duet

Les Regrets-Cantilène, Op.36, by Napoléon Coste

Transcribed for Alto Flute or Flute (or Oboe or Violin) and Piano (or Harp or Guitar) by C.A.Vater

Score, Alto Flute Part, and alternative Flute (or Oboe or Violin) Part, PDF $5.99

Napoléon Coste (1805-1883) became famous not only as a guitar soloist, but also as a major composer of some 60 works, most of which were written for guitar. His music is in the romantic French style and appreciated for its originality.  His Fantaisie, Op.36, Les Regrets-Cantilène, is a short, single-movement piece written for oboe or violin with piano or harp or guitar.  We created our Noteworthy Sheet Music edition from the difficult-to-read manuscript version in the public domain, available on imslp.org.  We include a score in concert pitch and a part suitable for flute, oboe or violin, as well as a part transcribed for alto flute in G.  The piece falls nicely within the sweet range of the alto flute and our transposition sounds appealing and completely natural on that instrument.  In fact, Les Regrets-Cantilène is gorgeous on either flute or alto flute.  Melodic and sentimental, the work is not overly demanding technically and should appeal to players of a moderate or higher skill level.

Score, 4 pages; Alto Flute part, 1 page; Flute (or Oboe or Violin) part, 1 page; Total 8 pages.

Grande Sonate, Op.62, by Franz Danzi

for Piano and Basset Horn; re-notated, edited, and with occasional ossia elaborations suggested by John W. Pratt

Piano Score and Basset Horn Part, PDF $13.99

Franz Danzi (1763-1826) was an active musician, cellist, and teacher in Mannheim, Munich, Stuttgart, and Karlsruhe. A prolific composer, especially of music for the stage and chamber music from keyboard solos to sextets, he revered Mozart and mentored Weber. His wind quintets are notable. His Grande Sonate, Opus 62, for piano and basset horn, was published about 1823, along with an alternative cello part which sometimes differs from the basset horn part in other ways than octave transposition. // The original publication of Danzi’s Opus 62 is available at imslp.org., but there is no full score and the parts are hard to play from, or sometimes even to read at all, lack measure numbers, have a few errors, and differ in the number of measures in the last two movements. We have therefore prepared a full score including the basset horn in concert pitch, to facilitate checking the fit of the basset horn and piano lines and our transcriptions for other instruments against the original.  — excerpted from John Pratt’s foreword to the edition

Piano Score, 28 pages; Basset Horn part, 7 pages; Total 40 pages.

Grande Sonate, Op.62, by Franz Danzi

transcribed for Piano and Flute by John W. Pratt

Piano score and Flute part, PDF $14.99

excerpted from John Pratt’s foreword to the edition: 'Franz Danzi (1763-1826) was an active musician, cellist, and teacher in Mannheim, Munich, Stuttgart, and Karlsruhe.  A prolific composer, especially of music for the stage and chamber music from keyboard solos to sextets, he revered Mozart and mentored Weber.  His wind quintets are notable.  His Grande Sonate, Opus 62, for piano and basset horn, was published about 1823, along with an alternative cello part which sometimes differs from the basset horn part in other ways than octave transposition. // The sound of the basset horn varies widely, depending on its construction, who is playing, what is being played, and who is describing it.  George Bernard Shaw said, ''The devil himself could not make a basset horn sparkle.''  Burnet Tuthill, in Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music (1929), wrote of its "soft mellow timbre of rich beauty.”  E.T.A. Hoffmann likened its sound to the scent of red carnations (see Georgina Dobré, The Basset Horn, who says, pace Shaw, “Sparkle it certainly can!”).  That tent is broad enough to cover the characteristics of both the flute and the clarinet comfortably, and Danzi’s Grande Sonate alternates sparkle and mellow rich beauty in large measure.'  Since we at NSM have grown quite fond of this piece, we decided to transcribe it for both flute and clarinet, so we and our friends could enjoy playing it.  We offer here the flute edition, with a version for clarinet to follow in the coming weeks.

Piano score, 28 pages; Flute part, 7 pages; Total 40 pages.

Grande Sonate, by Franz Danzi

transcribed for Piano and Clarinet by John W. Pratt

Piano score and B♭ Clarinet part, PDF $14.99

Danzi’s Grande Sonate, Opus 62, written for piano and basset horn, was published around 1823, along with an alternative part for cello. Please see additional information about this piece in the article describing our re-notated basset horn edition. The Grande Sonate comprises four movements and provides both sparkle and mellow rich beauty. It is nicely adaptable to other winds, particularly the clarinet. Certain passages in the final movement of the original work seem to invite elaboration or improvisation by the solo instrument, and arranger John Pratt offers suggestions for possible additions or alternatives for the clarinet, making it even more fun to play.

Piano Score, 28 pages; B♭ Clarinet Part, 7 pages; Total, 40 pages.

Première Rhapsodie, by Claude Debussy

Transcribed for Alto Flute by C.A.Vater, with a Foreword by P.H.Bloom

Alto Flute Part ― PDF $5.99

Since its introduction as a morceau de concours for the Paris Conservatoire in 1910, Debussy's Première Rhapsodie has been an essential piece of the clarinet repertoire. ... Although most of the morceaux are, by definition, run-of-the mill exercises of virtuosity à la mode, a number have endured as works of significant musical merit.  Debussy's Première Rhapsodie is one such piece.  It's a vehicle for expressive interpretation and artistry, with charm, warmth, passion, and humor; a lasting treasure at the core of every clarinetist's collection of indispensable works. ... But a transcription?  Of a work by Debussy - the great colorist of instrumental sonority?  From clarinet to alto-flute? ... Each and every element, in fact, evokes the alto-flute! ... Of course the piece sounds different on the two instruments.  Although the sonic hues are different, the colors are just as vivid.  The distinct sonorities of the alto-flute support the nuance, the affect, and the power of the work. (excerpted from Peter H. Bloom © 2012)

We provide our alto flute part only; appropriate parts for piano or orchestral accompaniment may be obtained as free pdf downloads from public domain resources, such as imslp.org.

Alto Flute part, 4 pages; Total, 10 pages.

Sonata in D Major, Op.10, No.1, by François Devienne

Duet transcribed for Flute and Clarinet

Score and Parts, PDF $9.99

François Devienne (1759-1803) was a French composer, flutist and bassoonist, as well as a professor at the Paris Conservatory. His compositional output included: 12 operas; many concerted pieces for various wind instruments, with orchestra; overtures; concertos, quartets, trios, sonatas, etc. for flute, piano, and other instruments; 12 suites; numerous romances, chansons, etc.; and an influential flute method book, Méthode de flûte (1795).

Noteworthy Sheet Music published this edition of Devienne's Sonata in D Major, Op.10, No.1 at the suggestion of flutist Richard A. Evans, who long ago obtained the original flute-flute duet from the Library of Congress and believed it undeserving of its current obscurity. Aware of the paucity of repertoire available for flute and clarinet, and realizing the piece would work nicely for that instrument pair as well, he transcribed the second flute part for B♭ clarinet. We at NSM agreed that the duet, which has two movements, Allegro spirituoso and Rondo: Allegro poco presto, should be made more readily available to present-day musicians and audiences. Our edition provides both score and parts and incorporates articulation and dynamic edits supplied by Mr. Evans.

Score, 10 pages; Flute part, 5 pages; B♭ clarinet part, 5 pages; Total, 24 pages.

Sonata in D Major, Op.10, No.1, by François Devienne

Duet for Two Flutes

Score and Parts, PDF $9.99

François Devienne (1759-1803) was a French composer, flutist and bassoonist, as well as a professor at the Paris Conservatory. His compositional output included: 12 operas; many concerted pieces for various wind instruments, with orchestra; overtures; concertos, quartets, trios, sonatas, etc. for flute, piano, and other instruments; 12 suites; numerous romances, chansons, etc.; and an influential flute method book, Méthode de flûte (1795).  

Noteworthy Sheet Music published this edition of Devienne’s Sonata in D Major, Op.10, No.1 at the suggestion of flutist Richard A. Evans, who long ago obtained the duet from the Library of Congress and believed it undeserving of its current obscurity. We at NSM agreed that the duet, which has two movements, Allegro spirituoso and Rondo: Allegro poco presto, should be made more readily available to present-day musicians and audiences. Our edition provides both score and parts, and incorporates articulation and dynamic edits supplied by Mr. Evans.

Score, 10 pages; Flute-1 part, 5 pages; Flute-2 part 5 pages; Total, 24 pages.

The Golden "Reade" Flute, by Eugene A. Dieter

Flute Part and Piano Score ― PDF $7.99

Elmer Reade (1898-1986), to whom The Golden "Reade" Flute is dedicated, served a long and distinguished career, first as a flutist with the U.S. Army Band and then as a conductor and music director of the Air Force Band at Mitchell Field, New York.  Eugene A. Dieter graduated from the first class of the US Army Music School in 1941 and was appointed a bandmaster.  Following the Second World War, Dieter accepted a bandmaster position with the Air Force Band and remained active until his retirement in 1966.  Likely, it was as an Air Force band colleague of Elmer Reade's that Dieter was inspired to compose The Golden "Reade" Flute. (excerpted from the foreword © by P. H. Bloom)

Not at all militaristic in character, The Golden "Reade" Flute is more a lovely barcarole, a single Andante moderato movement in 6/8 time.  It offers interesting writing for both parts, so flutist and pianist will be equally pleased.  The title refers to the gold flute by William S. Haynes upon which Reade regularly performed.

Piano score, 4 pages; Flute part, 2 pages. 

Portrait Charmant, by Raphael Dressler

Gassett Collection - Facsimile Edition by C.A.Vater/Noteworthy Sheet Music

Part for Flute or Violin and Piano Score, PDF $3.00

Raphael Dressler (1784-1835) was a well-known Austrian flutist and composer.  He wrote more than 100 compositions for flute and published a popular flute method book, New and Complete Instructions for the Flute.  His career included a position as first flutist in the Kärntnerthor Theater orchestra in Vienna and many years as a teacher and performer in London.  Dressler's Portrait Charmant is the fifth of his Douze Thèmes Favoris pour Pianoforte et Flûte (ou Violon).  The piece is a short work, simple yet indeed charming, and playable by flutists (or violinists) and pianists of many skill levels.  A favorite of ours, Portrait Charmant can also be played effectively as a solo work for flute or violin alone.

For additional information about the Gassett Collection, please see see our article An Introduction to the Gassett Collection.

Piano score, 3 pages; Flute or Violin part, 1 page; Total, 8 pages.

Salute to New York, A Song for the Flute, by Louis Drouet

Edited and with a Foreword by P. H. Bloom
Piano Score and Flute Part, PDF $5.99

We have posted Peter H. Bloom's fascinating and highly informative © foreword to this edition, in its entirety, elsewhere on our website, under Resources - Reviews & Articles, so please visit that page for additional historical details regarding the composer, Salute to New York, the New York Crystal Palace, and Hall & Son's flutes, beyond the short excerpts and paraphrases included here.

Louis-Francois-Philippe Drouet (1792-1873) is one of the most highly esteemed flute virtuosi in history.  Innumerable contemporary press accounts of his concert triumphs throughout Europe attest to his technical brilliance and exquisite musicianship.  He was a prolific and accomplished composer, author, flute theoretician, and pedagogue.  His many etudes are still prescribed as tools for flute mastery.  His Method of Flute Playing (1830) and 72 Studies on Style and Taste (1855) provide us with useful information concerning instrumental technique and performance practice in the mid-nineteenth century.

The exquisite Salute to New York, A Song for the Flute was performed by Mr. Drouet at the Crystal Palace in New York, on the occasion of its grand reopening under the new management of showman P. T. Barnum in 1854.  Our renotated edition of the piece was edited by flutist Peter H. Bloom, who also has enhanced the original piano score with the addition of chord changes in order to broaden the scope of potential players.

Score, 4 pages; Flute part, 2 pages; Total, 14 pages.