These are two really interesting books of orchestral studies excellently transcribed for four flutes. All the big solos are here and although some of the extracts are short, in most cases they cover exactly the bars that might be set for a first flute audition. Flutes 2, 3 and 4 are arranged to cover the accompaniments and to put the solo into an orchestral context. For example, ‘Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben’ from Bach’s St Matthew Passion from Book 1 has simply the opening phrase accompanied by an arrangement of the oboe da caccia accompaniment. This very graphically illustrates just how this beautiful solo works, and will transform a student’s view of it much more effectively than just looking at the score. This aria also appears in a longer version in Book 2 where the first flute takes the vocal line leaving the solo to the second flute – another way of all players really getting inside the music. Arias from Mozart’s Magic Flute are also treated in this way. The enigmatic extract from Mahler’s Ninth Symphony is brought to life by both playing the complex string writing underneath the solo and hearing how that affects performance. These books are a really exciting way to bring these taxing solos to life and if the quartet is good, everyone can have a go!
'Dear Flutists! We are all familiar with the fact that playing in a group with other musicians influences the way we interpret our own part. Since the orchestral flute "solos" are mostly just the leading melody in the given piece of music, it is necessary to study and above all, experience them within the whole musical context. Rhythm, harmony, intonation (in relation with harmony), colour, the breathing process etc, they all reveal themselves with the praxis. The "solo" suddenly becomes music! Naturally, the opportunity to practice with an actual orchestra is rare and that is where these arrangements for a flute quartet will come in handy. I find playing the parts of other instruments particularly interesting, since it develops the colour pallet and enhances the overall expressiveness of the player. I hope this approach to music will inspire and enrich your future playing in the orchestra!' - Marko Zupan
