Description
JS Bach Allegro Assai for Alto Flute
JS Bach Allegro Assai for Alto Flute
Tetractys Publishing
Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced
Bach’s Allegro Assai for solo violin arranged for alto flute by Carla Rees from Violin Sonata no 3 BWV1005
Programme Notes by Carla Rees
Arrangements of one kind or another have been at the heart of alto flute repertoire since Boehm’s own arrangements of well-known works at the time of the instrument’s development in the mid-1850s. For an instrument that lacks its own repertoire before the mid-nineteenth century, adapting earlier works provides both useful practice material and a broader range of musical material.
This Allegro Assai is the final movement of Bach’s Solo Violin Sonata No. 3. The arrangement stays as closely as possible to the violin original, and was made through consulting a range of source materials. It is an ideal work for the study of good alto flute technique, using extremes of range at high velocity, which requires good control of airspeed. The piece also challenges the player with difficulties of articulation, breathing and stamina, as well as obvious problems with finger technique.
Full versions of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, as well as the Cello Suites, are available in arrangements for alto flute from Tetractys Publishing. Although intended for the alto flute (and transposed so that when played on the alto flute the music sounds in the original key), these arrangements may also be played on other members of the flute family.
Carla Rees, November 2012
Johann Sebastian Bach
J. S. Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. A renowned harpsichordist and organist, he composed over 1000 works, enriching the German musical style through his skills in counterpoint and harmony. Some of his most popular works include Air on the G String, Goldberg Variations, Brandenburg Concertos, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and many more. Bach’s adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures took influence from abroad, particularly in Italy and France.
He also wrote a number of outstanding solo, chamber and concerto works for flute.
Bach is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Sebastian-Bach
Carla Rees-Composer/Flautist
An experienced arranger and prize-winning composer, Carla’s catalogue of works has received performances in the UK and internationally, including at flute conventions and festivals in the UK, Slovenia, Costa Rica and the USA.
If you have any queries, please call us on 020 7388 8438 (UK) or +44 (0)20 7388 8438 (International)
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