Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music

Flute Performance

31st May 2011

Programme Notes
Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major, KV.314 Mozart Allegro Aperto Adagio ma non troppo Rondeau: Allegro

Pice

Ibert

Suite for Flute and Piano, Op.34 I. Moderato II.Scherzo: Allegro vivace III. Romance:Andantino IV. Final: Vivace

Widor

1623 Words

Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major, KV.314 Mozart (1756-1791) Allegro Aperto Adagio ma non troppo Rondeau: Allegro

In 1777, Dutch flautist Ferdinand De Jean commissioned Mozart for 'three little, easy, short concertos and a few quartets on the flute' [i.e. pieces for string quartet with the first violin replaced by a flute]. Many flautists believe that Mozart disliked the flute because he referred to it as 'an instrument I can't stand' in a letter to his father, written while he was trying to complete this commission. His words have been translated to refer to a dislike of the flute itself, but could also refer to his distaste of such a tedious commission that required him to write many pieces for the same instrument.

On the other hand, Mozart seems to have only written two solo compositions for a professional flautist to play: a Symphonie Concertante (K. 297 in Eb major) for flute, oboe, horn and bassoon and the G major Flute Concerto (K. 313). In the end Mozart sent Dejean three quartets and two flute concerti, the flute concerti being: the previous G major Concerto with the Andante in C, K. 315 as perhaps an alternative middle movement and reworked the oboe Concerto in C major, K. 271k, into the D major Concerto for flute K.314.

Mozart didn't just merely transcribe the concerto into a different key and adjust for the range of the flute, he changed major parameters: motifs change regarding intervallic distance making the flute part much more virtuostic; quaver triplet passages written for oboe transform into semiquaver passages for the flute, again making the flute version more virtuostic; and articulation and ornamentation differ rather dramatically between the two versions. Some bars, particularly in the Rondeau, seem to be completely different. Mozart rewrote the concerto in such a way that for nearly two hundred years, scholars believed that it was originally composed for the flute. It is 2

easier to believe that he simplified the flute concerto and transformed it into an oboe concerto rather than the other way around. Perhaps this is why some oboists transpose and incorporate some of the virtuostic flute writing into the C major Concerto.

Around the late 18th century, the flute was limited to one or two keys, the latter being a development by Quantz by adding an Eb key to the already established D# key. Because of this limitation, intonation was not accurate and expert manipulation of the embouchure was an absolute necessity to compensate for the defects of the instrument. Tromlitz, a German flute maker, wrote that keys with more than three sharps or flats were difficult and unsuitable for the flute. It is said that Mozart had an acutely sensitive ear so perhaps this is why he confined his major flute works to the safer major keys of D, G, A and C.

The D major Concerto is scored for an orchestra of two oboes, two horns and strings. The orchestration is scored in a lighter, more transparent fashion than the G major Concerto, highlighting the melodic line of the soloist. The first movement is in double exposition sonata form. The opening flute line is rather intriguing as it does not state the opening theme, as you would expect. The tutti ritornello introduces over half of the musical ideas manipulated in this movement, a ratio true also to the opening of the G major Concerto which is more standard in form. The bold difference in writing between these two openings is that in the D major Concerto the flute begins by continuing the motif of the orchestra. Then rather than staying in the forefront, it immediately steps back holding a long, expressive note while allowing the orchestra to restate the theme of the opening before finally continuing with its melodic line. Sadly, the flute never gets to play the opening theme of this movement. This movement contains many of Mozart's characteristic ornamental devices which include new rhythms, new articulations and above all, chromatic passing notes.

The second movement is characterised by its liquid melodies, which periodically depart into the minor which gives the intent of deeper emotional 3

phrases. Chromatic appogiaturas at the end of phrases feature prominently in this movement, enhancing the sense of longing throughout the whole piece. Even if Mozart did despise the flute, the elegance of this movement makes this difficult to believe.

The final Rondeau movement is a bright, Haydnesque finale with a theme that is bouncy and energetic. Mozart used this theme in his opera, The Abduction from Seraglio, during the aria, 'Welche Wonne, welche Lust'. A memorable part of the movement begins in the central episode where a tune, based on the theme, is developed in three-part counterpoint.

Since Mozart left the composing of the cadenzas to the performer, the flautist is given the opportunity to creatively shine in each movement. In this performance, the second and third cadenzas are self-composed and the first is a transcription and adaptation of Emmanuel Pahud.

Pice (1890-1962)

Ibert

Pice was written for Marcel Moyse, following the success of the Flute Concerto premiered by Moyse in 1934. After the premier, both Ibert and Moyse were invited to attend a reception at the French Embassy in Prague. Moyse had been asked to bring his flute so as to entertain the audience but he did not know that Ibert, reportedly in less than an hour, had written a little solo piece for him to sightread.

Pice was published in 1936, although Moyse had already recorded it in 1935, therefore there are a few discrepencies between Moyse's version and the final published version.

Although Ibert is mostly remembered for his large-scale works such as Escales (1924), he was fascinated by the colors and timbres of wind instruments which figure prominently in his writing. Two of his three 4

concertos are for wind instruments and the third, for cello, features a chamber orchestra consisting of six solo wind instruments and a string quintet. Ibert always thought schools of composition unworthy. "All systems are valid," he believed, "so long as one derives music from them." Ibert always wanted to compose music that he could enjoy listening to repeatedly. His compositional style is clear and elegant with traces of both late Romanticism and Impressionism, some of which would have come from his teacher, Gabriel Faur.

This work is rather reminiscent of Debussy's well-known Prelude a l'apresmidi d'un faune. The introduction is marked a piacere at pleasure encouraging the player to enjoy its liquid melodies, virtuoso scales and roulades. The first theme is beautifully integrated as compound time is established. The Vivo section brings forth cascading scale passagework and dramatic leaps, as the meter is disturbed due to the changing time signatures. This unsettling continues throughout more rapid scales, with vivid changes in the dynamics, climaxing through a chromatic minor-third run which dove-tails back into the main theme in the upper register. The final section includes rapid interjections within the established lyrical theme.

Pice is a perfect encore to the concerto that Ibert had composed two years previously.

Suite for Flute and Piano, Op.34 (1844-1937) I. Moderato II.Scherzo: Allegro vivace III. Romance:Andantino IV. Final: Vivace

Widor

The Suite for Flute and Piano was written for Paul Taffanel (1844 - 1908), founder of the 'French flute school' who inspired the composition of much fine wind chamber music and works such as this, re-establishing the flute as an instrument of 'serious music'. Taffanel revitalised flute music from the earlier periods and championed a sense of lyricism in modern French flute playing. Widors composition not only reflects Taffanel's lyricism, but also his renowned virtuosity through its brief cadenzas at the end of the first and third movements. Taffanel premiered this piece in 1884 although it was not published until 1898. The later date is often incorrectly given as the date of composition. The title suite seems somewhat misleading for it is a substantial work in four movements and has almost the substance of a sonata but the composer withheld that name, probably because it lacks a formal sonata-allegro movement with development to open the work. The Moderato movement is more introductory in nature and is more concerned with lyricism than development.

The second movement is rapid throughout the predominantly semiquaver scherzo section. The audience and the flutist are given a much deserved break in the trio section before delving back into the repeat, which then has a breathless ending. The emotional heart of the Suite is the Romance: Andantino. Some commentators have found this movement touching in a manner reminiscent of the music of Robert Schumann, perhaps because of its likeness to his clarinet Fantasiestucke, Op. 73. The Romance reverses the layout of the Scherzo, with a stormy middle recititive-like section contrasting with the flowing lines that surround it. The Romance reappeared in 1885 in the incidental music that Widor wrote for Le Conte davril, a verse comedy, adapted from Shakespeares The Twelfth Night.

The form throughout the suite is carefully crafted and controlled, ending with a dramatic Final, which is where most of the virtuoso display of the work is concentrated. The textures are rich and harmonies wide-ranging, with some of the chromatic elements that characterize Widors organ music. Towards 6

the end of the Final the flute hurdles through many rapid arpeggiac passages, very similar to the second movement of his Suite Florentine which was written for violin and piano. The flute range is pushed to its limits whilst fitting in with a vigourous piano part, which one can understand given Widors organ background.

Widor reminds us that he is a contemporary of Gabriel Faur through his tints of delicate modal harmony used in this piece, which help to pave the pathway that led to the Impressionism of Claude Debussy.