Monday 1 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Joan to the Maypole

 Traditional English air

This Traditional English air dates back to at least the beginning of the 17th century. The tune appears in various collections under a number of different titles, including “May-day Country Mirth; or, The Young Lads and Lasses' Innocent Recreation” and “Rural Recreation; or, The Young Men and Maids' Merriment at their Dancing around a Country May-pole”.

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 2 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Marcello

 from Recorder Sonata No. 1 in F major

This is the fourth and final movement of a Sonata in F major for recorder and basso continuo, written by Italian composer Benedetto Marcello around 1712.

Thanks to Erika for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 3 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Duet in G minor by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

Today's piece is duet No. 6 from the second volume of Ernesto Köhler's Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies. The second flute part is much more technically demanding then the first flute part, as it is meant to be played by a teacher.

Categories: Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 4 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Study in A minor by Gariboldi

 from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”

This is étude No. 17 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 5 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Biddy's Wedding

 Traditional Irish jig

This Irish jig dates back to the 19th century. It is a double jig, meaning that it tends to follow the pattern of having three eighth notes instead of a quarter note followed by an eighth note.

Categories: Celtic Music Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Saturday 6 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Largo by Marcello

 from Recorder Sonata No. 1 in F major

This Largo in D minor is the third movement of a Sonata in F major for recorder and basso continuo, written by Italian composer Benedetto Marcello around 1712.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: easy
Sunday 7 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Minuet by Loeillet

 from Sonata for two flutes in G major

This minuet is the seventh movement of the third sonata from 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 Minuets Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Monday 8 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Study in A major by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

This étude in A 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 9 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Marching Through Georgia

 American Civil War song

This marching song was written by Henry Clay Work at the end of the American Civil War in 1865. It refers to U.S. Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea late in the previous year to capture Savannah, Georgia.

Because of its lively melody, the song became widely popular with Union Army veterans after the war. Ironically, General Sherman himself came to despise “Marching Through Georgia”, in part because it was played at almost every public appearance that he attended. Outside of the Southern United States, it had a universal appeal: Japanese troops sang it as they entered Port Arthur, the British Army sang it in India, and an English town thought the tune was appropriate to welcome southern American troops in World War II.

Thanks to Steve for suggesting this tune!

Categories: American Civil War Marches Patriotic Difficulty: easy
Wednesday 10 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Presto by Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in G major

This Presto is the central movement of Sonata No. 8 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: intermediate
Thursday 11 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Duet in A major by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

Today's piece is duet No. 8 from the second volume of Ernesto Köhler's Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies.

Categories: Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 12 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Gariboldi

 from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”

This is étude No. 18 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives. It focuses on the alternation of binary and ternary rhythms.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 13 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Gray's Hornpipe

 Traditional Scottish tune

This old Scottish hornpipe appears in the second volume of James S. Kerr's Merry Melodies, which was first published in the second half of the 19th century.

Categories: Celtic Music Hornpipes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Sunday 14 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Grave Adagio by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

The “Grave Adagio” in F major we present today is the opening movement of the fifth Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 15 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Giga by Loeillet

 from Sonata for two flutes in G major

This giga is the eight and last movement of the third sonata from 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 Jigs Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 16 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Study in C major by Karg-Elert

 from “30 Caprices for Flute Solo”

Today we propose the first étude from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo.

Categories: 20th century Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 17 April 2013

Tune of the Day: We Are Coming, Father Abra'am

 by Stephen Foster

The poem “We Are Coming, Father Abra'am 300,000 More”, written by James S. Gibbons, was set to music by at least eight different composers. The version we're proposing today was written by Stephen Foster, America's most beloved popular song composer.

The poem and music came in response to a call by Abraham Lincoln on July 1, 1862 for volunteers to fight the American Civil War.

Thanks to Steve for suggesting this tune!

Categories: American Civil War Patriotic Difficulty: easy
Thursday 18 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Minuet by John Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in G major

This Minuet and its accompanying Variation constitute the final movement of Sonata No. 8 in G major from John Ranish's XII Solos for the German Flute, Op. 2, first published in London in 1744.

Categories: Baroque Minuets Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 19 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Duet in D minor by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

Today's piece is duet No. 9 from the second volume of Ernesto Köhler's Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies, Op. 93.

Categories: Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 20 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Study in E minor by Gariboldi

 from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”

This is étude No. 19 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 21 April 2013

Tune of the Day: The Antrim Lasses

 Traditional Irish jig

This Irish double jig, dating back to at least the second half of the 19th century, is in the key of A Mixolydian. The Mixolydian mode is equivalent to the major mode, but with the seventh degree lowered by a semitone.

Categories: Celtic Music Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Monday 22 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Solo for Flute No. 2

 by Chris Wind

This solo, originally intended for alto flute, was kindly contributed to our collection by its composer, Chris Wind. Thank you, Chris!

Categories: Contemporary Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 23 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen

 from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's “The Magic Flute”

We already have a flute-and-piano version of this famous aria, which is often referred to as “The Queen of the Night Aria”, but today we propose a version for two flutes. This arrangement is taken from a collection of numbers from the opera published in 1792.

Categories: Arias Classical Opera excerpts Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 24 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Study in D minor by Karg-Elert

 from “30 Caprices for Flute Solo”

This is the second étude from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo.

Categories: 20th century Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 25 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Allie Crocker

 Traditional Irish reel and country dance tune

This song, as “Ally Croaker”, was written and music composed by Lawrence (Larry) Grogan of Johnstown Castle, County Wexford, Ireland, who was renowned as a “gentleman piper” and composer of Irish airs. Dating from 1725, it is his most famous composition.

Categories: Reels Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 26 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

This Allegro in F major is the second movement of the fifth Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 27 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Allemande by Boismortier

 from “Petites sonates à deux flûtes traversières”

This allemande is the very first movement of a collection of 12 “little sonatas” for two flutes by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Categories: Allemandes Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 28 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Study in F major by Gariboldi

 from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”

This is étude No. 20 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Monday 29 April 2013

Tune of the Day: La Dosolina

 Traditional Italian folk song

This folk song comes from Northern Italy, and is part of the traditional repertoire of the Alpini, a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army.

Thanks to Marina for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 30 April 2013

Tune of the Day: Siciliana by John Ranish

 from Flute Sonata in D minor

This Siciliana is the opening movement of Sonata No. 9 in D minor from John Ranish's XII Solos for the German Flute, Op. 2, first published in London in 1744.

Categories: Baroque Sicilianas Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate