Chamber Music flute,
piano
SKU:
PR.114418850
Op.
78. Composed by
Robert Schumann. Arranged
by Mark Sparks. Set of
Score and Parts. With
Standard notation. 16+4
pages. Duration 11
minutes. Theodore Presser
Company #114-41885.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.114418850).
ISBN
9781491113981. UPC:
680160667895.
Origi
nally for Clarinet and
Piano, Robert
Schumann’s deep
yet delightful set of
three FANTASIESTÃœCKE,
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),â€
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.
