Variations on Eva's Polka for Flute Ensemble
- Staff Pick
Staff Pick
“A great end to a concert!”
These Varations on a Finnish polka are really great! To bring out the best in them you will need a very good piccolo player, four good flute players, plus alto and bass players who don't mind oom-pah. The rhythms are straightforward with plenty of beats and off-beats in the accompaniment to hold it all together, and the key is a very manageable G minor. The tune is passed round all players so that it can always be with the variations created by cascades of notes for the top parts, rhythmic alterations and skillful instrument management to add colour. If you have both tuned bottles and a contra bass flute all the better but don't worry if not. This a real crowd pleaser and a fantastic end to a concert!
From the Publisher
Lively and fun, a set of variations on a Finnish tune.
‘Ievvan Polkka’ or ‘Ievan Polokka’ is a traditional Finnish tune, which had words added in the 1930’s. As with all folk tunes its origin is swathed in mystery and conjecture, but it seems to come from the Viipuri province of Finland which borders Russia; a similar tune is also known in the western regions of Russia suggesting a degree of cross over beween the two areas. Its first mentioned in 17th century texts; however the Polka style did not develop till much later so this tune has obviously been adapted and modified over the years. Despite its popularity during World War 2 the song was almost forgotten in the 1970’s and 1980’s, before coming back to the fore with various covers by Finnish and even Japanese artists.
The tune is passed around all parts with great variety; from anxious, energetic repeated semiquavers to stately augmentation in the lower flute parts. Chromatic slides characterise one variation, and later on there is a jazz influenced section where the first flute and piccolo trade solos in an improvised style. The arranger has made one section more colourful and exciting by adding a part for blown bottles tuned by the addition of water.
Our Description
Optional part for 3 tuned-by-water bottles. This part is in the bass clef.
Performance duration (approx): 4'00"
Item Details
Instrumentation
- Part 1: Piccolo
- Part 2: Flute
- Part 3: Flute
- Part 4: Flute
- Part 5: Flute
- Part 6: Alto Flute
- Part 7: Bass Flute
- Part 8 (Optional): Contrabass Flute in G
Publisher: Forton Music
Publisher's reference: FM808
Our Stock Code: 1449167
Media Type: Paperback - Score and parts (10 pages [score])
