Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC

Uncommon Sheet Music for Flute and Alto Flute

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All scores that include a part for at least one flute.

  • Bridge – 4 Short Pieces – Flute or Alto Flute (and Piano)

    Bridge 4-Short-Pieces Fl-or-Afl nsm4 Short Pieces, by Frank Bridge

    Transcribed for Flute or Alto Flute (and Piano) by J.W.Pratt

    Flute Part, Alto Part, PDF $8.99


    The 4 Short Pieces by Frank Bridge were written for violin and piano, and first published in 1912. As noted in John Pratt's foreword to the edition, they "provide a fine and delightful introduction to an accessible post-romantic composer who should be better known."  The pieces are "Meditation", "Spring Song", "Lullaby", and "Country Dance".  Mr. Pratt has created transcriptions of the violin parts for both flute and alto flute, and we include both instrument versions in this edition. We think Nos. 1 and 3 sound particularly nice on the alto flute and No. 4 is a splendid romp on the C flute, but all four are effective on either instrument, so we prefer to let our flutists decide on which instrument they choose to play each piece. We provide only our flute and alto flute transcriptions; the piano score, including the original violin part, is available as a free pdf download at imslp.org.

    Flute part, 5 pages; Alto Flute part, 5 pages; Total, 14 pages.

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  • Burleigh - Southland Sketches, Nos. I, III, IV - Alto Flute or Flute (& piano)

    Burleigh Sketches AflFl nsmSouthland Sketches, Nos. I, III, IV, by H. T. Burleigh

    Transcribed for Alto Flute or Flute (and piano) by C. A. Vater

    Alto Flute part and Flute part, PDF $9.96

    Harry Thacker Burleigh was an acclaimed African-American singer, music editor, and composer whose adaptations of African-American spirituals became famous. His Southland Sketches, which were composed for violin and piano and published by G. Ricordi in 1916, are a fine example of Burleigh’s quintessential American style. The original composition included 4 movements. Our edition excludes the second movement, but adapts three of the original four miniatures for either alto flute or flute. We provide only the transcribed alto flute and flute parts, as they have been designed to work well with the piano part in the original score for violin and piano which is available as a good quality, free pdf download from imslp.org. Performers may choose to play all three of these pieces on either flute or alto flute, or switch instruments between sketches, depending on personal preference.

    Alto Flute part, 6 pages; alternate Flute part, 6 pages; Total,18 pages. (pdf of piano accompaniment is freely available at imslp.org)

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  • Cambini - Sonata in D Major - Flute and Clarinet

    Cambini Op5No1 fl-cl nsmSonata in D Major, Op.5, No.1, by Giuseppe Maria Cambini

    Transcribed for Flute and B-flat Clarinet by R.A.Evans
    Score and Parts, PDF $7.99

    Giuseppe Maria Cambini (1746-1825) was an Italian-born violinist and composer.  He was one of the most prolific composers of his era, particularly of instrumental works, of which he wrote over 600, including numerous symphonies, 149 string quartets and over 100 trios, as well as ballets, operas, & oratorios.  Flutists will know him for his concertos and extensive body of chamber works featuring the flute, including duos, trios, quartets and quintets.


    Cambini wrote his Sonata in D Major, Op.5, No.1 for two flutes, and Noteworthy Sheet Music has published a re-notated version of the flute duet at the suggestion of flutist Richard A. Evans, who long ago obtained the music from the Library of Congress and believed it undeserving of its current obscurity.  Aware of the scarcity of music composed for flute-clarinet duos, Mr. Evans also initiated this flute-clarinet edition of Cambini's Sonata in D Major by transcribing the flute-2 part for clarinet in B-flat. We at NSM agreed that the Op.5, No.1 duet should be made more readily available to present-day musicians and audiences, in both the flute-flute and flute-clarinet versions.  Our editions provide both scores and parts, and incorporate articulation and dynamic edits supplied by Mr. Evans.

    Score, 8 pages; Flute part, 4 pages; B-flat Clarinet part 4 pages; Total, 22 pages.

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  • Cambini - Sonata in D Major - Two Flutes

    Cambini Op.5No1 FlFl nsmSonata in D Major, Op.5, No.1, by Giuseppe Maria Cambini

    Duet for Two Flutes
    Score and Parts, PDF $7.99

     

    Giuseppe Maria Cambini (1746-1825) was an Italian-born violinist and composer. He was one of the most prolific composers of his era, particularly of instrumental works, of which he wrote over 600, including numerous symphonies, 149 string quartets and over 100 trios, as well as ballets, operas, & oratorios. Flutists will know him for his concertos and extensive body of chamber works featuring the flute, including duos, trios, quartets and quintets.

    Noteworthy Sheet Music published this edition of Cambini's Sonata in D Major, Op.5, 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 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.

    Note that Cambini's Opus 5 flute duets were made into trios by the addition of a bass part composed by Thomas Billington. A PDF scan of the trio edition for two flutes and continuo arranged by Billington is available at IMSLP.org as Cambini's 6 Duos for Two Flutes, Opus 11 (London, printed for Longman & Broderip, n.d.).

    Score, 8 pages; Flute-1 part, 4 pages; Flute-2 part 4 pages; Total, 22 pages.

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  • CD - Tea-Time Classics - Flute and Harp

    TeaTimeClassics nsmTea-Time Classics
    Robin Chudy, harp and Peter H. Bloom, flute
    Soundjewel Productions, SJ.240.1, CD $14.97

    This sachet of classic and exotic harp and flute music was inspired by the elegant ritual of afternoon tea.  It is the ideal accompaniment to tea-time, or any time an infusion of relaxation and euphoria is needed.  Previously based in Boston, harpist Robin Chudy played the harp daily for fourteen years at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where she developed a style suited to relaxed listening in the Tea Lounge and Cafe, and acquired a broad repertoire of classical and lighter compositions, many her own arrangements.  Well-known to our website visitors, Peter H. Bloom is a consummate flutist, NSM editorial consultant, and NSM contributing composer and arranger.

    Tea-Time Classics

    To listen to audio clips of selected tracks, click on the mp3 icons beside the titles.

    1.   Menuet from l’Arlésienne Suite no. 2, Georges Bizet, 4:12     mp3 icon
    2.   Morceau de Concours, Gabriel Fauré, 2:29     mp3 icon
    3.   Suite of Waltzes from Tales from the Vienna Woods, Johann Strauss, 8:06
    5.   First Arabesque, Claude Debussy, 4:13
    6.   Entr’acte from Act III of the opera Carmen (arr: Quinto Maganini), Georges Bizet, 4:17    mp3 icon
    7.   Romanza from Act I of the opera La Wally, Alfredo Catalani, 3:18
    8.   Sentimental Walk from Diva (Tr: Ed Meredith, arr: R. Chudy), Vladimir Cosma, 3:07
    9.   Danza Habanera, Th. H. Northrup, 3:04
    10. I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls from The Bohemian Girl, M. W. Balfe, 4:27
    11. Theme from Brideshead Revisited, Geoffrey Burgon, 2:44
    12. Gnossienne no. 1, Erik Satie, 2:23
    13. Gnossienne no. 2, Erik Satie, 1:25
    14. Gnossienne no. 3, Erik Satie, 1:59
    15. Rêverie, Claude Debussy, 3:30
    16. Étude, Opus 10 no. 3 (excerpt), F. Chopin, 2:28
    17. The Swan, Camille Saint-Saëns, 2:20

    To order a copy of theTea-Time Classics CD for $14.97, please use the Noteworthy Sheet Music Contact Us form to let us know which CD(s) you would like to purchase, along with your email contact information and shipping address. For orders shipping to addresses in the USA, a $4.99 shipping and handling fee will be added; for international orders shipping outside the USA, the fee is $14.99. We will send you a PayPal invoice for the sale and, once we receive notice from PayPal that you have paid for the item(s), Americas Musicworks will ship your CD(s) to the address provided, for delivery in 7-10 days.

  • Coste - Les Regrets - Afl or Fl (or Ob, Vn) and Pf (or Guitar, Harp)

    Coste LesRegrets nsmLes 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.

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  • Danzi - Grande Sonate - Piano & Flute

    Danzi Op62 fl pf NSMGrande 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.

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  • Densmore - The Voice and The Flute - Sop, Fl, Pf

    Densmore.CoverThe Voice and The Flute, by John H. Densmore

    Aria for Soprano and Flute

    Facsimile Edition by Noteworthy Sheet Music

    Piano Score and Part, $8.99

    The Voice and The Flute is a work composed by John H. Densmore for soprano, flute, and piano, with lyrics written by Mary Gardenia.  Densmore was a native of Somerville, Massachusetts; he graduated from Harvard '04 and is perhaps best known for having composed the Harvard fight song "Veritas".  Our edition of Densmore's Aria for Soprano and Flute is a facsimile reproduction of the original 1922 edition published by the composer, and contains both the piano score and the part for the voice and the flute.  

    Piano, Flute, & Voice score, 12 pages; Flute & Voice part, 6 pages; Total, 21 pages.

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  • Detlor - Song for Eric Dolphy - Flute (or Alto Flute) Alone

    Detlor-Cover-image-web-rSong for Eric Dolphy, by Len Detlor

    Edited and with a Preface by Peter H. Bloom

    Contemporary Composition for Flute (or Alto Flute) Alone, $14.15

    Mr. Bloom, in his Preface to Song for Eric Dolphy, writes: "Len Detlor (1941-2008) was anLen_Detlor_with_captionextraordinary artist whose creative vision, masterful technique, and depth of humanity transcended medium and category. As a composer, saxophonist and flutist, arranger, and music director, he was devoted to musical expression that was both elegantly structured and unconstrained." Len Detlor composed this evocative piece as a tribute to the legendary saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist Eric Dolphy (1928-1964), whose recordings remain highly influential across musical genres and generations.

    Flute part, 7 pages; Total, 10 pages.

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  • Devienne - Sonata in D Major - Flute and Clarinet

    Devienne Op10No1 Fl-Cl nsmSonata 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.

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  • Devienne - Sonata in D Major - Two Flutes

    Devienne Op.10No.1 Fl-Fl nsmSonata 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.

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  • Dieter - The Golden “Reade” Flute - Flute & Piano

    dieter the golden reade flute nsmThe 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. 

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  • Dressler - Portrait Charmant - Flute (or Vn) & Piano


    dressler portrait charmant nsmPortrait 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.

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  • Drouet - Salute to New York - Flute and Piano

    Drouet Salute-to-NY nsmSalute 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.

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  • Dvořák - Romance, Op. 11 - arr. for Flute Choir

    Dvorak Romance flch nsmRomance, Op. 11 by Antonín Dvořák

    Arranged for Solo Flute and Flute Choir by C. A. Vater (originally for solo violin and orchestra)

    Score and Parts for Solo Concert Flute, 4 Concert Flutes, 2 Alto Flutes, 2 Bass Flutes, and 1 Contrabass Flute, PDF $21.97

    Czech composer Antonín Dvořák based his Romance, Opus 11 on the slow movement of his String Quartet in F minor, composed in 1873, re-working that Andante con moto quasi allegretto to create two versions of the Romance, one for solo violin and orchestra (B.39) and another for solo violin and piano (B.38). The Romance is one of Dvořák’s most magnificent melodic works, teaming with romance, lyricism, and emotional intensity. I created a solo flute version of this piece for my personal use, and I so enjoyed playing it that I shared it with a flutist friend / NSM editorial consultant, who suggested that the Romance might be nicely adaptable for flute choir. I took on that challenge and created this arrangement, scored for flute solo with the accompaniment of four concert flutes, two alto flutes, two bass flutes, and one contrabass flute. A few changes have been incorporated in the solo part, bringing the violin’s lowest notes into concert flute range and providing appropriate alternatives to the occasional double stops. Likewise, the various string and wind parts created by Dvořák for his orchestral arrangement (available on IMSLP.org) have been modified in places to suit members of the flute family. Of course, any work played by a flute choir will sound very different than when played by an orchestra, but in arranging this piece for flute choir, every effort has been made to maintain the spirit, character, balance, and flow of Dvořák’s exquisite Romance.

    The parts in our edition have been formatted for convenient page turns when the complete PDF is printed 2-sided in its entirety. If a more compact version of the score is desired, however, please select a “2 pages per sheet” printer option for the score and print the score pages separately from the parts.

    Score, 60 pages; Solo Flute part, 4 pages of music; Flutes 1-4 parts, each 3 pages of music; Alto Flute 1 part, 4 pages of music; Alto Flute 2 part, 3 pages of music; Contrabass Flute part, 3 pages of music; Total, 104 pages.

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  • Elgar - Chanson de Matin - Fl & Pf

    elgar.chanson de matin.flpf.nsmChanson de Matin, Op.15, No.2, by Edward Elgar

    Transcribed for Flute and Piano by C.A.Vater

    Flute Part and Piano Score, PDF $6.99

    Edward Elgar composed his Chanson de Matin  for violin and piano c.1889-1890.  The two companion pieces, Chanson de Matin (No. 2) and Chanson de Nuit (No. 1), together constitute his Op.15, and both pieces were later arranged for small orchestra by the composer.  Chanson de Matin was received with great enthusiasm, and its initial and lasting popularity can be attributed largely to its strong melodic appeal.  Enduring public affection for the piece has spawned the creation of numerous arrangements and transcriptions, including renditions for cello and piano, viola and piano, flute and guitar, piano solo, organ solo, and string quartet.  Noteworthy Sheet Music offers two of our own transcriptions of the lovely Chanson de Matin, one for alto flute and piano and one for concert flute and piano.

    Flute part, 2 pages; Piano Score, 4 pages; Total, 12 pages.

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  • Figueiredo - Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes - WW5

    figueiredo image rrNa Rua dos Meus Ciúmes, Traditional Fado

    Arranged for Woodwind Quintet by Antonio F. Figueiredo

    Parts and Score, PDF $10.00

    Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes is a traditional Portugese fado, still highly popular among recording artists today.  This passionate love song tells the story of the intense jealousy experienced by a girl upon seeing her lover pass by with another woman on the street near her home.  Though her pain is palpable, the girl is proud and determined to endure her suffering resolutely and without tears.figueiredo.cover

    Antonio Figueiredo was born in the Azores, Portugal, and now resides in Massachusetts.  He grew up listening to (and falling in love with) fado music, with all its romance and passion, and its timeless themes of love, loss, jealousy, poverty, and the sea.  Figueiredo is a bassoonist who plays regularly in various orchestras and chamber music groups in the Boston area.  He enjoys arranging folk tunes for woodwind quintet, and he created this delightful and engaging arrangement of Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes for one of his own groups.  The piece is scored for flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, horn in F, and bassoon.  

    "This brief piece is a charming addition to the quintet repertory."  Read John Ranck's full review of Figueiredo's arrangement of Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes.  

    Score, 5 pages; Parts, 1 page each; Total, 12 pages.

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  • Finlayson - Moon Shadows - Winds and Percussion

    Finlayson Moon-Shadows nsmMoon Shadows, by Walter A. Finlayson

    Contemporary Composition for 2 Flutes, 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, and 9 Percussion Instruments

    Score and Parts, PDF $14.25

    Walter Finlayson (1919-2000) was an American composer, musician, educator, and music innovator, with nearly twenty original compositions and some forty arrangements to his credit.  While serving in the navy, he played saxophone and clarinet in the US Naval Reserve dance band, seated next to the great Artie Shaw.  Finlayson's ASCAP output includes music for band, dance band, orchestra, voice, and chorus.  His compositions and arrangements have been published by Boosey & Hawkes, EB Marks, Boston Music, and Mercury Music, and performed by major college marching band programs.  One of his best-known compositions is I Had a Premonition, which was written for voice and piano, but which was later arranged for the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, one of the preeminent bands of the swing era.  A recording of the tune can be heard on The Jimmie Lunceford Collection: 1930-47 compact disc released in 2014 on the Fabulous label, and on YouTube.

    Noteworthy Sheet Music's chief editorial consultant Peter H. Bloom received Finlayson's previously-unpublished score for Moon Shadows from the composer's daughter, and we were impressed with its quality and sophistication.  For a piece written in the late 1930's or early 1940's, as Gale Finlayson recollects (the score is not dated), Moon Shadows seems remarkably ahead of its time.  The work is scored for two flutes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, bells, vibraphone, xylophone, finger cymbals, maracas, bongos, roll cymbals, temple blocks, and tympani.  We notated our modern edition of the piece as faithfully as possible based on the hand-written Finlayson score; our edition of Moon Shadows includes both score and parts.  We at NSM are pleased to aid in the re-discovery of some of Walter Finlayson's works; for additional information about this interesting composer, please visit the Our Composers page under About Us.

    Score, 19 pages; Parts for Flute-1, Flute-2, Clarinet-1, Clarinet-2, Bass Clarinet, Bells, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Finger Cymbals and Maracas, Bongos and Roll Cymbals, Temple Blocks, and Tympani, 1 page each; Total, 34 pages. 

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  • Foster - Old Folks; Oh! Susanna - Vo/Pf/Fl/Vc

    Foster - Old Folks; Oh! Susanna - Vo/Pf/Fl/VcOld Folks at Home and Oh! Susanna, by Stephen Foster

    Arranged with Flute and Cello ad lib by John W. Pratt

    Flute Parts, Cello Parts, Voice Parts, and Piano Scores ― PDF $7.99

    The following excerpts are taken from John W. Pratt's foreword to the edition:

     

    When a Golden Oldie comes to mind, Doo-dah! Doo-dah!

    Comic, sad, or any kind, Oh!  Doo-dah-day!

    Jeanie, Swanee, Kentucky, Joe,  Doo-dah!  Doo-dah!

    Beautiful, dreamy, fast, or slow, Oh!  Doo-dah-day!

    I'll bet I know who wrote it, he wrote them night and day,

    Stephen Foster wrote it, he'll never go away.

     

    Stephen Foster was born in Lawrenceville, Pa., on July 4, 1826...He wrote over 200 songs, including 135 parlor songs, 28 minstrel songs, and 21 hymns and Sunday school songs. A remarkable number are memorable, as the ditty above will attest to anyone with anything like my background. One wonders why. The harmonies and rhythms are basic, as are the forms and rhyme schemes (see above), the music is repetitious, and the vocal range rarely goes outside an octave (a great benefit for community singing). Yet the fit is so natural and the pacing so well judged that the songs are ideally effective and diabolically catchy. Foster is perhaps, though on a different plane, the Mozart of his field...

    For a pianist playing several stanzas at a sing-along, Foster's songs do become a little dull. But their very simplicity, repetitiousness, and familiarity abet variation as, again on a different plane, chorales serve Bach chorale preludes. Like chorale preludes, the piano parts here always incorporate the melody, so they can be played solo or to accompany amateur singers. It struck me that they could be enhanced by optional flute parts. After writing them, I discovered that, according to his brother Morrison, Foster himself "delighted in playing accompaniments on the flute...As the song went on he would improvise...the most beautiful variations upon its musical theme." If Foster's improvisations were like the one his brother published, however, they just varied the melody itself in the manner of the period. My game is more ambitious, as you will easily see. I added optional cello parts, mostly for color, as in the Haydn trios but superficially more interesting for the cellist. (Again we are on a different plane, of course.)

    "Oh! Susanna," one of the best-known American songs by anybody, is Foster's "Erlkönig." (Speak of different planes!) With its nonsensical lyrics and polka beat, it is clearly comical, and I treated it accordingly. It was written in Cincinnati, possibly for a social club, first performed at an ice cream saloon in Pittsburgh in 1847, and published in 1848. When no American song had sold over 5,000 copies, it sold over 100,000. It earned Foster only $100, but its popularity led to a publisher's offer, convincing him to become a professional songwriter, America's first.

    "Old Folks at Home" established Foster as a truly American composer. It was written in 1851 for a blackface troupe whose leader paid Foster about $15 to be credited for it. When almost finished, Foster asked his brother for "a good name of two syllables for a Southern river." He rejected Yazoo and Pedee, but was delighted with Swanee, a shortening of Suwanee, a small river in Florida which his brother found in an atlas. Though about a slave's nostalgia for home, I find its theme universal and melancholy and I resisted the temptation to jazz it up. Please try, at least, a slowish tempo.

    ― John W. Pratt, May 27, 2013 ©

    Flute parts, 2 pages; Cello parts, 2 pages; Voice parts, 2 pages; Scores, 7 pages; Total, 18 pages.

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  • Fürstenau - Adagio et Rondo Brillant - Fl & Pf

    Furstenau Adagio-Rondo nsmAdagio et Rondo Brillant, Op.95, by A. B. Fürstenau

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

    Flute Part and Piano Score, PDF $12.00

    Anton Bernhard Fürstenau (1792-1852) was among the most revered flutists of the 19th century.  Following his appointment to the post of principal flute for the Royal Chapel at Dresden in 1820, Fürstenau became a valued colleague and close personal friend of the court's music director, Carl Maria von Weber.  The influence of Weber's dramatic melodic gestures and edgy harmonic shifts can be heard in this passionately evocative Adagio et Rondo Brillant.  An NSM favorite!  

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

    Piano score, 12 pages; Flute part, 4 pages; Total, 20 pages.

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