''The Incredible Flutist'' is a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

composed by

Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter Ha ...

in 1938, his only composition for the stage. The ballet received its premiere by the

Boston Pops The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symp ...

under

Arthur Fiedler Arthur Fiedler (December 17, 1894 – July 10, 1979) was an American conductor known for his association with both the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one o ...

on May 30 of that year. The libretto, written by Piston and Hans Wiener, describes a marketplace teeming with activity and enlivened by a circus. A flutist acts as a

snake charmer Snake charming is the practice of appearing to hypnotize a snake (often a cobra) by playing and waving around an instrument called a pungi. A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerou ...

and also charms women. A rich widow flirts with a merchant, is discovered by her lover, faints, and is revived by the flutist's music. The circus then leaves the square. Piston extracted an orchestral suite from the ballet, which was premiered on November 22, 1940, by the

Pittsburgh Symphony The ''Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra'' (''PSO'') is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Pittsburgh, Cultural District. History The Pittsburgh Sy ...

under

Fritz Reiner Frederick Martin "Fritz" Reiner (December 19, 1888 – November 15, 1963) was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century. Hungarian born and trained, he emigrated to the United States in 1922, where he rose t ...

. The suite is in thirteen movements: *Introduction *"Siesta Hour in the Marketplace and Entrance of the Vendors" *"Dance of the Vendors" *"Entrance of the Customers" *"Tango of the Four Daughters" *"Arrival of Circus and Circus March" *"Solo of the Flutist" *Minuet – "Dance of the Widow and Merchant" *"Spanish Waltz" *"Eight O'Clock Strikes" *Siciliano – "Dance of the Flutist and the Merchant's Daughter" *Polka *Finale

Elliott Carter Elliott Cook Carter Jr. (December 11, 1908 – November 5, 2012) was an American modernist composer. One of the most respected composers of the second half of the 20th century, he combined elements of European modernism and American "ultra- ...

commented on how Piston avoided the use of a particular musical geographic "pastiche" style in the music, which could have made the setting specific to one geography, and noted that the village can be "any village" in this setting.

References

Sources

*David Ewen, ''Encyclopedia of Concert Music''. New York; Hill and Wang, 1959.

External links

The Incredible Flutist
performed by the

Boston Civic Symphony The Boston Civic Symphony is the second oldest orchestra in Boston, Massachusetts. History The Boston Civic Symphony was founded in 1924 by Joseph Wagner. The group performs at the New England Conservatory in Jordan Hall Jordan Hall is a ...

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

Ballets by Walter Piston 1938 ballet premieres {{ballet-stub