro by John Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in G major

This Allegro is the second movement of Sonata No. 5 in G major from John Ranish's XII Solos for the German Flute, Op. 2, first appeared in London in 1744.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 22 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Largo by Loeillet

 from Sonata for Two Flutes in E minor

This Largo in E minor is the sixth movement 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: easy
Friday 23 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Gariboldi

 from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”

Here is another very simple étude from Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Saturday 24 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Mary Do It Again

 Traditional Irish jig

This lesser-known Irish double jig, dating back to at least the second half of the 19th century, has a peculiar multi-modal flavor to it, but in the end it can be easily classified as being in the key of A Mixolydian.

Categories: Celtic Music Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Sunday 25 November 2012

Tune of the Day: The High School Cadets March

 by John Philip Sousa, transcribed for solo flute

America's most famous march composer John Philip Sousa composed this march at the solicitation of the marching cadet corps of the one and only Washington, D.C. high school in 1890 (later called Central High School), and dedicated it to the teachers and pupils. The school's drill team had asked Sousa that he made an effort to make this piece superior to his “National Fencibles” march, which he had written for a rival cadet corps. In Sousa's estimation, it was indeed a better march.

Thanks to Rawan for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Marches Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 26 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Largo by Telemann

 from “Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses”

This is the first movement from the fifth 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 27 November 2012

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

 from “24 Etudes for Flute”

Here is another étude by Danish flutist Joachim Andersen. This melancholic Lento in D# minor is study No. 14 from his Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 28 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Resonet in Laudibus

 by Anselm Schubiger, transcribed for solo flute

This hymn, whose title can be translated into English as “Let the voice of praise resound”, is a 14th-century Christmas carol which was widely known in medieval Europe, and is still performed today. Many different musical settings of the traditional Latin text exist; the one we propose today was composed by the Benedictine scholar Anselm Schubiger in the 19th century.

Thanks to Marcello from Italy for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Christmas carols Hymn tunes Difficulty: easy
Thursday 29 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Andante by Sarti

 from Flute Sonata No. 4 in G minor

This Andante is the opening movement of a Sonata in G minor for flute and continuo, written around 1750 by Italian Classical composer Giuseppe Sarti.

Thanks to Doug for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Classical Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 30 November 2012

Tune of the Day: Giga by Loeillet

 from Sonata for Two Flutes in E minor

This Giga in E minor is the seventh and last movement 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.

Thanks to Joyce Kai for contributing this piece!

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: easy