Description
Dance of the Dryads from Symphony No. 3, “Im Walde”, Op. 153
Composed by Joachim Raff
Arranged for Flute Choir by Matt Johnston
Published by Alry Publications
Includes score and parts
Instrumentation:
4 Flutes
2 Alto Flutes
Bass Flute
Contrabass Flute (or Bass Flute 2 or Contralto Flute)
Program Notes by Matt Johnston:
Swiss composer Joachim Raff (1822-1882) is not a composer one comes across very frequently these days. While I was studying chamber music in college, you would occasionally hear his Sinfonietta for wind dectet being performed, but not much else. However, when DCFlutes, a flute ensemble in Washington D.C., asked for a piece composed by a Swiss composer, Raff came to mind! I had never looked into much of his life previously, and was certainly surprised to discover he had composed more than 200 works, of which 11 of them are symphonies. After studying some scores and listening to many recordings, I found this delightful “Dance of the Dryads,” the third movement to his Symphony No. 3, 'Im Walde.'
Maybe it is all the double-tonguing, but I can't help but think in the back of my head that this movement was influenced by the Scherzo of Felix Mendelssohn's “A Midsummer Night's Dream” music. Most of the flute parts from the original are kept intact (largely in the Flute 1 & 2 parts), while the rest of the orchestra has been reduced for this ensemble of flutes. Such a delightful piece, my only advice is to keep it light, and keep it quick!
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