Alto fluteThe alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, pitched below the standard C flute and the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third-most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the piccolo. It is characterized by its rich, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range.Contra-alto fluteThe contra-alto flute is a large member of the flute family, pitched between the bass and the contrabass. It is a transposing instrument either in G (a perfect fourth below the bass and one octave below the alto) or in F (a perfect fifth below the bass and a major ninth below the alto). The instrument's body is held vertically with an adjustable floor peg similar to that of the bass clarinet.
The PlanetsThe Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and reflects its astrological significance.
Benjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other vocal music, orchestral and chamber pieces. His best-known works include the opera Peter Grimes (1945), the War Requiem (1962) and the orchestral showpiece The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1945).
Katherine HooverKatherine Hoover (December 2, 1937 – September 21, 2018) was an American composer of contemporary classical music and chamber music, flutist, composition and theory educator, poet, and conductor. Her career as a composer began in the 1970s, when few women composers earned recognition in classical music. She composed pieces for solo flute, mixed ensembles, chamber orchestra, choir, full orchestra, and many other combinations of instruments and voice.
Western concert fluteThe Western concert flute can refer to the common C concert flute or to the family of transverse (side-blown) flutes to which the C flute belongs. Almost all are made of metal or wood, or a combination of the two. A musician who plays the flute is often called a "flautist" in British English and a "flutist" in American English.
Abelardo AlbisiAbelardo Albisi (1872–1938) was an Italian flutist and instrument maker and composer. He was first flutist of the orchestra at La Scala for many years. In 1910 he invented the albisiphone, a type of bass flute. The instrument achieved some popularity in Italy and was notably included in the scores of several operas by Riccardo Zandonai and Pietro Mascagni, and in symphonic music by Friedrich Klose among other composers.
Gustav HolstGustav Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, he composed many other works across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success. His distinctive compositional style was the product of many influences, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss being most crucial early in his development.
Pietro MascagniPietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the Verismo movement in Italian dramatic music.
EmbouchureEmbouchure (English: ) or lipping is the use of the lips, facial muscles, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument. This includes shaping the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind or brass instrument. The word is of French origin and is related to the root bouche, 'mouth'. Proper embouchure allows an instrumentalist to play an instrument at its full range with a full, clear tone and without strain or damage to their muscles.
Riccardo ZandonaiRiccardo Zandonai (28 May 1883 – 5 June 1944) was an Italian composer and conductor. BiographyZandonai was born in Borgo Sacco, Rovereto, then part of Austria-Hungary. As a young man, he showed such an aptitude for music that he entered the Pesaro Conservatorio in 1899 and completed his studies in 1902; he completed the nine-year curriculum in only three years. Among his teachers was Pietro Mascagni, who regarded him highly.Western concert flute familyThe Western concert flute family has a wide range of instruments.
TimbreIn music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instruments. It also enables listeners to distinguish instruments in the same category (e.g., an oboe and a clarinet, both woodwind instruments).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.