Thursday 1 June 2017
Traditional Irish ballad, arranged for two flutes
Today's tune is the melody of “The Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls”, a ballad by Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779–1852). Tara was the mythical hilltop castle that was home to Irish high kings. It actually existed somewhere in what is now County Meath, but was destroyed in the 6th century.
The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls
As if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days,
So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more!
The present arrangement for two flutes appeared in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.
Friday 2 June 2017
from “12 Etudes for Flute”
This study in triplets is the first piece from Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen's 12 Etudes for Flute, Op. 25, first published around 1829.
Saturday 3 June 2017
Traditional country dance tune
This country dance tune, probably of English origin, is titled after a forest near Paris, France. It has a long history in New England, appearing in various collections, starting from a musician's manuscript copy-book called the Read Manuscript, from New Haven, Connecticut, dated 1798.
Sunday 4 June 2017
from Flute Sonata in B minor
This Largo is the closing movement of a sonata in B minor for flute and keyboard that is thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel. First published in 1730, the sonata is referred to as Halle Sonata No. 3 (“Hallenser Sonate Nr. 3” in German). Its authenticity is uncertain; in fact, of the three “Halle” sonatas, it is the best candidate for not having been composed by Handel, although if it wasn't, it is an extremely good imitation of his style.
Thanks to Cesar for contributing this piece!
Monday 5 June 2017
from Sonata for two flutes in A major
Today's piece is the third movement of a Sonata in A major for two flutes or recorders by a German composer named Johann Christoph Schultze. This is not to be confused with the apparently unrelated composer of the same name who was born in 1733, as this sonata was first published in Hamburg in 1729.
Tuesday 6 June 2017
from “26 Little Caprices”
This study in triplets is the eleventh piece from a collection of 26 Little Caprices for flute (XXVI kleine Capricen für die Flöte) by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen, published in 1890.
Wednesday 7 June 2017
Traditional Irish jig
This traditional Irish slip jig (a particular kind of jig in 9/8 time) dates back to at least 1805, when it appeared in O'Farrell's Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes.
Thursday 8 June 2017
from Partita No. 4, arranged for flute and keyboard
This Allegro is the seventh movement and sixth “aria” of Georg Philipp Telemann's Partita No. 4 in G minor, TWV 41:g2, originally published in 1716 as part of the Kleine Kammermusik (“little chamber music”) collection. The original edition indicates that the melody is intended to be played by an oboe, a violin, or a flute.
Friday 9 June 2017
Three-part catch by Henry Purcell
The great English Baroque composer Henry Purcell enjoyed composing challenging canons, and singing them at parties with friends. One of the most famous is “Fie Nay Prithee John”, which depicts two persons quarreling in a tavern, at the top of their voices, and a third endeavoring to soothe them, each voice taking the three parts alternately as in all catches.
Fie, nay, prithee John,
do not quarrel man,
let’s be merry and drink about.
Saturday 10 June 2017
from “12 Etudes for Flute”
Today's piece is the second study from Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen's 12 Etudes for Flute, Op. 25, first published around 1829.
Sunday 11 June 2017
Traditional Scottish tune
This popular melody dates back to the 18th century, one of its earliest known appearances being in John Watlen's Second Collection of Circus Tunes (1798). “Kinloch of Kinloch” has been employed variously as a march, song air, jig, and even as a waltz. Variants can be found in Britain and North America, as well as Ireland. The old Northumbrian song “Blaw the Wind Southerly” is also based on it.
Monday 12 June 2017
from Divertimento No. 5, transcribed for flute and piano
This Adagio is the third movement of the fifth of 5 Divertimentos for three basset horns composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from 1783 to 1785. These pieces were later rearranged for solo piano and published as the Six Viennese Sonatinas, which is why this piece is also known as the Adagio from Sonatina No. 1 in C major.
Tuesday 13 June 2017
from Sonata for two flutes in A major
Today's piece is the fourth and last movement of a Sonata in A major for two flutes or recorders by a German composer named Johann Christoph Schultze. This is not to be confused with the apparently unrelated composer of the same name who was born in 1733, as this sonata was first published in Hamburg in 1729.
Wednesday 14 June 2017
from “26 Little Caprices”
This Andantino is the twelfth study from a collection of 26 Little Caprices for flute (XXVI kleine Capricen für die Flöte) by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen, published in 1890.
Thursday 15 June 2017
Traditional Irish slip jig
One of the first appearances of this jig in print is in Thomas Wilson's A Companion to the Ball Room, published in London in 1816. The same melody also appeared in the third volume of Edward Riley's Flute Melodies (New York, 1820).
Friday 16 June 2017
from “Il pastor fido” Sonata No. 3
This courante is the fourth movement of the third of the Il pastor fido sonatas, first published in 1737 and traditionally attributed to Antonio Vivaldi. The actual composer, Nicolas Chédeville, made a secret agreement with Jean-Noël Marchand to publish a collection of his own compositions as Vivaldi's Op. 13. Chédeville supplied the money and received the profits, all of which was recorded in a notarial act. This may have been an attempt to give his instrument, the musette, the endorsement of a great composer which it lacked.
Saturday 17 June 2017
arranged for three flutes
This piece was originally written by the eminent English composer John Wall Wallcott (1766–1821) as a three-part glee. The lyrics were a 17th-century parody of a 16th-century ballad by Thomas Deloney, which used to be sung to a tune known as “Flying Fame”.
The present arrangement for three flutes is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.
Sunday 18 June 2017
from “12 Etudes for Flute”
Today's piece is the third study from Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen's 12 Etudes for Flute, Op. 25, first published around 1829.
Monday 19 June 2017
Traditional English/Scottish tune
The title of this tune comes from a song set to the melody called “A Rose Tree in Full Bearing”, first appearing in print under that title in English composer William Shield's 1782 opera The Poor Soldier. Shield did not compose the melody, but rather adapted an existing, older tune, which may have been of Irish origin. In fact, the tune had previously appeared in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for the Year 1764 under the title “The Irish Lilt”. However, as Scottish music collector Alfred Moffat pointed out, this was a generic title applied to many tunes.
Today, “The Rose Tree” is quite popular throughout England and Scotland, and is often played together with “The Dashing White Sergeant”.
Tuesday 20 June 2017
from Flute Sonata in A minor
This is the opening movement of a sonata in A minor for flute and keyboard that is thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel. First published in 1730, the sonata is referred to as Halle Sonata No. 1 (“Hallenser Sonate Nr. 1” in German). It was supposed to be an early work composed by Handel before 1703 in his hometown Halle, but its authenticity is now considered doubtful.
Thanks to Agnese from Rome for suggesting this piece!
Wednesday 21 June 2017
from Sonata for two flutes in B minor
This Adagio is the opening movement of a Sonata in B minor for two flutes or recorders by a German composer named Johann Christoph Schultze. This is not to be confused with the apparently unrelated composer of the same name who was born in 1733, as this sonata was first published in Hamburg in 1729.
Thursday 22 June 2017
from “26 Little Caprices”
This study, mixing binary and ternary rhythms, is the thirteenth piece from a collection of 26 Little Caprices for flute (XXVI kleine Capricen für die Flöte) by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen, published in 1890.
Friday 23 June 2017
Traditional Irish slip jig
This Irish slip jig is taken from O'Farrell's Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes, first published around 1804. It is based on the English tune known as “Yellow Stockings”, which dates back to the 17th century.
Saturday 24 June 2017
from Partita No. 5, arranged for flute and keyboard
This is the opening movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's Partita No. 5 in E minor, TWV 41:e1, originally published in 1716 as part of the Kleine Kammermusik (“little chamber music”) collection. The original edition indicates that the melody is intended to be played by an oboe, a violin, or a flute.
Sunday 25 June 2017
by J.A. Wade, arranged for flute duet
This ballad was written by Irish composer and conductor Joseph Augustine Wade in 1831. Wade was quite popular in his lifetime, and is especially remembered for his famous song “Meet me by Moonlight”.
The present arrangement for two flutes appeared in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.
Monday 26 June 2017
from “12 Etudes for Flute”
Today's piece is the fourth study from Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen's 12 Etudes for Flute, Op. 25, first published around 1829.
Tuesday 27 June 2017
Traditional English jig
The earliest appearance of this jig in print is in Elias Howe's The Complete Preceptor for the Accordeon, published in Boston in 1843.
“Blue-eyed Mary” is the name of a bicolored white-and-blue flower that is native to the eastern and central parts of North America. It is possible, however, that the Mary of this tune's title was an actual person.
Wednesday 28 June 2017
from Divertimento No. 5, transcribed for flute and piano
This Polonaise is the fourth movement of the fifth of 5 Divertimentos for three basset horns composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from 1783 to 1785. These pieces were later rearranged for solo piano and published as the Six Viennese Sonatinas, which is why this piece is also known as the Polonaise from Sonatina No. 5 in F major.
Thursday 29 June 2017
from Sonata for two flutes in B minor
This Allegro is the second movement of a Sonata in B minor for two flutes or recorders by a German composer named Johann Christoph Schultze. This is not to be confused with the apparently unrelated composer of the same name who was born in 1733, as this sonata was first published in Hamburg in 1729.
Friday 30 June 2017
from “26 Little Caprices”
Today's piece is the fourteenth study from a collection of 26 Little Caprices for flute (XXVI kleine Capricen für die Flöte) by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen, published in 1890.