Page48 #2, Allemande

Selected Duets for Flute, Page 48 Number 2, Allemande, performed by David Summer. An Allemande is usually part of a musical suite. A suite is a group of dances, particularly popular in the baroque period. The Allemande is usually the first or second movement of a suite. Henry Purcell, the composer of this duet, was an English Baroque composer. He composed music for a wide range of ensembles and, like many of his contemporaries, was a church organist and music director, most notably for London's Westminster Abbey. Some of Purcell's pieces have become standard repertoire for trumpet players and brass ensembles. These include "Te Deum and Jubilate" written for Saint Cecilia's Day and a piece simply entitled "Trumpet Tune" that is popular as a wedding recessional. Purcell's "Music for Queen Mary" is also a staple for brass ensembles and has had the (perhaps dubious) honor of being part of the soundtrack to the film "A Clockwork Orange". Benjamin Britten based his "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" on a theme of Purcell's entitled Abdelazar. For some time it was thought that the famous "Trumpet Voluntary", often used as a wedding processional, was also written by Henry Purcell. It was only relatively recently that it was discovered that "Trumpet Voluntary" was instead written by English composer Jeremiah Clarke, who entitled it the Prince of Denmark's March. The tempo and time signature in this duet seem at odds with each other. The time signature is cut-time, but the tempo is indicated as being a moderate 4. This may have to do with the history of the Allemande, which includes shifts in tempo over the course of time. In any case, since there is an ambiguity here, I choose to play the piece in a moderate 4/4 time, ignoring the cut-time time signature. No repeats are taken in this performance and the metronome setting is quarter note = 80.