Donizetti Sonate for Two Flutes & Piano

Gaetano Donizetti’s Sonata in C major is one of those pieces that almost every flutist knows: lyrical, cheerful, virtuosic and already full of the theatrical instinct that would eventually make Donizetti one of the great opera composers.

This arrangement for two flutes and piano came directly out of my Best Bits of the Carmen Fantasy. My dear friend and colleague Abigail Burrows and I had discovered that taking familiar solo repertoire and adding another flute could make the whole experience more sociable, more theatrical and, quite simply, much more fun.

So after Carmen, the question was obvious:

What else can we do this to?

Donizetti was next.

Quick Details

• Instrumentation: 2 Flutes & Piano

• Based on Donizetti’s Flute Sonata in C major

• Advanced

• Suitable for advanced college/conservatoire and professional flutists

• Largo followed by Allegro

• Virtuosic writing for both flute players

• Strongly lyrical and operatic in character

• Two-flute scoring creates contrasting high and low voices

• Excellent recital, festival and visiting-artist repertoire

• First performed in September 2016 with Abigail Burrows

• Available as Printed Score and PDF Download

After Carmen...

Abigail and I were always looking for new things to play together. We were married at the time, and one of the considerable advantages of having another professional flute player in the house was having somebody permanently available to try slightly ridiculous ideas with.

We had already made my two-flute version of the Borne Carmen Fantasy, and the result was so much fun that it started a train of thought. There are plenty of excellent works for two flutes and piano, but there are also certain pieces that professional flutists have played... quite a lot.

We wanted something familiar enough to work immediately, but different enough to feel fresh.

The Donizetti Sonata was an obvious candidate.

Although Abigail and I are divorced now(!), we remain very good friends and regular musical colleagues, and we have continued playing this and other repertoire together since.

Why Donizetti?

Donizetti’s original already feels incredibly operatic. There are broad lyrical melodies, flashes of virtuosity, sudden changes of character and that unmistakable feeling that the flute is basically auditioning to become an Italian soprano.

Adding another flute suits that world beautifully - especially in a more tenor voice.

The original melodic material can be divided between two voices, harmonised and expanded, with the players moving between different registers and characters. Sometimes one flute leads while the other supports; elsewhere the two become equal voices in a much more obvious operatic conversation.

It feels surprisingly natural.

Two Flutes Are More Fun

That was really the discovery behind both this arrangement and the Carmen.

A virtuoso solo work places all of the responsibility on one player. Add another flutist and suddenly the experience changes completely: you can react to one another, share material, play off each other and enjoy the virtuosity rather than feeling as though you're sitting an exam.

The technical demands haven't disappeared. You're simply suffering together.

Which is much more sociable.

High Voice, Low Voice

One of the things I particularly like about this version is the contrast between the two flute registers.

Donizetti spent his life writing for voices, and this arrangement allows the two flutes to behave in much the same way. One can soar above while the other sings underneath; they can exchange phrases, reinforce each other or open the harmony around a melody.

It brings out something that was already inside the music.

The result has a much more overt sense of duet, rather than one flute playing the tune while another instrument accompanies.

A Joyful, Virtuosic Party Piece

That was how I described this arrangement when I first published it, and I still think it fits.

The music needs polished technique, confident articulation, good intonation and very secure ensemble playing, but it should never sound careful. Donizetti needs charm, sparkle and a sense that both players are having a lovely time.

It makes a particularly good late-recital piece: bright, familiar, extrovert and immediately accessible to an audience.

And it finishes properly.

A Useful Piece to Have in the Bag

Like the Carmen arrangement, this has become extremely useful when travelling.

When I visit flute studios, conservatoires or festivals, there is very often another excellent flute player available. Instead of needing to programme and rehearse a completely unfamiliar duet, we can play something whose musical language is already familiar and concentrate on the interaction between the two parts.

It is exactly the sort of repertoire I like for visiting-artist collaborations: sophisticated enough for professionals, enjoyable for the audience, and practical enough that it doesn't require six weeks of diary coordination before anybody can play it.

Carmen and Donizetti

The two arrangements really belong together.

Best Bits of the Carmen Fantasy came first. Once Abigail and I discovered how much more enjoyable that familiar solo showpiece became with two players, Donizetti followed almost immediately as the next experiment.

I haven't really gone back to playing either piece as a solo since.

There's nearly always another flute player hanging around somewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the instrumentation?
Two concert flutes and piano.

What level is it?
Advanced. Both flute parts require confident technique, articulation and ensemble playing.

Is this based on Donizetti’s original flute sonata?
Yes. It takes the familiar Sonata in C major and expands its solo flute writing into a genuine two-flute conversation.

Do both flute parts have important material?
Absolutely. The interest comes from sharing, harmonising and expanding the original material between the two players.

Why does the arrangement feel so operatic?
The two different flute voices can behave almost like two singers, exchanging material and occupying contrasting registers. That suits Donizetti’s musical language remarkably well.

When was it first performed?
September 2016, with Abigail Burrows.

Does it work as a concert closer?
Very well. It is bright, virtuosic, cheerful and has exactly the sort of extrovert energy that works brilliantly towards the end of a recital.