Monday 1 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Affettuoso by Quantz

 from Flute Duet No. 4 in C major

This Affettuoso is the central movement of a Flute Duet in C major by famous German flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz, first published in 1759.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 2 February 2021

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

 from “24 Daily Studies”

Today we propose the tenth study from 24 Tägliche Studien (24 Daily Studies) by German flutist and composer Anton Bernhard Fürstenau, first published in Berlin in 1839.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Wednesday 3 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Morgiana in Ireland

 Traditional Irish tune

The earliest known appearance of this jig is in the 3rd volume of O'Farrell's Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes, published in London around 1808. It is believed to have derived from a similar 18th-century tune, now known as “Morgiana in England”.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Thursday 4 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Largo by Bellinzani

 from Recorder Sonata in G minor

This is the third movement of the seventh sonata from Sonate a flauto solo con cembalo, o violoncello (“Sonatas for solo flute with harpsichord or cello”) by Italian Baroque composer Paolo Benedetto Bellinzani, originally published in Venice in 1720.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 5 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Sicilian Knight

 arranged for two flutes

This early-19th-century cavatina (short song) is based on a subject from La Preciosa, a 1821 dramatic theater composition by German Romantic composer Carl Maria von Weber.

The present arrangement for two flutes is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.

Categories: Opera excerpts Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 6 February 2021

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

 from “30 Studies”

This study is the twenty-seventh piece from 30 Studi, Op. 32, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues. The direction col semplice colpo di lingua, which is found at the beginning, instructs the player not to use double tonguing.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 7 February 2021

Tune of the Day: The White Blanket

 Traditional Irish tune

“The White Blanket” (“An Súisín Bán”) is the name of both a contemporary and traditional Irish set dance. What is probably the earliest version of the melody appears in John and William Neales's Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes (Dublin, 1726). Many different variants of the tune have appeared ever since.

Categories: Celtic Music Dance tunes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Monday 8 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Märk hur vår skugga

 by Carl Michael Bellman, arranged for flute and piano

This is one of the best known songs by Swedish composer, poet and entertainer Carl Michael Bellman. It was originally published in his 1790 collection Fredman's Epistles. The song is named after its first verse, which can be translated as “Mark how our shadow”.

Thanks to Helena for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Classical Funeral music Rococo Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 9 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Presto by Quantz

 from Flute Duet No. 4 in C major

This Presto is the third and final movement of a Flute Duet in C major by famous German flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz, first published in 1759.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 10 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Study in F major by Fürstenau

 from “24 Daily Studies”

Today we propose the eleventh study from 24 Tägliche Studien (24 Daily Studies) by German flutist and composer Anton Bernhard Fürstenau, first published in Berlin in 1839.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Thursday 11 February 2021

Tune of the Day: The Dark Island

 Scottish air

This melody was originally composed by Scottish accordionist Iain McLachlan in 1958 as a pipe lament for a local doctor, under the title “Dr Mackay's Farewell to Creagorry”. Creagorry is a town on the Outer Hebridean island of Benbecula, where Iain and his family lived.

In 1963, the tune was used as the theme for the BBC miniseries The Dark Island, and it became so popular that the name stuck. Like the song, the show was set in Benbecula, though it was mostly filmed on South Uist.

Thanks to Marion for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Funeral music Slow airs Traditional/Folk Waltzes Difficulty: easy
Friday 12 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Corelli

 from Violin Sonata in A major, transcribed for flute and keyboard

This is the third movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Violin Sonata No. 6 in A major, which was originally published in 1700 as part of his 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 13 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Le Joujou

 for two flutes

This lively flute duet is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in Philadelphia in 1833.

Unfortunately we were unable to track the origins of this melody. All we know is that the title is French for “The Toy”. If you recognize the tune, please let us know!

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Sunday 14 February 2021

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

 from “30 Studies”

This study is the twenty-eighth piece from 30 Studi, Op. 32, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 15 February 2021

Tune of the Day: The Cruiskin

 Traditional Irish air

The earliest known appearance of this tune in print is in Francis O'Neill's Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody, published in 1922. The reported source for this melody is one of O'Neill's collaborators, Chicago Police Sergeant James O'Neill, originally from County Down, Ireland.

Categories: Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 16 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Bellinzani

 from Recorder Sonata in G minor

This is the fourth and last movement of the seventh sonata from Sonate a flauto solo con cembalo, o violoncello (“Sonatas for solo flute with harpsichord or cello”) by Italian Baroque composer Paolo Benedetto Bellinzani, originally published in Venice in 1720.

This movement has actually no tempo indication in the original manuscript, but it usually appears as an “Allegro” in modern editions.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 17 February 2021

Tune of the Day: I Know It Was the Blood

 arranged for two flutes

On the occasion of Black History Month, we are happy to propose this original arrangement for two flutes of the well-loved spiritual “I Know It Was the Blood”, kindly contributed to our collection by Diana Irving.

Categories: Christian music Gospel music Hymn tunes Spirituals Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 18 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Study in C minor by Fürstenau

 from “24 Daily Studies”

Today we propose the twelfth study from 24 Tägliche Studien (24 Daily Studies) by German flutist and composer Anton Bernhard Fürstenau, first published in Berlin in 1839.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 19 February 2021

Tune of the Day: The Rope Dance

 Traditional Irish tune

This jig is taken from the third volume of James Aird's A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, published in Glasgow in 1788.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Saturday 20 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Corelli

 from Violin Sonata in A major, transcribed for flute and keyboard

This Adagio in F-sharp minor is the fourth movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Violin Sonata No. 6 in A major, which was originally published in 1700 as part of his 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: easy
Sunday 21 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Quantz

 from Flute Duet No. 5 in D major

This Allegro is the opening movement of a Flute Duet in D major by famous German flutist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz, first published in 1759.

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 22 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Study in C minor by Hugues

 from “30 Studies”

This study is the twenty-ninth piece from 30 Studi, Op. 32, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 23 February 2021

Tune of the Day: The Fingalians' Dance

 Traditional Irish tune

The earliest known appearance of this tune is in Burk Thumoth's Twelve English and Twelve Irish Airs, published in London in 1743.

The name of the tune may come from a poem called “The Fingallian Dance”, written around 1650. Fingallian is an extinct language formerly spoken in the county of Fingal, Ireland. It is thought to have been an offshoot of Middle English, which was brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion, and was extinct by the mid-19th century.

Categories: Dance tunes Marches Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 24 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Bellinzani

 from Recorder Sonata in B-flat major

This is the opening movement of the ninth sonata from Sonate a flauto solo con cembalo, o violoncello (“Sonatas for solo flute with harpsichord or cello”) by Italian Baroque composer Paolo Benedetto Bellinzani, originally published in Venice in 1720.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 25 February 2021

Tune of the Day: March in Rob Roy

 by John Davy, arranged for two flutes

This piece was originally a march in the 1803 musical drama Rob Roy by English composer John Davy (1763–1824). The present arrangement for two flutes appeared in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in Philadelphia in 1833.

Categories: Celtic Music Marches Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 26 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Fürstenau

 from “24 Daily Studies”

This is the thirteenth study from 24 Tägliche Studien (24 Daily Studies) by German flutist and composer Anton Bernhard Fürstenau, first published in Berlin in 1839.

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: advanced
Saturday 27 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Hibernian Dance

 Traditional Irish tune

The earliest known appearance of this lovely tune in print is in John Clinton's collection Gems of Ireland: 200 Melodies, first published ca. 1840.

Categories: Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Sunday 28 February 2021

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Corelli

 from Violin Sonata in C major, transcribed for flute and keyboard

This is the opening movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Violin Sonata No. 3 in C major, which was originally published in 1700 as part of his 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5.

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate