Cottignies, Charles

Premier Concerto Op. 38, for flute & piano
(Edited by Nathan Zalman)

The Premier Concerto is one of those forgotten gems from the early 19th century. Originally discovered by Jean-Pierre Rampal, the 1820 edition was passed to Brooks de Wetter-Smith and thus to the editor. The opening movement is a dramatic, even operatic, tour de force for the flutist, and contains many memorable bel canto melodies and unusual harmonic touches. The programmatic and melodic effects in the second movement are unusual, putting an individualistic stamp on this work that sets it apart from other works of the period. The finale is a dance-like crowd pleaser. Under our "Flute & Orchestra" section, the score and orchestra parts are available.