flute

Bagette no. 4, by Zenon Slawinski

Contemporary Composition for Flute and Piano

Flute Part and Piano Score, PDF $16.99

Zenon Slawinski studied music theory and composition at the University of Michigan with Leslie Bassett, William Bolcom, and William Albright. He also studied Campanology with Hudson Ladd. After graduating with honors he pursued a career in both music and graphic design. Mr. Slawinski was co-music director for the Peabody and Ohio State award winning Children's Radio Theatre program, and scored numerous independent and industrial films and films for the Smithsonian Institution that aired at Smithsonian museums and on PBS. He wrote the music to the popular political talk show The John McLaughlin Group. Mr. Slawinski was a founding partner of a multimedia production company and recording studio working in the early interactive days on educational and entertainment music projects in the CDi and CD-ROM formats, many of which won numerous awards. For more details of Zenon Slawinski's biography, please see the Composers section of the NSM website.

Bagette no. 4 is from a set of four Bagettes written by Zenon Slawinski for his flutist wife, for the two of them to play together. The piece showcases the flute and has challenging moments for both players throughout. The spelling of "bagette" is intentional. The piece opens and closes with a quick ostinato in ¾ in the piano part that lays the foundation for the feel of the entire Bagette. The second section is more pensive and contemplative, with the piano taking the lead initially. The next section is bold and in a new key - B major - and here the flute and piano engage in a playful interaction. The composer intends for the players to put their own spin on the piece and interpret the music freely.

You may also listen to audio of the piece, recorded on the composer's Yamaha MOTIF ES with the sampled piano and flute sounds found in the instrument.  Click to listen

Customers who purchase the sheet music to Bagette no. 4 are entitled to a free rehearsal mp3 of the piano track with which the flutist can play along.

Piano score, 15 pages; Flute part, 7 pages; Total, 26 pages.

Cookies, by Zenon Slawinski 

Contemporary Composition for Flute and Piano

Flute Part and Piano Score, PDF $24.50

From the preface by Zenon Slawinski:

The Cookies came about because my wife and I had been exploring the various compositions and arrangements available for flute and piano and I felt that we needed something new for our time and our audience. We live in a constantly changing world yet we love to hang our hat on the past, especially when it comes to music.  I wanted to create a set of pieces that would not only be enjoyable for the listener but provide the players with a high level of satisfaction.

These pieces range in difficulty from the rather simple and easy to play (Cookies 1, 2, 4, 7), to the intermediate (Cookies 5, 8, 9, 11), and to the more challenging (Cookies 3, 6, 10, 12).

A special note about Cookie No. 5.  This piece was influenced by the Jazz tunes in the popular series of Real Books which follow a common practice in today's "chart" or "lead sheets" where the melody line is written out and chords are marked for the accompaniment to play.  This gives a lot of freedom initially to the piano.  As the flutists becomes more familiar with their part, I would encourage them to get off the page and try some of their own lines.

I purposely gave few performance markings so that players can create their own.  Interpret these freely and have fun.

Zenon Slawinski, September 17, 2014

Cookie 1 mp3

Cookie 4 mp3

Cookie 5 mp3

Cookie 6 mp3

Cookie 7 mp3

Cookie 9 mp3

Cookie 12 mp3

Customers who purchase the sheet music to Cookies are entitled to free rehearsal mp3’s of the piano tracks with which the flutist may play along.

Cookie 9 is a flute solo; the piano is tacet.

For those who would prefer to buy a subset of the Cookies, rather than all 12, we offer three smaller editions:

  Cookies 1,2,4,7: Piano Score, 15 pages; Flute part, 5 pages; Total 24 pages; PDF Price $9.45

  Cookies 5,8,9,11: Piano Score, 15 pages; Flute part, 7 pages; Total 28 pages; PDF Price $9.45

  Cookies 3,6,10,12: Piano Score, 30 pages; Flute part, 9 pages; Total 42 pages; PDF Price $18.90

Snow Pond Composers Workshop Anthology New Music for Flute 2015

Edited by Joshua Tomlinson, PDF $21.95

The first annual Snow Pond Composers Workshop took place June 7-13, 2015, under the direction of Edward Jacobs and Richard Nelson.  The workshop was part of the broader Snow Pond Music Festival taking place in Sidney, Maine.  Peter H. Bloom was the Visiting Performing Artist, and Elliott Schwartz was the Guest Composer.  The Snow Pond Composers Workshop Anthology—New Music for Flute 2015, edited by Joshua Tomlinson, includes all of the scores presented at the workshop:

  ED by Sean O. G. Burns | one player, on flute with kick drum and voice
  Where Wind Blows by William C. Edwards | solo flute
  Farewell to Charms by Henry Feinberg | solo flute
  Amuse-Bouche by Edward Jacobs | solo flute
        Published by American Composers Alliance, reprinted with permission.
  Stillness by Richard Nelson | trumpet, saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums/percussion;
        or, flute and electric guitar (or other small combination of instruments)
  Party On, Bloom!  by Alan Racadag | one player, on piccolo, C-flute, alto flute,
        and optional bass flute
  Soliloquy III by Elliott Schwartz | one player, on flute, piccolo, alto flute, and piano
        Published by American Composers Alliance, reprinted with permission.
  Something Human by Joshua Tomlinson | solo flute
  Indecision (...or maybe not) by Isaac Ward | solo flute
  Vyvirian Folk Songs by Julian Ward | solo flute
  Quicksilver by Joshua Zinn | solo flute

This is a remarkable collection of new music for flute, which Noteworthy Sheet Music is pleased to make available to the broader flute community.  Our edition includes composer biographies and performance notes, as well as the scores.  

Here's a YouTube link to a 9/23/2023 performance of ED by Peter H. Bloom: 

The Nutcracker, by P. Tchaikovsky

Arranged for Flute and Harp by Mary Jane Rupert

Flute Part and Harp Score, PDF $17.95 (also available as individual pieces)

Mary Jane Rupert, pianist and harpist, has performed as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player in many groups in the Boston area throughout the past three decades.   She has toured the United States, Thailand, and New Zealand as a member of the duo "2" with flutist Peter Bloom, and performed with such other groups as the Southcoast Chamber Players, Musica Sacra, the Cecilia Society, and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.   Educated at Oberlin College and Indiana University, Ms. Rupert earned a B.M. in piano, M.M. degrees in both harp and piano, and a doctorate in piano performance.  Having taught at Western Michigan University, Oberlin College, and Wellesley College, she now maintains a private studio for both piano and harp in Cambridge, MA.

Dr. Rupert's superb arrangement of The Nutcracker for flute and harp includes all of the pieces from the original Suite Op.71a from the ballet by Tchaikovsky, except the Overture. Originally published in 1988 by New Boston Editions, the arrangement has been re-edited by Dr. Rupert and re-notated by NSM for this new edition, which is available as a PDF download.  Professionals, students, and amateur musicians should all find uses for these popular pieces—as encores, recital pieces, and as part of the repertoire for more informal musical occasions.

Cynthia Price-Glynn, Principal Harp of the Boston Ballet and Chair of the Harp Department at the Boston Conservatory writes: "Mary Jane Rupert has done a masterful job of capturing the mood, attitude, and even humor of these pieces that are recognizable all year round.  Her partnering of the two instruments actually mirrors the color and nuances of the original orchestration."  Read the full review here.

Jan Jennings writes in The Harp Column: "Dr. Rupert uses enharmonics to play repeated notes cleanly and adds some p.d.l.t. sections for variety in "March." "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" is a charming arrangement with the harp harmonizing with the flute in sixths. The harp is featured in measures 32-36 and brings to mind the original orchestration. "Trepak (Russian Dance)," "Arab Dance" and "Chinese Dance" are all pretty readily playable. "Dance of the Reed Flutes" is more challenging and the harp harmonizes with the flute in thirds. The signature piece of the suite is, of course, "Waltz of the Flowers" and includes the cadenza." Read the full review on The Harp Column website.

For anyone wishing to purchase individual pieces of Mary Jane Rupert's arrangement of The Nutcracker for flute and harp, rather than the entire suite, we also offer the seven pieces as separate PDF's.  Just check the appropriate box in the Add to Cart table below:

==========================================================

We also offer a professionally-printed hard copy of the complete edition  of The Nutcracker  by Tchaikovsky, arranged for Flute and Harp for $33.33 plus a $5.95 shipping and handling fee to addresses in the USA.  Use the Contact Us form to let us know which hard copy publication(s) you would like to purchase, along with your email contact information and USPS mailing address.  We will then send you a PayPal invoice for the sale and, once we receive notice from PayPal that you have paid for the item(s), we will ship your music to the address provided.

The Nutcracker, by P. Tchaikovsky

Arranged for Flute and Piano by Mary Jane Rupert

Flute Part and Piano Score, Complete PDF $17.95 (also available as individual pieces)

Mary Jane Rupert, pianist and harpist, has performed as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player in many groups in the Boston area throughout the past three decades.   She has toured the United States, Thailand, and New Zealand as a member of the duo "2" with flutist Peter Bloom, and performed with such other groups as the Southcoast Chamber Players, Musica Sacra, the Cecilia Society, and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.  Educated at Oberlin College and Indiana University, Dr. Rupert earned a B.M. in piano, M.M. degrees in both harp and piano, and a doctorate in piano performance.  Having taught at Western Michigan University, Oberlin College, and Wellesley College, she now maintains a private studio for both piano and harp in Cambridge, MA.

Dr. Rupert's superb arrangement of The Nutcracker for flute and piano includes all of the pieces from the original Suite Op.71a from the ballet by Tchaikovsky, except the Overture.   Professionals, students, and amateur musicians should all find uses for these popular pieces—as encores, recital pieces, and as part of the repertoire for more informal musical occasions.  Read a review of the arrangement by John Ranck that was published in The Flute View.

Listen to audio excerpts of Chinese Dance and Trepak performed by Peter H. Bloom and Mary Jane Rupert.

For anyone wishing to purchase individual pieces of Mary Jane Rupert's arrangement of The Nutcracker for flute and piano, rather than the entire suite, we also offer the seven pieces as separate PDF's. Just check the appropriate box in the Add to Cart table below:

===========================================================

We also offer a professionally-printed hard copy edition of the complete version of The Nutcracker for $33.33 plus a $5.95 shipping and handling fee to addresses in the USA.  Please use the Contact Us form to let us know which hard copy publication(s) you would like to purchase, along with your email contact information and USPS mailing address.  We will then send you a PayPal invoice for the sale and, once we receive notice from PayPal that you have paid for the item(s), we will ship your music to the address provided.

Introduction et Rondo pour la Flûte, Op.49, by Tulou

Gassett Collection - Facsimile Edition by C.A.Vater/Noteworthy Sheet Music, with a Foreword by Peter H. Bloom

Flute Part and Piano Score, PDF $12.75

Jean-Louis Tulou (1786-1865) was a prominent, virtuoso French flutist, composer, and flute maker. He was a member of the orchestra of the Paris Opéra, and served as professor of flute at the Paris Conservatoire from 1829-1856. Tulou composed a great many works for flute, including 5 concertos and numerous solos and duets. In 1835 he published his "Méthode de Flûte", still valuable today as a guide to performance practice in the early 19th century and for instruction on playing pre-Boehm keyed flutes. We offer here our facsimile edition of Tulou's Introduction et Rondo pour la Flûte avec Accompagnement de Piano (Op.49), an energetic, enjoyable romp for flute.

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

Piano score, 12 pages; Flute part, 5 pages; Total, 21 pages.

We Gather Together, by Adrianus Valerius

Arranged for Woodwind Quintet by John W. Pratt

Score and Parts for Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, F Horn, and Bassoon; PDF $5.99

Wilt heden nu treden, nowadays more commonly known as We Gather Together, is a Christian hymn of Dutch origin composed by Adrianus Valerius and first published in 1626 (imslp.org); it was later harmonized by Eduard Kremser (en.wikipedia.org).  In the United States, We Gather Together is the most popular song traditionally associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.  John Pratt has created an arrangement of We Gather Together for woodwind quintet that lends new excitement and interesting harmonies to this old favorite.  In his family, the tradition goes back as far as John Pratt (b. 1931) can remember, and when it fell to him to play all three stanzas at his family's annual gathering, he got interested in livening it up.  The opportunistic half-step modulations introduced to help amateur voices warm up also brighten successive stanzas for winds.  Our Noteworthy Sheet Music edition includes a score in concert pitch, as well as parts for flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, horn in F, and bassoon.

Note that for this publication, the parts should be printed one-sided since they are only one page each and we have not inserted blank filler pages.

Score, 3 pages; Parts for Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, F Horn, and Bassoon, 1 page each; Total, 10 pages.

Butterfly Effects, by Elizabeth Vercoe

Contemporary Composition for Flute(s) and Harp

Flute Part and Harp Score, PDF $26.99

Butterfly Effects is an intriguing and varied piece in seven sections for flute and harp in which the flutist is asked to play bass, alto, piccolo and concert flutes. The titles are the names of butterflies: Mourningcloak, Banded Blue Pierrot, Common Jezebel, Question Mark, Monkey Puzzle, Karner Blues, and Psyche.

Excerpted from Elizabeth Vercoe's preface: "Butterfly Effects for flute and harp was written for the duo "2", with flutist Peter H. Bloom and harpist Mary Jane Rupert, who premiered the first parts of the piece in Bangkok and the entire work in Illinois in 2010. Along with the butterflies themselves, a quotation from Zhuangzi was the starting point for the music: "Am I a human who dreamt of being a butterfly or am I now a butterfly who dreams of being human?" The Taoist philosopher's dream illustrates, among other lessons, his sense of oneness with all living beings. // All seven movements are short, some only a minute in length. Mourningcloak, for alto flute and harp, is somber and reflective. Banded Blue Pierrot (concert flute) is short and glittering. Common Jezebel is a sultry tango for bass flute and harp that becomes increasingly chromatic and contrapuntal, requiring the harpist to do some fancy footwork. Question Mark, also for bass flute, requires the flutist to use "beat boxing" and key slap techniques that maximize the percussive qualities of the flute. Monkey Puzzle, in a kind of mimicry of the confusing antennae and pseudo antennae of the insect, flutters along to the middle of the piece and then proceeds backwards to the beginning in what is known as retrograde motion. Karner Blues adopts some of the riffs of blues instrumentalists and singers in the only movement for piccolo. Psyche, a word meaning breath or soul in Greek, is for concert flute and reminds us again of the Zhuangzi dream and the oneness of all living beings."

Butterfly Effects may be performed by one flutist playing multiple instruments, or by multiple flutists each playing one instrument for the relevant movement(s).

Our striking cover image for this publication is of the painting "Jezebel Tapestry #2" by Louisa King Fraser, used with the artist's permission.

Butterfly Effects for flute(s) and harp received a rave review by Nicole Riner in the Fall 2015 edition of the National Flute Association’s membership magazine The Flutist Quarterly.  Read the review in its entirety reprinted on the NSM website with permission from the NFA, or visit the NFA website.

Click to view a YouTube video of the duo "2" performing Banded Blue Pierrot.Banded Blue PierrotClick to view a YouTube video of the duo "2" performing Banded Blue Pierrot.

Peter H. Bloom gave a lecture on “Effective Writing for Flutes and the Contemporary Flutist” at the 2018 Snow Pond Composers Workshop.  In his presentation, Mr. Bloom discussed various topics using four contemporary works published by Noteworthy Sheet Music, including Butterfly Effects, as examples.  We later published a free text version of this excellent presentation on our website, in the Reviews and Articles section, including some of the audio clips and supplemental written materials that Mr. Bloom used as demonstrations.

The Elizabeth Vercoe CD "Butterfly Effects and Other Works" was released in November 2018.  The CD is available through Navona Records and features the title track performed by duo "2".  Here is a quote from Cinemusical's review of the CD: "The album opens with a multi-movement work for flutes and harp, Butterfly Effects (2009).  Across the seven movements, Vercoe explores the qualities of different instruments in the flute family: alto flute, bass flute, concert flute, and piccolo.  The music has a slight impressionistic quality to it, aided by the harp’s material.  Against this is first a rather dreamy, dark opening movement (“Mourningcloak”); a faster-paced flitting “Banded Blue Parrot”; a tango (“Common Jezebel”); intriguing effects like beat-boxing (“Question Mark”) and blues riffs (“Karner Blues”); and a palindromic compositional technique (“Monkey Puzzle”).  The flute lines allow for registral exploration and often features some sinuous lines.  Some are sultrier than others, but it is as if these are all like watercolor brushstrokes that tend to be somewhat introspective in this often stunningly beautiful work."  Another nice review of this CD, written by Nicole Riner, came out in the Flutist Quarterly Spring 2019 edition; here's a quote: "I had the pleasure of reviewing the sheet music for Butterfly Effects for this publication in 2015 and found it to be wonderfully diverse and intriguing. /// Bloom and Rupert perform this work deftly and with a great sense of unity”.

Flute part, 16 pages; Harp Score, 43 pages; Total, 66 pages.

Fantavia, by Elizabeth Vercoe

Contemporary Composition for Flute and Percussion, PDF $12

Described by the New York Times as a piece with 'timbral adventures and lovely moments', Fantavia for flute and percussion is based on the rhythms and melodies of North American birdcalls.  Some of the calls are as familiar as the orioles and robins of a suburban back yard, while others like the common loon are recollected on awakening at dawn in the wilderness.  Although a literal transcription was the starting point for each call, the music is intended as a fantasy.

Fantavia has been performed at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, at Merkin Hall in New York, at the National Flute Convention in Colorado and on several U.S. tours of the Armstrong Duo. 

 

Named by the Washington Post as 'one of the most inventive composers working in America today', Elizabeth Vercoe has had performances throughout the U.S. and abroad including: the St. Petersburg Spring Music Festival in Russia, the Goethe Institute in Bangkok, and the Pompidou Center in Paris as well as by the New York Virtuoso Singers and Boston Musica Viva.

Score for flute and percussion, 14 pages; Total, 17 pages.

To Music, by Elizabeth Vercoe

Contemporary Composition for Solo Flute, PDF $6.99

Dr. Elizabeth Vercoe has been a composer at the St. Petersburg Music Festival in Russia, the Cité International des Arts in Paris, and the MacDowell Colony, and held the Acuff Chair of Excellence at Austin Peay State University in 2003. She has won many awards, commissions, and publications along with grants from the Artists Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her music is recorded on the Centaur, Capstone, Owl, Leonarda, and Parma labels and is published in print edition by Arsis Press.  

To Music (2003) is a short, atmospheric solo for flute in four contrasting sections.  At times the music is virtuosic, occasionally calling for multiphonics and other special effects. The titles of the four sections are taken from the haunting poetry of the Russian writer, Anna Akhmatova, a poet deeply interested in music.  

Click to access a recording of To Music performed by flutist Peter H. Bloom in 2011 which has been posted on YouTube.

To Music can also be heard on the PARMA Recordings all-Vercoe CD titled Kleemation and Other Works by Elizabeth Vercoe, which has received excellent critical reviews.  Click to read an IAWM Journal review Dr. Laura G. Kafka or one by Lee Passarella published by Audiophile Audition magazine.  "There's more poetic reference in To Music, the titles of whose four short sections are taken from Russian poet Anna Akhmatova's work.  Like the Fantasy, it successfully showcases the colors and techniques available to the modern practitioner of her instrument, in this case the flute."

The image on our sheet music cover page displayed above is of Nathan Altman's 1914 painting, Portrait of Anna Akhmatova.  Please note that this image, courtesy of Wikipedia, is public domain in the United States because it was first published before 1923 but it remains copyrighted in its source country.  Therefore, we offer two editions of this publication, a USA edition with the Altman cover image and a non-USA edition without the cover image.  The editions are otherwise identical.  

To Music was commissioned by flutist Lisa Vanarsdel and written for her and for the Laurels Flute Project.  The piece was premiered in 2005 by flutist Peter Bloom on the Quincy Library concert series in Quincy, Massachusetts. In 2009 Capstone Records issued a recording entitled "Points of Entry" (CP 8806, second volume of the Laurels Flute Project) with flutist Nancy Stagnitta performing To Music. 

Listen to a bit of To Music:  mp3 tomusic