Today's piece is the seventh study from 40 Esercizi per Flauto (40 Exercises for Flute), Op. 101, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.
The oldest known appearance of this traditional Irish reel in print is in Francis O'Neill's Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies, published in Chicago in 1903. The same tune is known under a variety of titles, including “The Lass from Mullingar” and “Smiling Susan”.
Today's piece was kindly contributed to our collection by Paul Merkus, who originally composed it in 2006 as a piano solo for his 11-year-old daughter. It is an easy but rewarding piece, featuring a flowing lyrical melody, and we hope you will enjoy it.
This flute duet is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in Philadelphia in 1833. It is unclear whether this tune is related to the popular ballad titled “The Banks of the Ohio”. Both are believed to have originated in the early 19th century, but the melodies don't seem to have a lot in common.
This étude is the eighth piece from the second book of Italian composer Ernesto Köhler's Progress in Flute Playing, Op. 33. The same work was also published in Germany as Der Fortschritt im Flötenspiel, and in France as Le progrès dans l'art de la flûte.
The oldest known appearance of this country dance tune is in the fourth volume of Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, published in London around 1780.
This is the fifth piece from a collection of 17 Capricci for Flauto Traverso by Italian flutist and composer Filippo Ruge. Born in Rome around 1725, Ruge appears to have spent most of his professional life in France, and especially in Paris, where several of his compositions were published, ranging from small-scale chamber music to large-scale symphonic works.
This Largo is the opening movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Trio Sonata No. 9 in F-sharp minor, published in 1685. Unlike most of the other Op. 2 sonatas, this one has no explicitly designated prelude, so this slow Allemanda acts as one in practice.
Thanks to Mario for contributing this piece!
This Andantino is the eighth study from 40 Esercizi per Flauto (40 Exercises for Flute), Op. 101, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.
This Irish reel is taken from Francis O'Neill's collection Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody, published in Chicago in 1922. In his book Between the Jigs and Reels, Caoimhin Mac Aoidh explains that O'Neill's source was a fiddler named Joe Timoney, known in Donegal as Joe Phaedar Sheain O Tiomanai.
This rondeau is the second movement of Amusement militaire, a suite for solo instrument (“musette, vielle, flute and oboe” according to the original edition) and continuo by the French Baroque composer Nicolas Chédeville.
As with several other Op. 6 movements, the title probably refers to a German town; possibly Neustadt an der Weinstraße, which is located near the Rhine river about 25 km south-west of Mannheim.
This chorus is part of the 1825 opera La dame blanche (The White Lady) by François-Adrien Boieldieu, an opera composer who has often been called “the French Mozart”.
The present arrangement for two flutes is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.
This étude is the ninth piece from the second book of Italian composer Ernesto Köhler's Progress in Flute Playing, Op. 33. The same work was also published in Germany as Der Fortschritt im Flötenspiel, and in France as Le progrès dans l'art de la flûte.
This jig has wide currency in a number of countries, genres and forms, although it appears to be derived from the Scottish “How Can We Abstain from Whisky?”. Dublin publisher Smollet Holden printed it around the year 1805 in his Collection of Quick and Slow Marches, Troops, &c. as “The Bard's Legacy”, a title that suggests lyrics may have once been set to it. Irish poet Thomas Moore wrote a popular romantic song to the tune called “The Legacy”, printed in his second volume of Irish Melodies (1807); it was reported to have been one of Abraham Lincoln's favorites.
When in death I shall calmly recline,
O bear my heart to my mistress dear,
Tell her it lived upon smiles and wine
Of the brightest hue, while it linger'd here.
Bid her not shed one tear of sorrow
To sully a heart so brilliant and light;
But balmy drops of the red grape borrow,
To bathe the relic from morn till night.
This is the sixth piece from a collection of 17 Capricci for Flauto Traverso by Italian flutist and composer Filippo Ruge. Born in Rome around 1725, Ruge appears to have spent most of his professional life in France, and especially in Paris, where several of his compositions were published, ranging from small-scale chamber music to large-scale symphonic works.
This melody was composed in the 1820s by an Englishman named B. Hime, about whom very little is known. It sets to music the words of an unpublished poem by Bishop Reginald Heber.
I see them on their winding way,
About their ranks the moonbeams play,
Their lofty deed and daring high,
Blend with the notes of victory.
And waving arms and banners bright
Are glancing in the mellow light.
They're lost and gone, the moon is past
The woods dark shade is o'er them cast;
And fainter fainter fainter still,
The march is rising o'er the hill.
The present arrangement for two flutes appeared in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.
The first two measures of the melody are reminiscent of the traditional Scottish tune “Bonnie Dundee”.
Today's piece is the ninth study from 40 Esercizi per Flauto (40 Exercises for Flute), Op. 101, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.
Today we're happy to post a lovely tune by English folk musician Brian Peters.
I suppose this is the one tune of mine that has made the most impression on people. I've heard it played on the harp, fiddle, Northumbrian pipes and concert grand piano, and every version has brought out something different. I tend to treat it as an air rather than a waltz, playing it once as a single-note melody before bringing in gentle chords without the basses. Written in 1992 in a pub in Coleford, a small and slightly eerie town in the Forest of Dean, where I'd arrived too early for the folk club.
A performance of the piece by Brian Peters himself can be found here.
Thanks to Phil for suggesting this tune!
This rondeau is the third movement of Amusement militaire, a suite for solo instrument (“musette, vielle, flute and oboe” according to the original edition) and continuo by the French Baroque composer Nicolas Chédeville.
The title probably refers to the German town of Bad Dürkheim, located about 20 km west of Mannheim (thanks to Fried for pointing this out!). A less likely possibility is that it might refer to the Alsatian town of Turckheim in modern-day north-eastern France, located next to Colmar about 20 km east of the Rhine river.
Today we propose the second movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Trio Sonata No. 9 in F-sharp minor, published in 1685.
Thanks to Mario for contributing this piece!
This étude is the eleventh piece from the second book of Italian composer Ernesto Köhler's Progress in Flute Playing, Op. 33. The same work was also published in Germany as Der Fortschritt im Flötenspiel, and in France as Le progrès dans l'art de la flûte.
This Irish jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's collection Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody, published in 1922. O'Neill cites the “Pat. Dunne manuscript” as his source, and remarks that “Mr. Dunne was a farmer of the townland of Kilbraugh not far from Thurles, Tipperary. From his wonderful repertory of dance tunes, generously contributed some years ago, many have been selected.”
This Andante is the first movement of a Sonata for Violin and Guitar by the famous Italian virtuoso Niccolò Paganini. It was published in Milan in 1820 as the sixth and last sonata of his Op. 3. Like those of Op. 2, the Op. 3 sonatas are brief, two-movement works of the charming, docile variety meant not for public performance but for private.
The Sonata No. 6 in E minor is the only one of the Op. 3 sonatas to have achieved any real fame; in fact, it has become very well-known as a showpiece and encore.
Thanks to André for suggesting this piece!
This lively flute duet is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in Philadelphia in 1833. The origins of the tune are unfortunately unknown.
Today's piece is the tenth study from 40 Esercizi per Flauto (40 Exercises for Flute), Op. 101, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.
This Irish tune appears to have descended from an English Morris dance tune called “The Black Joke”, which dates from the early 1700s. Shillelagh is a word that has become synonymous with the cudgel favored by Irish faction fighters in the 19th century. The association of the name Shillelagh with a club stems from the quality of wood that could be found in the oak forest at Shillelagh in County Wicklow, from which a superior brand of cudgel could be fashioned. Unfortunately, the stock of oak in Ireland has diminished considerably, so that modern shillelaghs are invariably made of blackthorn, fashioned for the tourist trade in rather short implements, while the original oak shillelagh was a sturdy three feet long.
This is the seventh piece from a collection of 17 Capricci for Flauto Traverso by Italian flutist and composer Filippo Ruge. Born in Rome around 1725, Ruge appears to have spent most of his professional life in France, and especially in Paris, where several of his compositions were published, ranging from small-scale chamber music to large-scale symphonic works.
This Allegro is the third and final movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Trio Sonata No. 9 in F-sharp minor, published in 1685. Despite being named a “Giga”, this movement is written in common time (4/4), even though gigues are normally in compound time (6/8 or similar).
Thanks to Mario for contributing this piece!
This étude is the twelfth and last piece from the second book of Italian composer Ernesto Köhler's Progress in Flute Playing, Op. 33. The same work was also published in Germany as Der Fortschritt im Flötenspiel, and in France as Le progrès dans l'art de la flûte.
The song “Westering Home” was written by Scottish choirmaster and composer Hugh S. Roberton around 1921. Its tune, however, is believed to be a modified version of the traditional “The Mucking o' Geordie's Byre”.
Westering home, and a song in the air,
Light in the eye and it's goodbye to care.
Laughter o' love, and a welcoming there,
Isle of my heart, my own one.
Singer Vera Lynn recorded a song called “Travelling Home” that was similar enough to “Westering Home” to result in a 1960 lawsuit on behalf of Roberton's estate. During the trial several pipers testified that the tune was traditional and in circulation as “an old Highland air” at least by the beginning of the 20th century, but the question of antiquity has never been adequately determined.
Thanks to Simon for suggesting this tune!