I’ve just realised how little flute music I have in my CD collection, apart from the inevitable James and some miscellaneous Irish music.

As a beginning player I’d like to get to know different flute styles better, and to start to develop a better understanding/feeling for what is meant by tone colour and how different interpreters express themselves (hopefully to apply when I can reliably produce any sort of consistent tone!)

I think at this stage it would be best to listen to unaccompanied or small ensemble flute; beautifully played but relatively simple pieces rather than huge orchestral concertos.

Any suggestions of whom to listen to, CD compilations, your personal favourites?

Tired, so not able to think straight (should be in bed!) but two recommendations off the top of my head:

the Bach CD, forget exact title, by Emmanuel Pahud - fantastic baroque pieces beautifully played... some of them orchestral though thinking about it (small orchestras though...)... but some solo too... maybe something for the future?? Hmm.

OK

2nd one is appropriate I am certain: Prokofiev & Franck Sonatas - Marina Piccinini. Also contains a wonderful version of Syrinx by Debussy. I LOVE this CD. 2 flute and piano sonatas, one beautiful solo piece, and a piano piece thrown in for good measure. Gorgeous.

Somewhere there's a "favourite flautists" thread which a lot of people made recommendations in... will see if I can find it.

Lol i should be in bed too, but Sarah is right, those two CDs are two of the best, the Bach being a personal favourite.

One CD that I thoroughly recommend is Small is Beautiful by Manuela Wiesler. If you take out a subscription to Naxos you can listen to it online. THe CD contains music for solo flute, lots of short pieces including a couple of Telemann Fantasias and Ferroud's Jade.

Other gems you can listen to on Naxos include the complete works of Gaubert for flute, including his chamber music - a CD I am thoroughly addicted to at the moment.

Hi,

NAXOS do budget "Complete Gaubert" with Fenwick Smith (Flute) and Sally Pinkas (Piano) on 3 CDs.

I find they are wonderful to listen to in a quiet room where Fenwick gets so much variety of tone out of the flute. Its one of the first recordings where I have actually noticed this aspect of flute playing.

I would get anything by Pahud, I have another CD of Formisano playing in Japan in front of a live audience (some coughing!) but the pieces are amazing - again some wonderful tone variety and some amazing extended techniques on modern pieces.

As much as I admire Sir James, I do find he seems to use the same sort of bright tone on most of his recordings to my mind - (hopefully I won't get flamed for saying this!).

Cheers

Sounds like something to add to my wishlist!


There's quite a variety of opinion about Sir James round here - I too admire his talent and how much he has popularised the flute, and I like many of his recordings, but he would not be my first choice to listen to.

Never even heard of Formisano - you learn summink new every day!!

Thank you all so far, I see I have the beginnings of a long list!
(I'll also search for favourite flautists in a minute)

Keep 'em coming please !

I think this is the one I was thinking of... http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?s=&s...st&p=319647

I just found the more recent one!! http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?s=&s...st&p=494477

Thank you!
(After pasting up that lot I've now got a 50 page document to edit!)

I notice no one has mentioned Susan Milan

Listen to her CD "La Flute enchantee"- her performance of the Martin Ballade, the Godard Suite and the Ibert Concerto are particularly worth hearing

she records with Chandos- anyone who records with them is usually pretty amazing