Saturday 1 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Gavotte by Praetorius

 Transcribed for flute quartet with optional bass line

This gavotte is taken from Michael Praetorius's Terpsichore (1612), a compendium of more than 300 instrumental dances, which is both his most widely known work, and his sole surviving secular work.

Thanks to Gordon for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Gavottes Renaissance Difficulty: easy
Sunday 2 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in C major by Gariboldi

 from “Etudes mignonnes”

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

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

Tune of the Day: Hector the Hero

 by James Scott Skinner

This classic lament, to be played slowly and sadly, was penned by Scottish composer and fiddler James Scott Skinner in 1903. It was written as a tribute to Major-General Hector MacDonald, a distinguished Scottish general around the turn of the century.

The tune has been covered by many artists since its release, and is still reasonably well known today.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Celtic Music Traditional/Folk Difficulty: intermediate
Tuesday 4 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Allemande by Naudot

 from Flute Sonata in G major

This Allemande is the opening movement of a flute sonata in G major by Jean-Christophe Naudot, a French composer and flutist of the early 18th century.

Categories: Allemandes Baroque Sonatas Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 5 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Largo by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This is the third 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
Thursday 6 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in D major by Kummer

 from “32 Etudes amusantes et instructives”

This is the seventeenth 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 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Grimaldi's Whim

 Traditional English dance tune

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

Joseph Grimaldi (1778–1837) was the most famous English clown, who made the character of a clown a leading role in the theatre. He introduced pantomime to the theatre, and established the art of audience participation. At the time of Goulding's publication, Grimaldi was at the top of his career, and just past his greatest success in Harlequin and Mother Goose; or, The Golden Egg (1806).

Categories: Dance tunes Jigs Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Saturday 8 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Gigue by Quantz

 from Sonata No. 1 in A minor

This gigue is the third and final 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
Sunday 9 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Les Ménétriers

 Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier

The two passepieds we present today constitute the fourth duet in A major from the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. The French title Les Ménétriers can be translated as “The Fiddlers”.

Categories: Baroque Passepieds Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 10 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in F major

 by Nilson Mascolo and Cinthia Mascolo

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

Categories: Contemporary Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Tuesday 11 March 2014

Tune of the Day: The Spey in Spate

 by James Scott Skinner

This lively reel has been named to make the listener think of a flood of rushing water, just like the famous angling river, the River Spey, in Morayshire, Scotland.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Celtic Music Reels Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 12 March 2014

Tune of the Day: La Pastorale

 by Friedrich Burgmüller, transcribed for solo flute

This Pastorale, 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: easy
Thursday 13 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Quantz

 from Flute Trio in D major

This is the fourth and final 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
Friday 14 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Gariboldi

 from “Etudes mignonnes”

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

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 15 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Major John Bruce's Quick Step

 Traditional Scottish tune

This march tune, also known as “Major John Bruce's Favourite”, appears in the second volume of James Aird's A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, published in 1782.

Categories: Marches Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Sunday 16 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Albinoni

 from “Trattenimenti armonici”

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

Categories: Baroque Sonatas Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 17 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Légèrement by Boismortier

 from “Petites sonates à deux flûtes traversières”

This is the fourth and last 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 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Kummer

 from “32 Etudes amusantes et instructives”

This is the eighteenth 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
Wednesday 19 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Dr. Morrison's Seven Thistles

 by James Scott Skinner

Today we present another march tune by James Scott Skinner, one of Scotland's most famous fiddlers.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Marches Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Thursday 20 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Gavotte by Grieg

 from the Holberg Suite, transcribed for solo flute

This gavotte is the third movement of the Holberg Suite, Op. 40, a suite of five movements for solo piano based on eighteenth-century dance forms. Edvard Grieg composed it in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Danish-Norwegian humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg.

Thanks to Gordon for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Gavottes Musettes Difficulty: intermediate
Friday 21 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Ballet des baccanales

 Transcribed for flute trio with optional bass line

This dance tune is taken from Michael Praetorius's Terpsichore (1612), a compendium of more than 300 instrumental dances, which is both his most widely known work, and his sole surviving secular work.

Categories: Renaissance Difficulty: easy
Saturday 22 March 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 seventh piece from their 17 Estudos para Flauta Transversal, N. 1.

Categories: Contemporary Etudes Written for Flute Difficulty: easy
Sunday 23 March 2014

Tune of the Day: The Fig Leaf

 Traditional English dance tune

This country dance tune is taken from the first volume of Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, first published in London in 1757.

Categories: Dance tunes Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Monday 24 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Gravement by Naudot

 from Flute Sonata in G major

This is the slow second movement of a flute sonata in G major by Jean-Christophe Naudot, a French composer and flutist of the early 18th century.

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

Tune of the Day: Prélude in G minor

 Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier

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

Categories: Baroque Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Wednesday 26 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in E minor by Gariboldi

 from “Etudes mignonnes”

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

Categories: Etudes Romantic Written for Flute Difficulty: intermediate
Thursday 27 March 2014

Tune of the Day: The Bragging Man

 Traditional Irish reel

This Irish tune is taken from George Petrie's Complete Collection of Irish Music (1905), where it appears as “a Cork reel from P. Carew's manuscripts”.

Categories: Celtic Music Reels Traditional/Folk Difficulty: easy
Friday 28 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Theme and Variations by Mozart

 from Serenade No. 10, transcribed for solo flute

This is the sixth movement of Mozart's Serenade No. 10 for winds in B flat major, K. 361/370a. In its original form, it is a serenade scored for thirteen instruments; twelve winds and string bass. The piece was probably composed in 1781 or 1782, and is often known by the subtitle “Gran Partita”, though the title is a misspelling and not in Mozart's hand.

Thanks to Lily for suggesting this piece!

Categories: Classical Serenades Variations Difficulty: intermediate
Saturday 29 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Gracieusement by Boismortier

 from “Petites sonates à deux flûtes traversières”

This is the opening movement of the third 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: easy
Sunday 30 March 2014

Tune of the Day: Study in C-sharp minor by Kummer

 from “32 Etudes amusantes et instructives”

This is the nineteenth 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
Monday 31 March 2014

Tune of the Day: The Lovat Scouts

 by James Scott Skinner

This lively quickstep by famous Scots fiddler James Scott Skinner was written in the bagpipe idiom, as you can tell from the little grace notes in the main part.

The Lovat Scouts were a British Army unit, formed during the Second Boer War (1900) as a Scottish Highland yeomanry regiment.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Categories: Quickstep Difficulty: intermediate
Monday 31 March 2014

Site update: Happy Birthday, flutetunes.com!

Today our site turns five years old!

Thank you to everybody for sharing your passion for the flute with us!