Odelette Op162

Odelette, Op. 162
Composed by Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)
For Solo Flute and Flute Choir
Arranged by Robert Rainford
Published by Forton Music

Instrumentation:
Solo Flute
4 C Flutes
Alto Flute
Bass Flute
Contr'alto Flute (optional)
Contrabass Flute (optional)
Sub-Contrabass Flute (optional)
Double Contrabass Flute (optional)

      Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) was a French composer and organist of the Romantic era. A child prodigy, giving his first concert when he was 10 years old, and studying at the Paris Conservatoire. He was then an organist in Paris for twenty years, following which he was a freelance pianist and composer, popular both in Europe and America.
      This lesser known work is an arrangement of a concerto-like piece for flute and orchestra. In a loose rondo form, the main theme is a decorated scale. Entries of this theme are interspersed with long, almost hymn-like tunes and florid scale and arpeggio patterns. The music passes seamlessly through several keys exploring different moods and aspects of the flute, reaching a climax almost two thirds of the way into the piece, before a beautifully calm coda lets the music float away.
      This is a piece that deserves to be much better known. As a single movement solo piece, it's a great way for a player to begin to get some experience at playing in an ensemble situation. The solo line is demanding, but not excessively so. The ensemble parts are generally straightforward; flute 1 of the ensemble needs to be a confident strong player.