SKU: PR.114418850

ISBN 9781491113981. UPC: 680160667895.

Originally for Clarinet and Piano, Robert Schumann’s deep yet delightful set of three FANTASIESTÜCKE, Op. 73 has long been a staple of the repertoire, with transcriptions occasionally seeping into other instruments’ libraries as well. The work has been elegantly adapted (into a new key) for Flute and Piano by Mark Sparks, principal flutist of the Saint Louis Symphony.
Notes on the Edition, by Mark SparksThe remarkable and imaginative Fantasiestücke, Op. 73, were originally composed for clarinet and piano during 2 days in February 1849. Schumann indicated that the pieces could also be played on cello or viola. This arrangement for flute and piano has been transposed from the original key of A major to C major in order to limit octave transfer and facilitate performance, while still preserving the original, rather darker-hued timbral character of the work.Flutists will delight in the extremely lyrical and evocative nature of the writing, especially the capricious middle section of the second piece, “Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light),” and the brilliant, effusive third piece, “Rasch und mit Feuer” (Quick and with fire). The virtuosic practice of repeating the eighth-note in the opening melody of the final piece, adopted from editions for cello, is also well-suited to the flute.Phrases of appropriate length, relatively few potential balance problems, and the accessibility of the pieces for all levels of performers and audiences make the Fantasiestücke a natural, pleasant, and versatile addition to the flutist’s recital repertoire.

SKU: SU.97023310

Inspired by the French Romantic and Impressionist traditions, my romances for fute and piano, composed during late July and early August 1984, was carefully conceived for the marvelous lyrical and technical gifts of Robert Stallman and Richard Goode, to whom the work is warmly dedicated. All three Romances, although brief in duration, unfold with a sense of large gesture and design. The first Romance is in 3/4 time and flows generally in the manner of a lyrical waltz with occasional turbulent interruptions. The second Romance is in 4/4 time, unfolding in a stately Baroque-like manner, and the third Romance is in 2/4 time, melodically expansive and often tempestuous. All three Romances strive to honor the goals of traditional performance practice while, at the same time, they create an energy and drama of modernity and contemporary richness. And for these goals I am indebted to so many of the most outstanding performers and conductors of our time with whom I have worked and from whom I have learned much– those who have demonstrated the importance of preserving in addition to further developing those significant natural attributes of musical expression and traditional performance practice which are so often ignored in contemporary compositional values. — William Thomas McKinleyFlute & Piano Duration: 14' Composed: 1984 Published by: Notevole Music Publishing.