Undine Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 167

This newly produced Urtext edition is beautifully presented, and edited by Ernst-Günter Heinemann. As one might expect from a scholarly edition, the Preface presents some extremely helpful biographical information about Reinecke, providing a useful context for the work. Heinemann contends that Reinecke’s works were not often played during his lifetime and would have been forgotten had his compositions for flute and harp not become an established part of the repertoire.

The Preface explains that the Undine Sonata is based on a novella by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, which tells the story of a water nymph who gradually changes into human form in a quest for love. It is thought that the Sonata was first published in September 1882, and was dedicated to the Principal Flute of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Wilhelm Barge.

This edition is based on the German first edition; there is also a surviving source from London which was produced at the same time as the Leipzig edition, but there is no manuscript available. The two surviving sources have considerable differences between them, and are thought to have derived from different manuscripts, with changes particularly in the piano part which are likely to have been made by the composer himself. The approach followed here is logical, aiming to avoid combining the two different sources but to show where they are different. The detailed editorial comments provide plenty of information for any performer-detectives to take up the adventure and make their own informed musical decisions.

The Undine Sonata has become a core part of the flute’s Romantic repertoire, and this new scholarly edition is a welcome addition to the available information regarding the work. For those interested in the full context of the work, this edition is a must—for everyone else, the clear presentation and high quality production of this edition make it hard to resist.