Sonata & Scherzo (Divertimento) for Flute and Piano, and Divertimento for Two Flutes

There is nothing ground-breaking about this edition of the Martinu Sonata but finding it together not only with his popular Scherzo but also the little known Divertimento for two flutes is a bonus worth considering. The duet is surprisingly classical and not really Martinu-like at all! Good value all round!

This is a wonderful collection of Martinů's works for flute, comprising the Sonata as well as two extra gems - the Scherzo (Divertimento) for flute and piano, and the Divertimento for two recorders (flutes).

The edition is baeautifully presented in Ongaku no Tomo's inimitable style. There is a detailed introduction and performance notes written by Yoshimi Oshima, in Japanese without an English translation, but some nifty work with the Google Translate app reveals some fascinating information regarding Martinů's life and the context of the works themselves.

The short and delightful Scherzo (H174A) is influenced by Martinů's time in Paris, where he was taught by Roussel and influenced by Les Six. Originally the third movement of a Sextet, written in 1929, this is a short, playful piece which has a clear jazz influence. Designed for high velocity and a strong rhythm, there are some enjoyable challenges in the fingerwork, and a well-developed pulse is essential for a good sense of ensemble.

Martinů moved to the United States in 1941, and it is here that he wrote his now celebrated Flute Sonata in 1945. It received its first performancei n 1949 at the Carl Fischer Concert Hall in New York, performed by Lois Schaefer and Dolores Rodriguez. This edition makes use of the 1951 Associated Music Publishers edition as its source, with editorial comments provided in situ in the score for clear identification.

THe charming Divertimento for two recorders (H365) is a late work, written in 1957 in a neo-baroque style. The parts are evenly matched in difficulty, and require both players to match colour and articulation carefully. This is an intermediate-level duo which works well on flutes, especially since the smaller range of the recorder makes it well suited to less advanced players.

It is excellent to have all three of these pieces available in the same volume; the Scherzo in particular has been quite difficult to track down in recent years as a result of being out of print. The edition is printed on good quality cream paper, with page turns well considered and plenty of additional information about the music provided.