alto flute

Concerto in E-flat Major, K.447, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute (from horn and piano arrangement) by C.A.Vater

Alto Flute Part, PDF $5.99

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) wrote four horn concertos for his good friend Joseph Leutgeb (1732-1811).  Leutgeb was a virtuoso horn player, who served as principal horn in Salzburg and thus became a colleague of Leopold Mozart, during the young Wolfgang's early years.  Leutgeb appears to have remained a friend and inspiration for W. A. Mozart throughout the composer's life.

The Mozart horn concertos are delightful, joyous works.  The third horn concerto, K.447, like two of the three others, was written in the key of E-flat major.  It is thought to have been composed in 1787.   The work is in typical concerto form, consisting of three movements—an Allegro, a Romanze, and another Allegro, which together have an average performance duration time of approximately 15 minutes.

K.447, Concerto for Horn in E-flat major for Horn and Orchestra, is scored for solo horn in E-flat, with two clarinets, two bassoons, and strings.   Henri Kling (1842-1918), a horn player who was also a composer, conductor, and professor, arranged the concerto for horn and piano.  His transcription was published by Breitkopf und Härtel, n.d. (ca. 1890).  We used the Kling edition, now in the public domain and available as a free pdf download from imslp.org, to create a transcription of the horn part for alto flute.  Our edition incorporates adjustments that account for differences in range and sonority between the alto flute and horn, while striving to maintain the style and character of the original composition.

We provide the alto flute part only; the piano score (horn and piano) by Henri Kling is freely available from imslp.org.

Alto Flute part, 5 pages; Total, 8 pages.

Concerto in E-flat Major, K.495, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute (from horn and piano arrangement) by C.A.Vater

Alto Flute Part, PDF $7.99

Mozart's Horn Concerto No.4, K.495, was composed in 1786 and scored for solo horn, with two oboes, two horns, and strings (bassoon ad libitum).   The work consists of three movements—Allegro moderato, Romanza-Andante, and Rondo-Allegro vivace—with the rousing Rondo clearly evoking a hunt scene.   The horn player Henri Kling (1842-1918) created arrangements of all the Mozart horn concerti for horn and piano.   His transcription of K.495 was published by Breitkopf und Härtel, n.d. (ca. 1882).  We used the Kling edition, now in the public domain and available as a free pdf download from imslp.org, to create a transcription of the horn part for alto flute.  Our edition incorporates adjustments that account for differences in range and sonority between the alto flute and horn, while striving to maintain the style and character of the original composition.

We provide the alto flute part only; the piano score (horn and piano) by Henri Kling is freely available from imslp.org.

Alto Flute part, 7 pages; Total, 10 pages.

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

Transcribed for Alto Flute, Viola, and Piano 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.

Quintet, K.515, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Arranged for Flute Quintet by John W. Pratt (originally for strings)

Score and Parts for Flute 1, Flute 2, Alto Flute 1, Alto Flute 2, and Bass Flute, PDF $26.50

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote six quintets for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello.  Two of these, K.515 in C major and K.516 in G minor, are generally regarded as high points in Mozart’s, and indeed all, chamber music.  Performances of K.515 are infrequent, far less than such great music deserves, since there is not enough repertoire to support permanent string quintets and string quartets have an abundance of great music to play without needing to find an additional violist.  Adaptation to flute quintet is thus particularly apropos, as its textural possibilities apply also to a flute quintet, and its musical and emotional content are well worth viewing through the prism of five flutes.  Our edition includes a score as well as parts for two concert flutes, two alto flutes, and bass flute. (adapted from jwp’s foreword to the edition)

Score, 37 pages; Flute 1, 16 pages of music; Flute 2, 14 pages of music; Alto Flute 1, 16 pages of music; Alto Flute 2, 14 pages of music; and Bass Flute, 14 pages of music; Total, 124 pages. 

Quintet, K.516 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Arranged for Flute Quintet by John W. Pratt (originally for strings)

Score and Parts for Flute 1, Flute 2, Alto Flute 1, Alto Flute 2, and Bass Flute, PDF $23.50

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) wrote six quintets for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello.  Two of these, K.515 in C major and K.516 in G minor, are generally regarded as high points in Mozart’s, and indeed all, chamber music.   Adaptation of K.516 to flute quintet is apropos, as its textural possibilities apply also to a flute quintet, and its musical and emotional content are well worth viewing through the prism of five flutes.  In John Pratt’s arrangement, the work has been transposed up a step to better adapt to a flute ensemble.  Our edition includes a score as well as parts for two concert flutes, two alto flutes, and bass flute.

Score, 30 pages; Flute 1, 14 pages; Flute 2, 13 pages; Alto Flute 1, 14 pages; Alto Flute 2, 13 pages; and Bass Flute, 11 pages of music; Total, 106 pages. 

Sonata in A Major, K.305, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute and Piano by John W. Pratt

Alto Flute Part, PDF $3.99

Mozart's Sonata in A Major, K.305 is perhaps the most completely extroverted of the Mannheim sonatas.  Like K.302, it opens with four emphatically tonic bars, followed by a gentle, linear four-bar theme, all immediately repeated.  The second movement of K.305 is the only movement of the Mannheim sonatas in theme-and-variations form.  It is far from routine.  The theme has an unusual variety of rhythms and accompaniment figurations; the 32nd-note variation is the very first, not a later one; the minor variation is at the prevailing tempo, not slow; and a brief but telling piano cadenza interrupts the antepenultimate variation's peroration. (excerpted from JWP's foreword to the edition)

We provide the transcribed alto flute part—the piano score is available in the public domain as a free pdf download from imslp.org/.

Alto Flute part, 4 pages; Total, 6 pages.

Sonata in C Major, K.296, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute and Piano by John W. Pratt

Alto Flute Part, PDF $6.99

Mozart composed K.296 in 1778 under the same creative impulse as the other Mannheim violin sonatas, K.301‒306, but published it later, in 1781, with five other three-movement sonatas.  He dedicated it to his Mannheim landlord's 15-year old daughter, Therese-Pierron Serrarius, who perhaps inspired the turns lightening the opening fanfares, quick trills in the first theme, and contrasting textures and sparkling interplay between the instruments in the first movement.  The second movement is a beautiful arietta with wonderful opportunities for the alto flute to both present and accompany the melody.  In the concluding Rondo, in sonata-rondo form, the instruments repeatedly swap the theme and much of the episodic material. ―J. W. Pratt

We provide our transcription of the violin part for alto flute; the piano score is available in the public domain as a free pdf download from imslp.org/.

For additional information about the seven Mozart Mannheim sonatas and their alto flute transcriptions, please read the Mozart’s Mannheim Sonatas article written by Mr. Pratt; the article was originally published by Flute Focus and subsequently republished by NSM on our Resources – Reviews and Articles page.

Alto Flute part, 7 pages; Total, 10 pages.

Sonata in C Major, K.303, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute (and Piano) by John W. Pratt

Alto Flute Part, PDF $4.99

Both movements of Mozart's Sonata in C Major, K.303 are quite different from others of his 'Mannheim' set. The unusual first movement is in sonata form mixing retro and novel features—the whole first subject and transition to the dominant are adagio and considerably varied in the recapitulation, and there is no development. The second movement is an old-style minuet (without trio), ending with a pedal point terminating in a tremble.  Our transcription for alto flute shifts the violin part to a different octave in three short segments and we have substituted musically appropriate alternatives for the double stops.  We provide our transcription of the violin part for Alto Flute in G; the piano score is available in the public domain as a free pdf download from imslp.org/.

Alto Flute part, 5 pages; Total, 8 pages.

Sonata in D Major, K.306, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute and Piano by John W. Pratt

Alto Flute Part, PDF $9.99

Mozart's Sonata in D Major, K.306 is by far the longest and showiest of the 'Mannheim' sonatas, with three large-scale movements, some quasi orchestral textures, much doubling, and brilliant passage work.  The first movement's development expands four transitional bars of the exposition into a far-reaching harmonic excursion.  The recapitulation begins with the second subject and returns to the first so late it amounts to a coda, the only instance of 'mirror' sonata-form in the Mannheim set.  In contrast, the second movement, Andante cantabile, has a structurally orthodox sonata form, compressing and ornamenting the themes in the recapitulation, as befits the tempo.  The finale is an elaborate rondo alternating between allegretto in 2/4 and allegro in 6/8. (excerpted from JWP's foreword to the edition)

We provide our transcribed alto flute part; the piano score is available in the public domain as a free pdf download from imslp.org/.

Alto Flute part, 10 pages; Total, 12 pages.

Sonata in E minor, K.304, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute and Piano by John W. Pratt

Alto Flute Part, PDF $5.99

Mozart's second group of violin sonatas, the seven "Mannheim" sonatas of 1778, were begun in Mannheim where Mozart also worked on a flute commission.  The violin parts rarely make significant use of double stops and are in general very well suited to alto flute.  It is perhaps suggestive for performance that Mozart designated all his violin sonatas for "piano and violin".

Mozart's works in minor keys are rare and special: consider the G-minor quintet and Symphony No. 40.  The K.304 sonata is his only work in E minor and it is mysteriously compelling in its simplicity.  It was written the same summer that his mother died.   

We provide the transcribed alto flute part; the piano score is readily available in the public domain, free of charge.

For additional information about the seven Mozart Mannheim sonatas and their alto flute transcriptions, please read the Mozart’s Mannheim Sonatas article written by Mr. Pratt; the article was originally published by Flute Focus and subsequently republished by NSM on our Resources – Reviews and Articles page.

Alto Flute part, 5 pages; Total, 8 pages.