Flute repertoire
Flute repertoire is the general term for pieces composed for flute. The following lists are not intended to be complete, but rather to present a representative sampling of the most commonly played and well-known works in the genre. The lists also do not generally include works originally written for other instruments and subsequently transcribed, adapted, or arranged for flute, unless such piece is very common in the repertory, in which case it is listed with its original instrumentation noted.
Flute alone
- Robert Aitken:
- *Icicle
- *Plainsong
- Malcolm Arnold: Fantasy
- Kees van Baaren: Musica per flauto solo
- Milton Babbitt: None But The Lonely Flute
- C.P.E. Bach: Sonata in A minor
- J.S. Bach: Partita in A minor for solo flute
- Luciano Berio: Sequenza I
- Rob du Bois:
- *Music for Solo Flute
- *On a Lion's Interlude, for solo alto flute
- Eugène Bozza: Image
- Howard J. Buss:
- *A Day in the City
- *Anne of the Waves
- *Hurricane!
- *Pipe Dream
- *Space Renaissance Suite
- *Venetian Memoirs
- Elliott Carter: Scrivo in vento
- Ian Clarke: Zoom Tube, The Great Train Race
- Matthew Davidson: Stolen Music for a Flute Player solo flute and/or piccolo
- Claude Debussy: Syrinx
- Fabrizio De Rossi Re: Direful Monster
- Laurie Efrein: Attraction for solo flute
- Brian Ferneyhough:
- *Cassandra's Dream Song
- *Unity Capsule
- Christopher Fox: Stone.Wind.Rain.Sun3 for alto flute
- Philip Glass: Arabesque in Memoriam
- César Guerra-Peixe: Melopéias nº1, Melopéias nº2, Melopéias nº3
- Paul Hindemith: Acht Stücke
- Arthur Honegger: Danse de la chèvre
- Katherine Hoover: Kokopeli
- Jacques Ibert: Piece
- Betsy Jolas: Episode Second: Ohne Worte
- André Jolivet: Cinq incantations
- Sophie Lacaze: Voyelles
- John La Montaine: Sonata
- Lowell Liebermann:
- *Soliloquy
- Peter Machajdik: Iese for flute solo 5'00
- *Eight Pieces for flute, piccolo, alto flute or bass flute Op.59
- Donald Martino:
- *Quodlibets
- *Quodlibets II
- Robert Muczynski: Three Preludes, Op. 18
- Lior Navok: Dunes
- Ástor Piazzolla: Tango Etudes for solo flute
- Miguel del Aguila: Sonata Flautísima for solo flute
- Kaija Saariaho: Couleurs du vent, for alto flute
- Salvatore Sciarrino: Addio case del vento
- Ruth Crawford Seeger: Diaphonic Suite for flute or oboe
- John Serry Sr.:
- *African Bolero
- *La Culebra
- Harvey Sollberger: New Millenium Memo
- Karlheinz Stockhausen:
- *Amour
- *Flautina
- *
- *In Freundschaft
- *Katikati
- *Thinki
- *Ypsilon
- *Xi
- Toru Takemitsu:
- *Air for flute
- *Voice
- Josef Tal: Duo for Two Flutes
- Georg Philipp Telemann: 12 Fantasias for Solo Flute
- Edgard Varèse: Density 21.5
- August Verbesselt: Drie Monologen
- Charles Wuorinen:
- *Flute Variations
- *Flute Variations II
- Bernd Alois Zimmermann: Tempus Loquendi
- Ricardo Matosinhos: Krísis''
Solo flute with piano
- J.S. Bach: Sonatas BWV 1030–1035, 1038–1039
- Samuel Barber: Canzone
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- * Six sets of variations for piano and flute, Op. 105
- * Ten sets of variations for piano and flute, Op. 107
- Peter Benoit: Flute Concerto
- Ernest Bloch: Suite modale
- Theobald Böhm: Grande polonaise
- Claude Bolling
- * Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano
- * Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano No. 2
- Francois Borne: Carmen fantasie brillante
- Rob du Bois:
- *Bagatellen, for flute and piano
- *Bewegingen , for piccolo and piano
- *Die Gretchenfrage, for flute and piano
- *Luna, for alto flute and piano
- Pierre Boulez: Sonatine
- Howard J. Buss:Flute Pizzazz,Vibrant Horizons, Moon Glow, Dragon Flight, Fantasie, Seaside Reflections, Wave Train
- Cécile Chaminade: Concertino
- Frédéric Chopin: Variations in E major on the air "Non piu mesta" from Rossini's La Cenerentola
- Ian Clarke
- * Hypnosis
- * Orange Dawn
- * Sunstreams
- * The Mad Hatter
- Aaron Copland: Duo for Flute and Piano
- Fabrizio De Rossi Re: An Optical Illusion Too?
- Evarist De Roye: Three Movements for Flute and Piano
- Miguel del Aguila: Miami Flute Suite
- Franz Doppler: Fantasie pastorale hongroise
- Henri Dutilleux: Sonatine
- George Enescu: Cantabile et presto
- Gabriel Fauré: Fantasy
- Jindřich Feld: Sonata for Flute and Piano
- Richard Festinger: The Way Things Go
- César Franck: Sonata in A major
- Philippe Gaubert
- * Fantasy
- * Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando
- * Sonatas Nos. 1–3
- * Fantaisie
- * Madrigal
- Harald Genzmer: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
- Otar Gordeli: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
- Charles T. Griffes: Poem
- Howard Hanson: Serenade
- Hamilton Harty: In Ireland
- Paul Hindemith: Sonata
- Georges Hue: Fantasie
- Jacques Ibert: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
- André Jolivet: Chant de Linos for flute and piano
- Shigeru Kan-no: Wille for flute and harpsichord
- Kent Kennan: Night Soliloquy
- Ron Korb: St. Johann
- Lowell Liebermann:
- *Sonata for Flute and Piano Op.23
- *Five Pieces from Album for the Young Op.79
- Armand Lonque: Sonate for Flute and Piano, Op. 21
- Peter Machajdik: Senahh for Flute and Piano 8'30
- Jef Maes: Arabeske en Scherzo for Flute and Piano
- Frank Martin: Ballade for flute and piano
- Saverio Mercadante: Concerto in E minor
- Olivier Messiaen: Le merle noir
- Bernhard Molique: Flute Concerto
- Jules Mouquet: La Flûte de Pan
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- * Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, K. 313
- * Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 314
- Lior Navok: Three Winged Movements for flute and piano
- Carl Nielsen: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
- Francis Poulenc: Sonata for Flute and Piano
- Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata in D Major
- Behzad Ranjbaran: Moto Perpetuo for Flute and Piano
- Carl Reinecke: "Undine" Sonata, Concerto in D
- Jean Rivier: Concerto
- Christopher Rouse: Flute Concerto
- Jef Schampaert: Notturno e Danza for Flute and Piano
- Franz Schubert: Introduction and Variations on "Trockne Blumen"
- Laura Schwendinger: "Aurora"
- Eric Sessler: Sawmill Sunshine
- Ananda Sukarlan: "Rescuing Ariadne" and "Narcissus Dying"
- Paul Taffanel: Andante pastoral et scherzettino''
- Josef Tal: Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra
- Georg Philipp Telemann: Suite in A minor
- Yolande Uyttenhove: Sonate for Flute and Piano
- Charles Wuorinen: Duo Sonata
Flute and other instruments
- Samuel Barber: Summer Music for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn
- Rob du Bois:
- *Because Going Nowhere Takes a Long Time, for medium voice, flute, and piano
- *Enigma, for flute, bass clarinet, percussion, and piano
- *His Flow of Spirits Is Something Wonderful: Cheerful Music, for flute, bass clarinet, and piano
- *Night Music, for flute, viola, and guitar
- *Pastorale II, for recorder, flute, and guitar
- *Per due, for flute and harp
- *Pour faire chanter la polonaise, for flute, soprano, and 3 pianos
- *Sinfonia da camera, for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon and 4 horns
- *Stukken , for flute, oboe, and cello
- *Symphorine, for flute and string trio
- *Thalatta, Thalatta, for four bass flutes
- *Words, for mezzo-soprano, flute, cello, and piano
- *Trio for flute, oboe, and clarinet
- Pierre Boulez:
- *…explosante-fixe…, various configurations with flute and other instruments
- *Le marteau sans maître for contralto voice, alto flute, viola, guitar, xylorimba, vibraphone, and percussion
- Howard J. Buss: Fantasia for flute, clarinet and piano
- * Constellations for flute, piano, and percussion
- * Cosmic Portraits in versions for flute, clarinet, alto sax and tenor sax; and for woodwind quartet
- * Glacial Vistas for flute, clarinet and one percussion
- * Into Each Life for flute, cello, piano, and one percussion
- * Modern Times for narrator, flute, and four percussion
- * Mysterious Exit for flute and four percussion
- * Night Flight for flute, clarinet, and piano
- * Ocean Moods for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello
- * Remembrances for flute, cello, and piano
- * Romance and Caprice for flute, alto flute, and piano
- * Saint Francis and the Animals for flute, clarinet, and harp
- * Tennessee Suite for flute, viola and piano
- * Turbulent Times for flute, oboe and bassoon
- * Two Caprices for flute, oboe, and marimba
- * Where Now Rusts the Iron? for high voice, flute, cello and six percussion
- Carlos Chávez:
- *Soli II for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn
- *Xochipilli, for piccolo, flute, E-flat clarinet, trombone, and six percussionists
- Claude Debussy:
- * Music for Chansons de Bilitis for two flutes, two harps, and celesta
- *Sonata for flute, viola and harp
- Miguel del Aguila
- * Malambo for flute and piano, piccolo and piano, flute and strings
- * Submerged for flute, viola and harp
- * Seducción for flute, clarinet and piano
- * Wind Quintet No.2 for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn
- * Wind Quintet No.3 for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn
- George Enescu:
- *Chamber Symphony in E major, Op. 33
- *Decet for two flutes, oboe, cor anglais, two clarinets, two bassoons, and two horns
- Gabriel Faure: Sicilienne from Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 80
- Rolf Gehlhaar: Grand Unified Theory of Everything, for alto/bass flute, alto/bass clarinet and piano
- Philip Glass: Piece in the Shape of a Square for Two Flutes, for flute and ensemble
- Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 36, Op. 312, for flute and orchestra
- André Jolivet: Pastorales de Noël, for flute, bassoon, and harp
- Sophie Lacaze:
- *Broken Words, for flute, violin, viola and cello
- *Au milieu de la plaine for flute and harp
- *And Earth moves away for flute quartet
- *Ntau for flute, clarinet, piano and percussions
- *Estampes for flute quartet
- *Souffles for four flautists
- Lowell Liebermann:
- *Air for flute and organ Op.106
- *Night Music for flute, clarinet and piano Op. 109
- *Trio No. 1 for flute, cello and piano Op. 83
- *Trio No. 2 for flute, cello and piano Op. 87
- *Sonata for flute and guitar Op.25
- *Sonata for flute and harp Op.56
- Peter Machajdik: Danube Afterpoint, for piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, two pianos and string quartet
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra, K. 299
- Lior Navok: Mysterious Pond for flute, oboe, and piano
- Carl Nielsen: Wind Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn
- Henri Pousseur: Madrigal II for four early instruments
- Behzad Ranjbaran
- * Fountains of Fin for flute, violin, and cello
- * Pastorale for 3 flutes in C
- Steve Reich: Vermont Counterpoint, for amplified flute and tape
- Laura Schwendinger:
- *"High Wire Act", for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano
- *"About a Mountain", for Flute and Mezzo Soprano
- *"Constellations", for Flute and Percussion
- Arnold Schoenberg
- *Chamber Symphony No. 1
- *Chamber Symphony No. 2
- John Serry Sr.:
- *African Bolero, for flute and accordion
- *La Culebra, for flute and accordion
- Eric Sessler: Hammerhead for flute and guitar
- Alexander Shchetynsky: Introspection for flute and harpsichord
- Karlheinz Stockhausen
- * Adieu, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn
- * ', Seventh Hour from Klang, for flute, cor anglais, and bass clarinet.
- * ', for alto flute with piccolo, children's choir, modern orchestra, basset-horn, for alto flute with piccolo, 2 synthesizer players, percussionist, tape, sound projectionist, or as solo for alto flute with piccolo and tape
- * ', for flute and six percussionists, for flute and electronic music, or for flute and three pianos
- * Kontra-Punkte, for flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, harp, piano, violin, and cello
- * ', for ring-modulated flute, bassett horn, ting-modulated trumpet, tenor, and synthesizer
- * ' for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, violin, viola, cello, and double bass, with electronic and concrete music
- * Paradies, Twenty-first Hour from Klang, for flute and electronic music
- * Quitt, for alto flute, trumpet, and bass clarinet
- * ', Sixth Hour from Klang, for flute, bass clarinet, and trumpet
- * Sukat, for alto flute and basset horn
- * Zeitmaße, for flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, and bassoon
- Ananda Sukarlan:
- * "Vega and Altair", a suite for flute, violin, cello and harp
- * Chamber Symphony no. 1 and no. 2, each for 10 instruments
- Georg Philipp Telemann: Paris quartets for flute, violin, viola da gamba and continuo
- Edgard Varèse – Octandre for piccolo/flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, and double bass
- Heitor Villa-Lobos
- * Assobio a Jato for flute and cello
- * Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 for flute and bassoon
- * Chôros No. 2 for flute and clarinet
- * Chôros No. 7 for flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, violin, and cello
- * Nonet for flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, harp, celesta, piano, and percussion battery, as well as a SAATBarB mixed choir.
- * Quinteto for flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, and bassoon
Orchestral excerpts
Collections
- John Wummer, Orchestral Excerpts from the Symphonic Repertoire, Volumes I–IX, published by International Music Company. This nine-volume 1967 collection contains some 500 pages of flute music, comprising the distinctive flute parts from the majority of the most frequently performed concert pieces to that date.
- Jeanne Baxtresser, Orchestral Excerpts for Flute with Piano Accompaniment, published by Theodore Presser Company. Although containing many of the same excerpts as the Wummer collection, Ms. Baxtresser's more modern collection is enhanced by her own commentary on the material and use of the original parts . Also available is a recording by Baxtresser discussing and performing the excerpts.
Famous excerpts: flute (and piccolo)
- J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5; "Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben" from the St Matthew Passion; Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"; Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 9 ; Leonora Overture No. 3
- Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique ; Menuet des Follets from La damnation de Faust
- Bizet: "Minuet" from L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2, "Entr'acte" or "Intermezzo" from the opera Carmen
- Brahms: Symphony No. 4
- Debussy: Prélude à l'aprés-midi d'un faune
- del Aguila: The Giant Guitar Broken Rondo The Fall of Cuzco
- Dvořák: Symphony No. 8
- Gluck: Menuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orfeo ed Euridice
- Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
- Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 "Italian"; Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf; Lieutenant Kijé Suite ; Symphony No. 1 "Classical"
- Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé; Ma mère l'oye ; Boléro
- Respighi: Fountains of Rome
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Festival Overture; Scheherazade; Capriccio Espagnol
- Rossini: La gazza ladra Overture ; Semiramide Overture ; William Tell Overture
- Saint-Saëns: Voilère from Carnival of the Animals
- Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, Festive Overture
- Smetana: The Moldau from Má vlast
- Richard Strauss: Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome; Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
- Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite; Petrushka; Le chant du rossignol
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4