Flute solos

[James]

x

[karlhenning]

Wonderful solo flute passages throughout the Shostakovich symphony cycle!

Stravinsky's Petrushka and Pulcinella, among other works.

[david johnson]

prelude to the afternoon of a faun

dj

[karlhenning]

Ho capito, James!

[bwv 1080]

Takemitsu - Toward the Sea, I Hear the Water Dreaming
Ferneyhough - Cassandra's Dream Song, Superscripto (picc)
Carter - Esprit Rude - Esprit Doux
Debussy - Syrinx, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp
Messiaen - Le merle noir

[PerfectWagnerite]

Mahler: Finale of the 2nd Symphony
Dvorak: Finale of the 8th Symphony
Mendelssohn: Scherzo to Mid-summer Night's Dream
Haydn: Opening movment of the "Military" Symphony
Beethove: Opening movement of the 7th symphony

[karlhenning]

Prokofiev, 'Classical' Symphony

[hornteacher]

Mahler: Finale of the 2nd Symphony
Dvorak: Finale of the 8th Symphony
Mendelssohn: Scherzo to Mid-summer Night's Dream
Haydn: Opening movment of the "Military" Symphony
Beethove: Opening movement of the 7th symphony

I second all these but especially the Dvorak!

[PerfectWagnerite]

I second all these but especially the Dvorak!

THAT has to be one of the most exposed solos out there. You are asked to come in and basically play about 30 seconds of runs. How do you not get your fingers crossed?

[hornteacher]

THAT has to be one of the most exposed solos out there. You are asked to come in and basically play about 30 seconds of runs. How do you not get your fingers crossed?

Agreed.  Flute players have told me its one of the toughest excerpts to play.

[not edward]

The flute solo in the finale of the Mahler-Cooke 10th sends chills up my spine every time I hear it.

[AB68]

The flute solo at the end of the first movement of Shostakovich 10th symphony. For me that's one of the highlights of the entire symphony.

[MishaK]

What? Nobody has mentioned Ravel's Daphins & Chloe?

[anasazi]

Probably my favorite in Syrinx by Debussy.  There are so many, too many really good ones.  There aren't that many flute concertos are there?  Not even as many as for Trumpet, or so it seems. Especially past the barogue era in any case.

One solo that few notice is from the John Williams film score to HOOK, and recorded on the Sony CD Williams On Williams, a cue titled "The Face Of Pan".  It's audiophile quality work from Sony of what is basically a flute solo set against strings. It's worth checking out.

[val]

My three favorites:

JS BACH: Sonata (Partita) BWV 1013

DEBUSSY: Syrinx

TELEMANN: 12 Fantasies

[Grazioso]

Rautavaara's flute concerto (for standard, piccolo, alto, and bass flute)

[PerfectWagnerite]

Agreed.  Flute players have told me its one of the toughest excerpts to play.

I don't know about other flute players but when I was in college the principle flute in the school orchestra said she has nightmares about the solo the semester they were performing that work. She says she would rather play almost anything else. I guess solos like that - you must come in right on the beat and do an extended run of some sort - are quite difficult. Same reason bassoon players hate the little solo in the Beethoven 4th which has sort of become an audition piece.

Another one I can think of of the same ilk is the little piccolo/flute solo in Rossini's Italian Girl in Algiers Overture (well I suppose the oboe player hates that a little more).

[Valentino]

There is a somewhat rapid flute solo in the last movement of LvB's Eroica symphony which is worth a mention here methinks.

[The Mad Hatter]

The flute solo in the finale of the Mahler-Cooke 10th sends chills up my spine every time I hear it.

You beat me to the punch. Although that was one of the original orchestrations that Mahler made clear himself - no input from Cooke, as far as I'm aware.

Just an astonishing piece of pure melody.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I also like:

Opening of Ravel's Bolero

Opening of Petrouchka
2nd subject entrance in the 1st movement of Mahler's 4th (well technically not a solo since all four flutes play unison )