Friday 1 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in C major by Drouet

 from “Méthode pour la flûte”

This study is taken from the fourth part of the Méthode pour la flûte by French Romantic flutist and composer Louis Drouet, published in Paris in 1828.

Thanks to Peter for contributing this piece!

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 2 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Moggy Lawther

 Traditional Scottish/Irish tune

The title of this old Irish song means “Strong Maggie”, and dates from the mid‑17th century. In his book A History of Irish Music (1906), Grattan Flood traces reports of the tune back to 1696, when it was sung by Irish actor Thomas Dogget in his comedy called A Country Wake; Dogget must have liked the tune, for he used it again in 1711 for another play, Hob, or the Country Wake.

The present version of the tune is taken from Bremner's The Delightful Pocket Companion for the German Flute, published in London in 1763.

Thanks to Peter for contributing this piece!

Categories: Celtic Music Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 3 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Cantabile by Quantz

 from Sonata No. 5 in E minor

This is the highly-syncopated opening movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata No. 5 in E minor for flute and continuo. It is one of many works for flute that Quantz composed for his student and patron Frederick II, King of Prussia.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 4 August 2014

Tune of the Day: La Gothique

 Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier

This allemande is the second and last duet in F major from the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Categories: Allemandes Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 5 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Inquiètude

 by Friedrich Burgmüller, transcribed for solo flute

This short piece in E minor, originally written as a study for solo piano by German pianist and composer Friedrich Burgmüller, is taken from his 25 Études faciles et progressives, Op. 100.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 6 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Pretty Polly Perkins of Paddington Green

 Traditional English tune

This song was composed by the London music hall and broadside songwriter Harry Clifton, and first published in 1864. Most of Clifton's songs adapted their tunes from old folk songs, and it is possible that a folk tune is also the origin of the tune for “Polly”. In particular, some see a resemblance to “Nightingales Sing”, also known as “The Bold Grenadier”.

The famous Tyneside Music Hall song “Cushie Butterfield” (sung even today at Newcastle United matches) is sung to the same tune as “Polly”, and is a parody of “Polly”.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Sports music Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Thursday 7 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

The Adagio in G minor we present today is the third movement of the twelfth Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

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

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 8 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Larghetto by Kuhlau

 from the Grand Trio No. 1 in E minor

This Larghetto is the third movement of the first flute trio from Danish composer Friedrich Kuhlau's Three Grand Trios, Op. 86, composed in 1826.

Many thanks to Joyce Kai for contributing this piece!

Categories: Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 9 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Gariboldi

 from “Vingt études chantantes”

This is the first study from Italian flutist and composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's Vingt études chantantes pour la flûte, Op. 88.

Thanks to Mag for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 10 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Nauru Bwiema

 National anthem of Nauru

The tune to “Nauru Bwiema” (“Nauru, our homeland”) was composed by Laurence Henry Hicks, an English-born military bandmaster and composer. The Republic of Nauru, the smallest island country in the South Pacific, adopted the anthem in 1968, the year of its independence.

Thanks to Marcello for suggesting this piece!

Categories: National anthems Difficulty: easy
Monday 11 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Benedetto Marcello

 from Recorder Sonata No. 4 in E minor

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

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 12 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Scherzo by Mendelssohn

 from “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, transcribed for two flutes

Today we propose an arrangement for two flutes of the Scherzo from Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This transcription is part of the 26 Selected Studies for the flute by French flutist and composer Joseph-Henri Altès.

Many thanks to Peter for contributing this piece!

Categories: Romantic Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 13 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in A minor by Drouet

 from “Méthode pour la flûte”

This study is taken from the fourth part of the Méthode pour la flûte by French Romantic flutist and composer Louis Drouet, published in Paris in 1828.

Thanks to Peter for contributing this piece!

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 14 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Constantine Maguire

 Traditional Irish air

This air was composed by the famous Irish harper Turlough Carolan (1670–1738). As noted by Donal O'Sullivan in his book “Carolan: The Life Times and Music of an Irish Harper” (1958), “the correspondence between words and tune is more than usually close, both forming one song in praise of Constantine Maguire”, a contemporary of Carolan.

Thanks to Michael for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 15 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Two Minuets by Naudot

 from Flute Sonata in A major

These two minuets constitute the fifth and final movement of a flute sonata in A major by Jean-Christophe Naudot, a French composer and flutist of the early 18th century.

Categories: Baroque Minuets Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 16 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Allemande by Boismortier

 from “Petites sonates à deux flûtes traversières”

This is the second Allemande of the sixth 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: intermediate
Sunday 17 August 2014

Tune of the Day: La Tarentelle

 by Friedrich Burgmüller, transcribed for solo flute

This Tarantelle, one of the most recognized forms of traditional southern Italian music, was originally written as a study for solo piano by German pianist and composer Friedrich Burgmüller. It was published as part of his 25 Études faciles et progressives, Op. 100.

Categories: Dance tunes Etudes Romantic Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 18 August 2014

Tune of the Day: All the Go

 Traditional English dance tune

This traditional English country dance tune is taken from Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1808, published in London by Goulding & Co.

Categories: Dance tunes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 19 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Presto by Quantz

 from Sonata No. 5 in E minor

This is the central movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata No. 5 in E minor for flute and continuo. It is one of many works for flute that Quantz composed for his student and patron Frederick II, King of Prussia.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 20 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Rondo by Kuhlau

 from the Grand Trio No. 1 in E minor

This Rondo constitutes the fourth and final movement of the first flute trio from Danish composer Friedrich Kuhlau's Three Grand Trios, Op. 86, composed in 1826.

Many thanks to Joyce Kai for contributing this piece!

Categories: Romantic Rondos Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Thursday 21 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in F major by Drouet

 from “Méthode pour la flûte”

This study is taken from the fourth part of the Méthode pour la flûte by French Romantic flutist and composer Louis Drouet, published in Paris in 1828.

Thanks to Peter for contributing this piece!

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 22 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Blaydon Races

 Traditional English tune

This famous folk song was written in the 19th century by George “Geordie” Ridley, a Tyneside concert hall song writer and performer. It is regarded by many as the unofficial anthem of Tyneside and is frequently sung by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club and Newcastle Falcons rugby club. Blaydon is a small town in Gateshead, situated near Newcastle upon Tyne, in North East England.

“Blaydon Races” is also one of the the Regimental Songs of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, the modern descendants of The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Marches Sports music Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Saturday 23 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

The Allegro in B-flat major we present today is the fourth and last movement of the twelfth Sonata from the Trattenimenti armonici collection by Italian Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 24 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Prélude in A minor

 Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier

This prelude opens the tenth section of the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 25 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Barcarolle

 by Friedrich Burgmüller, transcribed for solo flute

This Barcarolle, originally written as a study for solo piano by German pianist and composer Friedrich Burgmüller, is taken from his 25 Études faciles et progressives, Op. 100.

Categories: Barcarolles Etudes Romantic Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 26 August 2014

Tune of the Day: The Slumbering Minstrel

 Slow air by James Scott Skinner

This slow, tender air in A major was composed by the great Scots fiddler-composer James Scott Skinner.

Categories: Lullabies Slow airs Difficulty: easy
Wednesday 27 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Benedetto Marcello

 from Recorder Sonata No. 4 in E minor

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

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 28 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Duet in B minor by Köhler

 from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”

Today's piece is duet No. 5 from the second volume of Ernesto Köhler's Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies, Op. 93.

Categories: Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 29 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Les Folies d'Espagne

 by Marin Marais, transcribed for solo flute

This set of 25 variations is an anonymous 18th-century arrangement for solo flute of “Les Folies d'Espagne”, originally published in 1701 by the famous French viol player Marin Marais. The piece is based on “La Folía”, one of the oldest remembered European musical themes.

Thanks to Peter for contributing this piece!

Categories: Baroque Variations Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 30 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Hot Punch

 Traditional Scottish tune

This Scottish jig, also known as “Orange and Blue”, can be traced back to Niel Gow's Complete Repository of 1817. Orange and blue were the colors of the Dutch House of Orange.

Thanks to Sandra for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 31 August 2014

Tune of the Day: Récit de flûte

 by Beauvarlet-Charpentier, transribed for flute and piano

This lovely piece, originally written as a solo for organ, is taken from the Journal d'orgue No. 7 by French Classical composer Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet-Charpentier, first published in 1784.

Thanks to Marcello for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Classical Difficulty: easy