This is the lively opening movement of the first flute duet from Six duos faciles et brillants by Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen.
Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!
This C-major piece, 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.
This traditional Afrikaans folk song, created during the Anglo-Boer Wars (1880–1902), seems to take its tune from a song dating from the American Civil War called “Ellie Rhee” (itself perhaps a version of the traditional Irish song “Foggy Dew”).
My Sarie Marais is so far from my heart
But I hope to see her again
She lived in the area of Mooi-river
Before the war began
Oh bring me back to the old Transvaal
Where my Sarie lives
There by the maize
By the green thorn tree
There my Sarie lives
The melody was adopted in 1953 as the official march of the United Kingdom's Royal Marines Commandos and is played after the Regimental March on ceremonial occasions. The French Foreign Legion also sings the song, in its French translation.
Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!
This gavotte constitutes the second movement of an Overture-Suite in G major written by the prolific Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann. The present arrangement has been derived from a manuscript made by Christoph Graupner, who was both a friend and associate of Telemann himself. He was also a harpsichordist and a composer in his own right, and wrote a huge number of works.
There is a recording of this work titled Ouverture in G major, for Violin Concertato, 2 Oboes, 2 Violins, Viola and Harpsichord, Mus. Ms. 1034/63 by ensemble Musica Aeterna, conductor Jan Kleinbussink, released by Slovart Records in 1995.
Thanks to Alistair for contributing this piece!
This is the slow third movement of the sixth sonata from a collection of 12 “little sonatas” for two flutes by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.
This common-time Moderato in C major is the first study from Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen's Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 30.
This traditional Irish hornpipe is taken from Francis O'Neill's The Dance Music of Ireland, first published in 1907.
Today we propose the opening movement of a flute sonata in G minor by Jean-Christophe Naudot, a French composer and flutist of the early 18th century.
This is the central movement of the first flute duet from Six duos faciles et brillants by Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen.
Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!
This Allegretto in A minor is the second study from Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen's Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 30.
This air was reputedly composed by fiddler John Bruce of Braemar, Scotland. He took part in the Jacobite rising of 1745, but was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle when Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated, though his skill at the fiddle supposedly helped to mitigate his sentence. He later became acquainted with Robert Burns, who in 1793 wrote a poem to accompany this tune.
“I attempt from Love's sickness to fly in vain” is a lively song from The Indian Queen, Henry Purcell's last semi-opera and his largest stage project in 1695. “Semi-operas”, also known as “English operas”, combined spoken plays with masque-like episodes employing singing and dancing characters.
The plot of The Indian Queen revolves around a war between Peru and Mexico. In the third act, the Spirits of the Air encourage Zempoalla, queen of the Mexicans, to forget her love for the Peruvian General Montezuma. Zempoalla acknowledges her incapacity to escape with the singing of “I Attempt from Love's Sickness”.
Thanks to Joe for suggesting this piece!
This short piece constitutes the second duet in A minor from the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.
The little study we present today is the first piece from 50 Etudes mélodiques pour la flûte by French flutist and composer Jules Demersseman.
This old-time tune was derived from “Angelina Baker”, a sentimental song by the great American songwriter Stephen Foster. It is a popular fiddle or banjo tune, and is also played by bluegrass musicians.
Thanks to David for suggesting this tune!
This is the closing 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.
This is the third and final movement of the first flute duet from Six duos faciles et brillants by Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen.
Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!
This Allegro in G major is the third study from Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen's Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 30.
This English melody, which may be a song air, appears in the 1840 music manuscript collection of John Rook of Wigton.
This is the opening movement of a Sonata in G major for recorder and basso continuo, written by Italian composer Benedetto Marcello around 1712.
These two minuets in A constitute the 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.
This study is the second piece from 50 Etudes mélodiques pour la flûte by French flutist and composer Jules Demersseman.
This is a Scottish folk song about a cooper who beats his wife because she will not cook, clean, and sew.
An American variation of the song, entitled “Risseldy Rosseldy”, was sung by the school children in Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds right before they were attacked by a swarm of birds.
Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!
The Allemande we propose today is the second movement of a flute sonata in G minor by Jean-Christophe Naudot, a French composer and flutist of the early 18th century.
This short duet is taken from the Nouvelle Méthode théorique et pratique pour la flûte by the French flutist and composer François Devienne.
Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!
This is the very first study from a collection of 18 Etudes for flute published in 1891 by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen.
This Scottish slow air is taken from Niels Gow's Second Collection of Reels, published in 1788. A note states that its provenance is Irish.
This is the opening movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata No. 6 in G major 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.
This “Menuet en Rondeau” constitutes the third duet in A minor from the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.
This study is the third piece from 50 Etudes mélodiques pour la flûte by French flutist and composer Jules Demersseman.