Joseph Bodin de Boismortier - 6 Concertos for five flutes Op. 15 (audio + sheet music)

In 1727, the date of publication of his Six Concertos pour cinq flûtes traversières ou autres instruments sans basse, oeuvre 15 (Six Concertos for five Transverse Flutes or Other instruments, without Bass, Opus 15) Boismortier had in mind the innovatory aspect of his collection. Since 1724, he had written duos for the unaccompanied flute (Opp. 1,2,6,8 and 13), solos with basso continuo (Opp. 3 and 9), trios with bass (Opp. 4 and 12) and without bass (Op. 7). Opus 7 of 1725 must have served as a preparatory exercise for the composer for the concertos for five flutes, for there was to be no other example in his entire output of such an instrumental combination. As always with Boismortler, the elaboration of a new musical form, adapted to a particular instrument, is not without importance. In fact, even if later it was said that Boismortier was the first to have introduced the Concerto into France, he must have drawn inspiration from contemporary attempts. Thus Michel Blavet, the first, had in 1726 offered to the Concert Spiritual his Concerto à quatre parties pour flûte, deux violons et basse non chiffrée (Concerto in Four Parts for Flute, Two Violins and Unfigured Bass). Much acclaimed, it entrusted to the flute for the first time very long passages in semiquavers, passages that recalled the violin or oboe concertos of an Albinoni or a Vivaldi. It was not until 1729, however, that Boismortier, with his Opus 26, followed Blavet’s example with a Concerto pour le violoncelle, viole ou basson (Concerto for Cello, Viol or Bassoon). Opus 21 of 1728, including Six Concertos pour les flûtes traversières, violons ou hautbois avec la basse (Six Concertos for Transverse Flutes, Violins or Oboes, with Bass) that Boismortier had already produced, was in reality only a collection of trio sonatas, as he said elsewhere himself: These can be played as trios, omitting the ripieno. There is nothing French about Opus 15. This was, in fact, the first time in his career that Boismortier dared to divide his pieces into three movements, fast-slow-fast, and give titles and directions in Italian. If in the sonatas we might express doubts about the too French form or titles, here everything is resolutely Italian. The Concertos for Five Flutes, to which Boismortier takes care to suggest a figured bass, do not fit completely the definition of the concerto proposed by Rousseau: Piece written for a particular instrument that plays alone from time to time with a simple accompaniment, after a beginning for full orchestra: and the piece continues thus, always alternating between the solo instrument and the orchestra. Certainly in the pieces by Boismortier we do not find the same spirit of conflict between the parts, but it is rather a matter of chamber concerto than solo concerto. Boismortier borrows from Rousseau’s definition the idea of an orchestral introduction, starting his concertos with a tutti of the five flutes, stating the tonality and the principal theme. A first duo follows, often in thirds, with first and second flutes constantly answering each other in a clever use of virtuoso characteristics. The fifth flute, given figuration in the score, accompanies as a bass to this solo. All the parts come together again for a new tutti, followed by another antiphonal passage for third and fourth flutes, supported by the “bass“. The ending brings onto the scene all the actors, who often finish in unison. The slow movements generally entrust their theme to the first flute, while the other instruments, taking the ripieno part, accompany it in slower notes. Boismortier turns again to the principle of the first movement for the finale of the work. Tonalities are perfectly suited to the melodic possibilities of the flute, G major, A minor, D major, B minor, A major and E minor. (Naxos Music Library) Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Feel free to change the video quality to a minimum of 480p for the best watching experience. Original audio: Le Concert Spirituel Ensemble (Jacques-Antoine Bresch, Jocelyn Daubigney, Anne Savignat, Vincent Touzet, and Jan de Winne) conducted by Herve Niquet(Naxos, 1997) Original sheet music: ,(Boismortier,_Joseph_Bodin_de) (Hans-Thomas Müller-Schmidt)