Top Flute Orchestral Excerpts on youtube today

Dear Flutists,

For those flutists thinking about upcoming orchestral auditions in 2011, and starting to study the orchestral excerpts for flute and piccolo now, here's a list of video-links of famous orchestral works with famous flutists playing them. This list, comments and timings has been researched and kindly sent to me by Jerrold Pritchard. Wonderful to have to hand.

And if anyone out there needs the sheetmusic see books of flute orchestral excerpts. I've listed lots of orch-ex books, printable CD sheetmusic of full flute parts there.

(Not like the old days when we just had a pile of dogeared orch-ex books as shown above, and perhaps a record with skips in it from dropping the needle.)

(Oh, er, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you were born after 1980. hahhahahaa!)

Best and enjoy these handy links below, and enjoy this NEW video of Denis Bouriakov playing J.S. Bach's St. Matthew's Passion:



YouTube links to Famous Orchestral Excerpts for Flute

Debussy’s Apres Midi d’un Faune

NKH Symphony conducted by Kimbo Ishii Eto

London Symphony in 2007 conducted by Valery Gergiev with Lorna McGhee, flute

London Symphony in 1972 Stokowski conducting (Peter Lloyd, flute?)

Maxience Larrieu, flute (Orchestra not identified)

Ensemble de l'Orquestra de Cadaqués Dir. Vasily Petrenko (Chamber ensemble version, with flutist Julia Gallego playing a wooden flute)

Brad Garner, flute with John Ritter Steele, piano

Ravel Daphnis et Chloe, Part II opening

Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons, conductor. Flutist Henrik Wiese Orchestra Orchestre National de Lille, Jean-Claude Casadesus, conductor.

Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra Gustavo Dudamel conducting

NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy

Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe, Part II, Pantomime Solo:

Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons, conductor. Flutist Henrik Wiese (solo at 7 :16)

NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy (Solo at 1:52)

Berlin Philharmonic with Emanuel Pahud, flute

Philadelphia Orchestra with Jeffrey Khaner, flute (starts at solo)

Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra - Gustavo Dudamel conductor (flute solo at: 7:26)

Orchestra del Teatro Carlo - Felice di Genova conductor, with Francesco Loi (starts at solo)

Adan Provencio playing for Walfrid Kujala in Masterclass at CSU Fresno in 2008

Brahms 4th Symphony, 4th movement

Bavarian State Orchestra conducted by Carlos Kleiber with Henrik Wiese, flute (solo at 2:24)

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Juri Lebedev (solo at 2:40)

Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert Von Karajan (flute solo at 2:37)

Istambul Symphony with Bulent Evcil, flute (Starts at solo)

Mendelssohn Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream (Flute solo starts around 3:00 into recording with most versions)

Cleveland Symphony Orchestra - conductor: George Szell - w. Maurice Sharp, flute (Fast and clean!) (Solo at 3:30 * see sample below this box)

Chicago Symphony, James Levine Conducting.

Orchestra of the Enlightenment: (a very funny, dramatized version with period instruments)

Slower versions:
Version 1(solo at 4:35)- source undeclared

Version 2 (solo at 4:00)source undeclared Beautifully done at a moderate tempo

Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Yehudi Menuhin

Ted Anton’s unaccompanied audition recording for college auditions:

Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra Conducted by Alexander Shelley

Sample mp3: Maurice Sharp plays Midsummer's by Mendelssohn


Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3, op. 72b (flute solo starts at beginning):

Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf

Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado ( Flute solo at 3:40)

Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy (narrated by David Bowie)

New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein (Flute Solo at 4:20)

Ochechtra Accademia delle Opera conducted by Diego Montrone ( Solo at 5:36)

Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis

Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Paul Hindemith in 1955 (very flexible tempos. Flute solo at 2:50)

Chicago Symphony 1953 Conductor;Rafael Kubelik (Beautifully done. Julius Baker? *Listen to sample below*) (flute solo at 2:30)

Rancho Bernardo (California) High School Orchestra.

Sample mp3: Julius Baker (possibly) playing Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis flute solo on mp3.

PICCOLO

Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony, 3rd Movement, piccolo solos

Chicago Symphony Conducted by Daniel Barenboim in 1997. Walfrid Kujala, piccolo (solos at 1:50)

San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson-Thomas. Catherine Payne, piccolo (Solos at: 1:45, 2:30 and (Note the wonderful smile of pure joy on her face after she finishes. Brilliantly done!)

CSMA symphony orchestra. Juan Luis Martinez

PICCOLO

Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony, 4th Movement, piccolo solos

Chicago Symphony Conducted by Daniel Barenboim in 1997. Walfrid Kujala, piccolo

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev

Leningrad Philharmonic - Conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky

The State Symphony Orchestra of the USSA conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov, 1985 (A crazy, mad, fast tempo!)

PICCOLO

Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, 1st movement piccolo solos

Leonard Bernstein conducting Chicago Symphony with Walfrid Kujala, piccolo (solo at 5:46* sample below)


Unknown orchestra: Faster tempo: piccolo solo at 4:25

Sample mp3 of solo only. Shostakovitch 7 - Walfrid Kujala



Comments are entirely welcome. I'd love to get an idea of which are your personal favourites, and which inspire you back to the music stand. :>)

Any good ones that we've missed?
Let me know.
So fun to have all these video links in one place, and thanks again to Jerrold for sending them.
Best, Jen

Bamboo sound-effects for silver flute

Dear Flutists,
A question came up on the internet today that I thought was interesting.
The flutist had been hired to play Miss Saigon which required a whole host of bamboo flutes in various keys. They asked if they could transpose them to the Alto flute, or if there were any other bamboo flute sound-effect options, as there was no time to procure actual bamboo flutes in strange keys. (and I might add, learn how to play them reliably and practice all the switches. Eeek, I say, Eeek. :>)

So I created the diagram below to show silver flutists how to transform their flutes into bamboo sound effect instruments for an easy switch and easy prep.
Feel free to try it, and comment as well you enjoy this easy idea.
Also scroll down to find links to various purchasable bamboo flutes for this use, see Dave Weiss's instrument page for ethnic flute dealers who build reliable instruments, and scroll down here too, to read the very helpful post of a flutist who has previously played the show and note the bamboo flutes that are sent by the company for this production(in grey box below.)
___________________
Creating a Bamboo flute out of your silver flute
Using masking tape "mutes"
_______________________
I had success in transforming my silver flute into a bamboo flute by applying a simple piece of masking tape to the embouchure hole of the flute. The original idea was a "flute mute" from Sheridon Stokes, but when placed at a predetermined angle the masking tape also produces a bamboo flute sound effect.

Short experiments at home, done with 2-3 inch pieces of masking tape, are quick to accomplish.
Just place the tape on the right side of the blow hole, slanted at various angles, unitl you find the sound you want.
You can try covering more or less of the far splitting edge if the sound becomes too muffled, and correct the angle to get the sound and pitch.
See picture below.



(click on above picture to make it larger)

When I found, by experimentation, the exact angle for good bamboo flute sound (I was matching it to a bamboo flute original soundtrack of the piece) I took a permanent fine tipped marker, and drew the placement in dotted lines on the masking tape.

I made three of these bamboo sound-effect masking-mute-tapes, and kept them stuck to a label-backing-wax-paper and kept it on my stand. They fit in the zipped side of my case cover after use.

It does take several bars of music to apply to the lip-plate, matching the drawing in ink to the underlying blow hole right edge and of course the part has to be re-written in C, but compared to buying actual bamboo flutes and learning to place the correct finger spacing would have taken 20 times longer.

The only quick-practice is learning to put on the masking tape piece during short bars rest and pushing in the headjoint as a two-step process.
It helps to use a tuner to mark the "push in" line on the headjoint tenon itself.
(marker comes off with alcohol.)

One pre-prepared extra headjoint, provided it could be sufficiently pushed in to match pitch would be another good way to do the switches easily.

Sound samples are here of this effect live when I used it:

http://www.jennifercluff.com/sounds.htm

Scroll down to SAMPLE 2 - [woodflute]
which is found half way down the page at the above link.

If I find a source for viable bamboo flutes in all keys for quick switching for shows like this, I'll add it to this blog post later.
Meanwhile, breathe easily (not wheezily). This solution really works.
Do comment. :>)

Best,
Jennifer Cluff

NOTE: Terrific information from a flutist who has played the Miss Saigon show and used bamboo flutes. Reprinted with author's permission. Thank you!

I just played this wonderful show in August. The company provided three Bansuri, but I purchased two of my own Dizi (one in G and one in C). I ended up using 2 Bansuri (keys of Ab and F) and my two Dizi. There is one cue that is not transposed and you have to decide which flute to play, with adjustments. Keep in mind that if you purchase, the designated key is with the left hand fingers closed, not the lowest note. So, if you want the lowest note to be D, then you'll want to order a G flute. The designated keys in the book are the lowest notes on the flutes.

You really cannot use just one bamboo flute. This would result in having to use awkward crossed fingerings and poor intonation. The range is also something to consider.

I'll be happy to email you a cue sheet if you would like. I can let you know which flutes I played for which numbers. The part was a blast to play, but required lots of endurance. There is a big switch at the end with lots of high piccolo, followed closely by the most exposed flute solo of the piece. There are a few real exposed bamboo solos; most in the first act. Act 2 just has one bamboo cue.

Yes, you could play alto flute, but you are not going to get all those cool slides in. You'll also lose out in the colors the bamboos provide. I thoroughly enjoyed playing the Bamboo flutes and was glad to have had the experience.

Please feel free to email me privately and I'll be glad to provide you with more information.
Here are suggested websites for flute purchases:

Bansuri: buckinghammusic.com

Dizi: chineseculture.net

Best- Yvonne C. Hansbrough