I've been asked to rewrite a cadenza which is at the end of one of my flute pieces. The original is very long, but I just need to do 16 bars. So has anyone got any tips about how I go about this?
Thanks.

Write something extremely complicated that no one on earth can play

Unfortunately, I have to be able to play this too!

Ah, well. As a tip for writing a cadenza, I think I would say that it should be as melodious as the rest of the piece, but much more complicated. I'm not too sure about a cadenza for flute though, as I'm a pianist, and only compose for piano. (And have only every written one cadenza anyway) Sorry

I will definitely use ideas from the piece. I guess 16 bars isn't too long...I just have a mild fear of composition!

Ok, what style is the piece in, is it classical, romantic or...?
Just some thoughts, you might like to have the whole thing over a dominant pedal, maybe with less detail then the rest of the piece, rubato may be good? have it sort of improvised. Just some ideas. Why not look at what other composers do?

It's a Mozart flute concerto. I only need to do the flute part

You could write lots of twills, sequences, runs etc. in the style of the piece. Hope that helps.

Listen to performances of the piece and see what the professionals do. You could try taking one of the melodic ideas of the piece and make it more virtuostic, lots of passing notes and implied pedals and stuff work nicely.

Thank you. I am really bad at composing but I definitely need to sit down and work out a good theme. Thanks for the tips.

Take themes from the movement and write a very short development section using them. Use arpeggios to elaborate your melodic line and define the harmony. It's good to modulate, but bear in mind that you have to get back to the tonic via a perfect cadence at the end.

...... and a 'de rigueur' trill to lead into the tutti !!

Which one is it?

Try charting out something that looks a bit like a mountain range over the 16 bars. The peaks and troughs represent "intensity" for want of a better word, and the intensity could be an expression of dynamic, pitch, amount of twiddly bits etc. The highest peak is going to be towards the end of the 16 bars, with the purpose of everything else to get to that point - this might be the end of the cadenza or there could be a shortish wind-down afterwards.

G, 1st movement.


Ooo, thanks for this.

Thanks for all the pointers - I just have to sit down and see what I can come up with!

I think TSax has it spot on!

Try improvising around the themes you like best from the movement.

Also bear in mind that, if you're the one playing it, you're sort-of at an advantage, as it does tend to be easier to play something you wrote yourself! If there are complex & musically exciting things that YOU are especially good at, don't be afraid of giving yourself that as an advantage - why not? A cadenza is for showing off after all...

From what little I've seen, something that looks like an insane rollercoaster on the sheet would be appropriate

I really want to start writing a cadenza for a (attibuted to) Haydn Oboe concerto but the one in the score is nice so everything I do is too similar lol Same for the mozart but I havdn't looked at that properly.

Just pick ideas from the movement and twiddle. Difficult but I think it's the only way

I am never going to be a composer....

Have done a bit so far but it sounds awful...

I have been writing short, 'suitable for students' cadenzas for the A-Lister publications of flute music : here are some ideas for you:
1. try to stay stylistic (in other words do not use progressions and arpeggios that were not generally in use at the time) -
2. read the relevant chapter in the Quantz treatise on flute playing .
3. imagine the cadenza to be in two short sections and decide on an arrival chord/key for the mid point.
4. take a theme from the work and use sequence to arrive at your chosen midpoint
5. take another theme and make your way back to the trill on dominant chord/ supertonic trill of the main key
- job done!

1. Yes, am trying to that
2. Where can I find the Quantz treatise?
3. Do I have time to modulate in 16 bars?
5. I have done what you've suggested on the last 2 bars. But I might try thinking of it in 2 themes and see what happens.

I expect you can find a copy in the library - otherwise I've just checked and copies are for sale from both Amazon and eBay. Just type in the word Quantz and you'll see several listed.
Good Luck and I'm glad you are finding it helpful

I hate cadenza writing. More like, I hate my inability to cadenza write.

If I am doing 16 bars would it be better in 2 x 8 or 4 x 4?

oh dear - I know that feeling all too well: it's good fun when it goes right but when things don't run easily it can seem terrible (I spent a whole day at the weekend realizing just one bar of a Bach flute sonata accompaniment so that it would work smoothly).
For which piece are you trying to create the cadenza? is it one that I have done?
I don't think you want to think in bars - that's probably why you are finding it difficult.
If you are still stuck perhaps it would be of assistance if you emailed what you've got so far (Finale or .pdf preferably) & I'll happily offer some suggestions to help you along