Saturday 1 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Allegro assai

 from Sonata for two flutes in A major

This “Allegro assai” is the fifth and last movement of a Sonata in A major for two flutes by French Baroque composer Michel Blavet. It was first published in 1728.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 2 February 2014

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

 from “Etudes mignonnes”

Today we present the twelfth study from Italian composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's Etudes mignonnes (Dainty Studies), Op. 131.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Waltzes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 3 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Bovaglie's Plaid

 Slow air by James Scott Skinner

This pastoral air was composed by Scots fiddler James Scott Skinner, and originally published as “Roualeyn's Plaid”. It was said to be dedicated to Roualeyn George Gordon-Cumming, an eccentric individual who was a big game hunter in Africa for a time, and wrote several books on the subject.

Sometime later, Skinner changed the name to “Bovaglie's Plaid”, which is the name given to the woodland around Bovaglie, in Glen Girnock in the parish of Crathie in Deeside. It is said that Queen Victoria likened the woodland to a Highland plaid.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Celtic Music Slow airs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 4 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

The Allegro in C minor we present today is the second movement of the tenth Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 5 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Allemande by Boismortier

 from “Petites sonates à deux flûtes traversières”

This is the second movement of the second sonata from 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: easy
Thursday 6 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in A minor by Kummer

 from “32 Etudes amusantes et instructives”

This is the fourteenth study from German flutist and composer Caspar Kummer's 32 Etudes amusantes et instructives, Op. 129, first published in 1858.

Categories: Classical Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 7 February 2014

Tune of the Day: As Black As a Coal

 Traditional Scottish tune

This 9/8-time jig first appears in Robert Bremner's Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances, published in 1757.

Categories: Celtic Music Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 8 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Gigue by Naudot

 from Flute Sonata in D major

This gigue is the fourth and last movement of a flute sonata in D major by Jean-Christophe Naudot, a French composer and flutist of the early 18th century.

Categories: Baroque Jigs Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 9 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Les Pasteurs

 Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier

This Musette en Rondeau, whose title is French for “The Shepherds”, is the second duet in A major from the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Categories: Baroque Musettes Rondos Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Monday 10 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in E-flat major by Gariboldi

 from “Etudes mignonnes”

Today we present the thirteenth study from Italian composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's Etudes mignonnes (Dainty Studies), Op. 131.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 11 February 2014

Tune of the Day: The Bonnie Lass O’ Bon Accord

 Air by James Scott Skinner

This is one of the most famous tunes composed by Scots fiddler James Scott Skinner. It was composed in 1884, and it is still popular today. “Bon Accord” is an affectionate name for the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, and appears on the city's coat-of-arms. The “Bonnie Lass” lass of the title was a young girl named Wilhelmina Bell, whose father used to play bass fiddle for Skinner's father.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 12 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Schubert's Wiegenlied

 Transcribed for flute and piano

Franz Schubert composed his lullaby “Schlafe, schlafe, holder süßer Knabe” (“Sleep, sleep, gracious, sweet boy”), in November 1816. The song is also known as “Mille cherubini in coro” after an Italian language arrangement for voice and orchestra.

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti used to sing this piece in his Christmas concerts.

Thanks to Allie for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Lullabies Romantic Difficulty: easy
Thursday 13 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This is the opening movement of a flute trio in D major by Baroque flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz.

Thanks to Joyce Kai for contributing this piece!

Categories: Baroque Difficulty: easy
Friday 14 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Kummer

 from “32 Etudes amusantes et instructives”

This is the fifteenth study from German flutist and composer Caspar Kummer's 32 Etudes amusantes et instructives, Op. 129, first published in 1858.

Categories: Classical Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 15 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Garey Cottage

 Traditional Scottish tune

This strathspey in F major is attributed by some sources to Samson Duncan, a fiddler from Kinclaven, Scotland. The tune appears in James Kerr's first collection of Merry Melodies, originally published in the 1870s.

Categories: Celtic Music Strathspeys Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 16 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Là ci darem la mano

 from Mozart's opera “Don Giovanni”

“Là ci darem la mano” (Italian for “There we will give each other our hands”) is originally a duet between the characters Don Giovanni and Zerlina from Act I of Mozart's 1787 opera Don Giovanni.

The present arrangement, which includes a set of 4 variations and a coda, was written by Italian Romantic composer Saverio Mercadante.

Categories: Opera excerpts Show-off pieces Variations Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 17 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Lentement by Boismortier

 from “Petites sonates à deux flûtes traversières”

This is the third movement of the second sonata from a collection of 12 “little sonatas” for two flutes by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 18 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in C minor by Gariboldi

 from “Etudes mignonnes”

Today we present the fourteenth study from Italian composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's Etudes mignonnes (Dainty Studies), Op. 131.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 19 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Douce Dame jolie

 Medieval song by Guillaume de Machaut

“Douce Dame jolie” is a song from the 14th century by the French composer Guillaume de Machaut. The song is a virelai, belonging to the style ars nova, and is one of the most often heard medieval tunes today.

Thanks to Khan for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Love songs Medieval Difficulty: easy
Thursday 20 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Presto by Benedetto Marcello

 from Recorder Sonata No. 3 in G minor

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

Thanks to Gerry for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 21 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Vivace by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This is the second movement of a flute trio in D major by Baroque flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz.

Thanks to Joyce Kai for contributing this piece!

Categories: Baroque Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 22 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Study No. 16 in D minor

 from “32 Etudes amusantes et instructives”

This is the sixteenth study from German flutist and composer Caspar Kummer's 32 Etudes amusantes et instructives, Op. 129, first published in 1858.

Categories: Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 23 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Niel Gow's Lament for the Death of His Second Wife

 Traditional Scottish slow air

This lovely air is one of the most celebrated compositions of the famous Scots fiddler and composer Niel Gow (1727-1807). His second wife was Margaret Urquhart of Perth, to whom he was happily married for three decades.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Celtic Music Slow airs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 24 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Presto by Quantz

 from Sonata No. 1 in A minor

This Presto constitutes the central movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata No. 1 in A minor for flute and continuo. It is one of the many works for flute that Quantz composed for his student and patron Frederick II, King of Prussia.

Thanks to Joyce Kai for contributing this piece!

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 25 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Les Pedants

 Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier

The slow Allemande we present today is the third duet in A major from the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Categories: Allemandes Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 26 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in G major

 by Nilson Mascolo and Cinthia Mascolo

The study in G major we present today was kindly contributed by flutists Nilson and Cinthia Mascolo from Brazil. It is the fourth piece from their 17 Estudos para Flauta Transversal, N. 1.

Categories: Contemporary Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Thursday 27 February 2014

Tune of the Day: La Biby

 Traditional French tune

This French country dance tune is taken from Robert Daubat's contradance book (tunes with dance instructions) Cent Contredanses en Rond, published in 1757.

Categories: Dance tunes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 28 February 2014

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

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

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: easy