Widor, Suite Opus 34

Fond of grand effects, composer and organist Charles-Marie Widor achieved his greatest fame as the creator of organ symphonies, massive solo works that duplicate the sonorous impact of the full orchestra. His 1898 Suite for Flute reveals expressive lines and dramatic contrasts, particularly in its virtuoso finale. The work develops with a suggestion of Cesar Franck's late French Romantic voice.

Poulenc, Sonata for Flute and Piano

A prominent work in the flutist's repertoire, Francois Poulenc's gentle but spirited Sonata for Flute and Piano (1957) was written in Cannes for Jean-Pierre Rampal, who premiered the work with Poulenc as pianist. Poulenc had just completed his melodious opera Dialogues des Carmélites, and he borrowed several of its themes for his new flute sonata.

Messiaen, Le Merle Noir

Convinced that birds were the greatest of all musicians, Olivier Messiaen closely studied ornithology and birdsong. His 1952 Le Merle Noir ("The Blackbird") is the one of the first works he based on his own stylized transcriptions of bird calls. This colorful and rhythmically challenging work appeared as a test piece for flute at the Paris Conservatory-with Messiaen as the examiner!

Prokofiev, Sonata in D Major for Flute and Piano

In June, 1943 Prokofiev left war-torn Moscow for the relative safety of a Ural Mountain village. Although involved in large-scale operatic projects, he welcomed the diversion of composing his Opus 94 sonata, which was inspired by the performance of his flutist friend George Barrère. Prokofiev wrote: "This task is perhaps inappropriate at the moment, but pleasant…the flute has attracted me for a long time, and also is underrepresented in the sonata literature. I want this sonata to have a classical, clear, transparent sonority."

Lowell Liebermann, Gargoyles, Op. 29

Contemporary American composer Lowell Liebermann has long been fascinated by gargoyles, bizarre creatures carved to repel evil spirits from churches and homes. His Gargoyles (1989) for solo piano is a set of four eerie sketches that conjure a demonic atmosphere. Its ferocious Tarantella has been described as a diabolical endurance contest.

Carl Vine, Sonata No.1

Australian composer and pianist Carl Vine wrote his Piano Sonata No. 1 (1990) to accompany Graeme Murphy's postmodernist choreography for the Sydney Ballet. Propelled by driving rhythms that surge to create waves of sound, the sonata is an intensely expressive virtuoso work. "The Australian" writes: "The Piano Sonata No. 1 is music that stands alone and demands repeated hearings for its brilliance, energy, and inventiveness."

Domenico Scarlatti,
Sonata in D minor, K.9 - L.413 "Pastorale"
Sonata in C major, K.132 - L.457
Sonata in A minor, K.175 - L.429
Sonata in D major, K.29 - L.461

What's in a name? Scarlatti wrote over 500 short "exercises" for harpsichord but we have termed them sonatas. Scarlatti himself described them as "only a frolic in art intended to increase confidence in the clavier." Although originally written to build technique, these inventive miniatures are classical gems. Their fresh melodies and pungent harmonies have captivated listeners since the early eighteenth century.

Robert Schumann, Carnaval, Op.9

Schumann wrote Carnaval as a tribute to his early love, the beautiful Ernestine von Fricken. Since she lived in the Bohemian town of Asch, he ingeniously constructed its themes on the musical spelling of the town's name (A flat-E flat-C-B)-and called his work "little scenes composed for piano on four notes." Comprised of short segments played without interruption, Carnaval portrays an exuberant town celebration. Interludes of nostalgia and introspection vary the setting