Sérénade Mélancolique for Flute and Piano

Alphonse Catherine packs a great deal into this Serenade, which is by turns elegant, nostalgic and full of drama. A powerful opening theme alternates with a lilting Allegretto and there are twists along the way. Although it was written for the great Georges Barrere it is without huge technical challenges and a great way to get to know the unmistakable style of flute music in the early part of the twentieth century. It's also a lovely piece of music!

This is a short salon music piece, written at the start of the 20th century by Alphonse Catherine (1868-1927) who was both a composer and accompanist at the Paris Opera. A serenade is a light vocal piece, designed to be played in the evening; this melancholic serenade was written for Georges Barrère whose experience playing in the opera orchestra helped him to make the most of the lyrical phrases withich feature in this piece.

The opening is unhurried and decorative, leading to a bright Allegretto featuring dotted rhythms interspersed by moments of virtuosity. The lines are relatively simple, with melodic ornamentations adding character and charm. There's plenty of space for expression, poise and elegance, and one can imagine an audience being beguiled by the music's vocal qualities.

Part of Bruno Jouard's series of new editions of French flute repertoire, this is a well-presented edition with some helpful notes proviced at the beginning. ALthough not a new piece, it is not as well known as some of the other French repertoire, so makes a welcome addition to the library.