Suite for Alto Flute and Piano

If you are new to the alto flute and would like to start with something straightforward that everyone will enjoy this is just the piece! Each movement has a different character ranging from the easy listening 'For Hattie and James', the lovely if quirky Waltz to 'Frolic' which bounces along happily. All the movements have accessible keys, rhythms and sensible note ranges to make them very playable. This is a great way to start your budding alto flute career!

This group of pieces by American composer David Maxwell focusses on the lyrical character of the alto flute. There are five movements which seem to work independently as well as in a group; there is no formal sense that this is a 'Suite' in a historical meaning, but rather a collection of character pieces which can be played in a defined order.

The alto flute writing is relatively simple and sits mostly within the middle register; this seems a shame in a way, as the piece never really makes the most of the rich resonance of the alto flute's low register. It does, however, make use of the less strident nature of the middle register (in comparison with the flute) and the phrases are melodic and often cantabile. The last movement, Frolic, is at a relatively sedate tempo of crotchet = 92; I found that by going a bit faster I was more able to achieve the sense of energy the title suggests.

The first two movements are dedicated to people - Hallie and James in the first movement and Desmond in the second, and these titles enabled me to imagine personalities that could be evoked in the music. The third, Waltz for a Day in May, has a nice sense of flow, and the fourth, Papillon has a few tuplet rhythms to evoke the butterfly of the title.

The piano part is mostly quite straightforward, making this a suitable option for a duo of students or intermediate players. The piano is mostly kept away from the tessitura of the alto flute but I can see places where balance may be challenging, especially as the alto flute doesn't have the same power as it goes higher than the flute does.

This is the sort of piece that may be particularly enjoyed by the vibrant American amateur low flute scene, with its combination of melodic writing, easy tonality and relatively uncomplicated writing. It's great to see repertoire for alto flute continue to expand in a range of directions; this piece, and others like it, help to ensure there really is something for everyone and that low flutes have moved from the domain of a small number of professionals to be accessible to a much wider range of players.