C. W. Gluck
Minuet and
Dance of the Blessed Spirits
for Flute and Orchestra
Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck was born on July 2, 1714 in Erusbach and died on November 11, 1787 in Vienna, Austria. In the Classical Period of music (1750-1825), Gluck is famous for his contribution to Opera, he wrote 45 and reformed the structure of Opera in general, returning to a simpler style.
In 1580, a group of intellectuals in Florence called the Camerata envisioned a new form which would incorporate Classical Greek drama, with chorus, staging, dance and music. The first Opera was Euridice (1600) by Jacopo Peri (1561-1633), followed by Euridice (1602) by Giulio Caccini (1546-1618) and, later, by La Favola d’Orfeo (1607) by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643); Gluck’s Orpheo ed Euridice
(1762) was based on the same plot, but with a happy ending (the god of
love restores Euridice’s life) and was the first of his “reform” Operas.
The Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits is from Orphée, a French revision of the opera, which Gluck produced more than a decade later in Paris (1774).
The DANCE (3/2 section, bars 37-72) was originally in
the meter of 3/4; in this arrangement all of the rhythmic values have
been doubled and the meter changed to 3/2 to allow the quarter note to
remain the same (i.e., quarter = 80) throughout the entire piece.
There are several slightly different tempo suggestions in various
arrangements of this work; in addition to Lento, for the MINUET: Andante
and Lento dolcissimo (with suggested metronome quarter = 76 to 80); and
in addition to Un poco piú Lento, for the DANCE: Lento and piú Lento
(with suggested metronome eighth = 80 to 96 in 3/4).
W. A. Mozart
Andante in C (K. 315)
for Flute and Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , composer, violinist and piano virtuoso,
was born on January 26, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria and died on December
5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria.
Mozart wrote Andante in C Major (K. 315) in 1778 for wealthy amateur Ferdinand Dejean
(1731-1797), as part of a commission of Flute Quartets (for flute and
string trio - violin, viola and cello) and Concertos, supposedly as a
replacement for the 2nd movement of Concerto No. 1 in G Major (K. 313) - because Dejean found the original 2nd movement too difficult.
This work was originally in the meter of 2/4; all of the rhythmic
values have been doubled and the meter changed to 4/4 to make the tempo
indication Andante (a walking speed) seem more appropriate. The suggested tempo is quarter = 92 ; however, some major players (Jean-Pierre Rampal & James Galway) have recorded the work at much slower tempos (quarter = 76 and 66).
Cadenza A cadenza is a “solo within the solo” - the
orchestra stops and only the soloist plays - providing the transition
from the tonic six-four chord (2nd inversion of C major) to dominant
7th. In the Classical period, the soloist was expected to provide his
own cadenza, basing it upon thematic material in the work and his own
virtuosic abilities - a short cadenza has been provided.
Solo Flute part - 9”X12” - 8 pages - $14.95
with
CD - 2 smp files:
- Gluck (3/4, Minuet - Lento, quarter = 80; Dance - Un Poco piu lento, quarter = 80)
- Mozart (4/4, Andante, quarter = 92)
Please note that this is NOT an AUDIO CD
and an active SmartMusic subscription is needed to play smp files
