Sancan Sonatine for Flute and Piano

Pierre Sancan (1916-2008) was a prominent French composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher. He played a significant role in the mid-twentieth-century transition from modern to contemporary music in France.

Sancan, born in Mazamet, France, began his musical studies in Morocco and Toulouse before attending the Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied under renowned musicians like Jean Gallon, Charles Munch, Yves Nat, and Henri Busser.

In 1943, he won the Conservatoire’s Prix de Rome for his cantata La Légende de Icare. Later, in 1956, he became a regular teacher at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he trained many successful pianists, including Jean-Philippe Collard, who recorded Sancan’s Piano Concerto.

As a pianist, Sancan accompanied the great cellist André Navarra and received praise for his recordings of Ravel and Mozart’s piano concertos.

Sancan’s best-known work is his Sonatine for flute and piano, which remains popular among flute players. He also composed a Violin Concerto, several ballets, a Symphony for Strings, and an opera titled Ondine. Some of his shorter piano pieces, like Boîte à Musique and the Toccata, have become well-loved encore selections.

Throughout his career, Sancan strived to blend contemporary performance techniques with the harmonic language of Debussy, whom he expertly interpreted in his performances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Sancan