Auf dem Strom, Op.119, by Franz Schubert

Obbligato transcribed for Bass Flute by C. A. Vater

Piano Score and Parts for Voice and Bass Flute, PDF $9.50

The great Austrian composer Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) was a master at creating extremely beautiful, melodic, emotional lieder.  His song Auf dem Strom (On the River) provided a musical setting for the text of the eponymous poem written by the German poet and music critic Ludwig Rellstab.  The lyrics tell the story of a sad parting, of the yearning and loneliness that sets in as the narrator bids farewell to a loved one on shore, while his river journey carries him away towards the sea.  The premier performance of Auf dem Strom took place in Schubert's 1828 public concert, during which the obbligato part was played by Josef Lewy on horn, the instrument for which the obbligato was written and which undoubtedly can provide an appropriately mournful, sentimental character to the piece.  However, an alternate obbligato version for cello was also published.  Now, with all respect, and at the suggestion of our flutist colleague Peter H. Bloom, we offer a bass flute version of the obbligato.  Most of the transposed horn part falls nicely within the sweet range of the bass flute, and very few adaptations were required.  Though clearly having different sonic qualities than a horn, the bass flute lends a forlorn, haunting, earthy tone that can well do justice to this Schubert song.  After giving the bass flute obbligato a try, Mr. Bloom commented: "Fabulous! // The tone-color of the bass flute for this number is gorgeous."

Piano score, 19 pages; Bass Flute part, 4 pages; Total, 32 pages.

Ecstasy, Op.19 No.2, by Mrs. H. H. A. Beach

Two versions, for "Low voice (in Db)" or "High voice (in Eb)", with Alto Flute Obbligato (transcribed) and Piano.
Alternative parts for Alto Flute Solo and Bb Clarinet Obbligato.
Program Notes by Peter H. Bloom.

Piano Scores, Voice Parts, Alto Flute Obbligato Parts, and alternative Alto Flute Solo Parts and Clarinet Obbligato Parts; PDF $8.99

Noteworthy Sheet Music was thrilled to publish our edition of Amy Marcy Cheney Beach's song Ecstasy in 2017, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth. The idea to make Ecstasy available to a broader combination of players and singers came from flutist Peter H. Bloom, who proposed that the piece would be an excellent vehicle with which instructors might inform students (early and advanced alike) about interpretation of the highly romantic late 19th century idiom. To that end, we have packaged together in a single edition Mrs. H. H. A. Beach's two versions of Ecstasy, for "low voice (in Db)" and "high voice (in Eb)", with each version including transcriptions of the obbligato (originally for violin) for either alto flute in G or clarinet in Bb, and an alternative solo part in the form of an alto flute transcription of the voice line. Thus, multiple performance variations are possible, including high or low voice and piano with either alto flute or clarinet obbligato, or fully instrumental versions for alto flute and piano, or two alto flutes and piano, or alto flute, clarinet, and piano. 

Scores, 8 pages (4 pages each version); Voice parts, 2 pages (1 page each version); Alto Flute Obbligatos, 2 pages (1 page each version); Clarinet Obbligatos, 2 pages (1 page each version); Alto Flute solo parts, 2 pages (1 page each version); Total, 20 pages.

"Kegelstatt" Trio in E-flat major, K.498, by W. A. Mozart

Clarinet part transcribed for Alto Flute by John W. Pratt, with a Program Note by Peter H. Bloom

Alto Flute Part, PDF $7.99

Our edition includes only the alto flute transcription of the clarinet part; the original piano score and viola part are in the public domain and may be downloaded free of charge from IMSLP.org as good quality PDFs.

Alto Flute part, 6 pages; Total, 10 pages.

Romanze, by Max Reger

Transcribed for Alto Flute in G and Piano by C.A.Vater

Alto Flute Part and Piano Score, PDF $4.99

Reger's Romanze is a lovely, short piece in G major, consisting of a single movement, Andante con moto. Written in 1902 for violin (or cello) and piano, the work was published by Breitkopf und Härtel ca.1920 and is now in the public domain. Numerous arrangements and transcriptions of the Romanze, including those for C-flute, trumpet, cello, clarinet, viola, or alto saxophone and piano, and even one for oboe and accordion, attest to the piece's popularity. The Romanze works beautifully on alto flute, and Noteworthy Sheet Music's 2016 edition includes both our transcribed alto flute part and a re-notated piano score.

Cover image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, PD-old: "Bavarian Landscape", by Albert Bierstadt (1830–1902).

Alto Flute Part, 1 page; Score 2 pages; Total, 6 pages.

Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, Op.129, by F. Schubert 

Voice Part Transcribed for Alto Flute in G by Carol A. Vater

Alto Flute Part, PDF $5.99

NSM published Peter H. Bloom's alto flute transcription of the clarinet obbligato from Schubert's Shepherd on the Rock in 2012. Please find information about that publication in our article for that edition. Later we realized that the voice part, which I (cav) have performed on flute in a flute/clarinet/piano group, would work much better when played on alto flute. So we created a transcription of the vocal part for alto flute. This alto flute transcription is to be played in an entirely instrumental version of Der Hirt auf dem Felsen for alto flute, clarinet (or alto flute), and piano, which as noted by Mr. Bloom, is "an ideal didactical vehicle for coaching the developing flutist in the art of rhetorical performance as well as a splendid concert/recital piece." Our alto flute transcription of the voice part is a simple transposition requiring no octave changes; the part falls naturally and beautifully within the alto flute range. The clarinet part and piano score are freely available at IMSLP.org.

Alto Flute part (in lieu of voice), 5 pages of music; Total, 10 pages.