103. A Dialogue Without Words

The flute never fell out of use as a solo instrument, although it was significantly less popular than the violin, especially during the Romantic period. It experienced a true renaissance in France during the first half of the 19th and 20th centuries. Les Six and its associates (composers of slightly older and younger generations) wrote pieces for the flute – solo, with orchestra, or with piano – that remain the core of the repertoire to this day. Perhaps the pivotal role was the one this instrument played in the music of Claude Debussy, where it often imitated the ancient pan flute? In any case, the works of Philippe Gaubert, Cécile Chaminade, and Arthur Honegger remain staples of the repertoire. One of its most important works in this repertoire is Francis Poulenc’s Sonata, which was premiered with the composer himself at the piano and Jean-Pierre Rampal – one of the legendary soloists of the last century – on the flute. Previously, the flute was also readily used interchangeably with other instruments, often with the oboe – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself arranged his Oboe Concerto in C major for flute in D major. It is therefore no surprise that Robert Schumann’s Three Romances are performed on an instrument other than the one specified by the composer. Allegro malinconico, the title of the first movement of Poulenc’s Sonata, is a surprising oxymoron: allegro, which here indicates a fast tempo, means “cheerful” in Italian. The sound of the flute was associated with melancholy and pastoral charm, and at the same time compared to the human voice.

– Dominika Micał (pisanezesluchu.pl)