Flight of the Bumblebee

Flight of the Bumble Bee by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Arranged by Nancy Nourse

Instrumentation: piccolo, 3 c flutes, alto flute, bass flute, optional contrabass/contralto flute

This classic virtuoso piece is an entracte in Act III of the fairy-tale opera 'The Tale of Tsar Saltan.' Though the opera has largely been forgotten, the Flight of the Bumblebee has been transcribed for a myriad of instruments from violin to tuba. In this ensemble arrangement, the rapid chromatic lines of the melody are shared among the voices, piccolo through bass flute.