Five Little Pieces (Five Whimsies) for Flute and Piano Cover Image

Five Little Pieces (Five Whimsies) for Flute and Piano: Flute, Solo with Piano, Book

$12.50 USD
$12.50 USD
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Five Little Pieces (Five Whimsies) for Flute and Piano Cover Image
Five Little Pieces (Five Whimsies) for Flute and Piano: Flute, Solo with Piano, Book

Five Little Pieces (Five Whimsies) for Flute and Piano: Flute, Solo with Piano, Book

By Mark Carlson

Grade: 4

Item: 36-BSMIS113
$12.50
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Description
Program note by Mark Carlson: Five Whimsies began as a work for my younger sister, Lisa, then a flutist in high school, and Awakening was written as a 15th birthday present for her in 1976. As the rest of the pieces progressed, I began to think of them more as performance pieces for me. In fact, I premiered Sally's Wedding as the bride's processional at my cousin Sally Boni's wedding in 1977. For many years entitled Five Little Pieces a sort of grad student joke, since when used in German (Fuenf Kleine Stuecke) for the title of a Webern work it sounds profound to us Americans - I retitled it when I realized that flutists took the title to mean that the pieces are easy. But in the same way that Schumann's Kinderszenen conveys the naivete and playfulness of childhood without actually being easy to play, these pieces are intended for a flutist with chops.

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Additional Details
Series: Black Squirrel Music - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 8-89-270473-7
ISBN13: 979-8-89-270473-1
UPC: 659359670039
SKU: 36-BSMIS113
Instrumentation: Flute, Piano

More about this title

About the Composer: Mark Carlson

Mark Carlson is a composer whose work spans chamber music, solo instrumental pieces, and vocal settings. His compositions often blend accessibility with genuine musical substance, challenging performers to develop real technical and interpretive skills rather than merely playing through notes. Carlson's gift for writing idiomatically for instruments is evident in how his pieces sit naturally under the hands while demanding musicianship from those who play them.

Why we love this

Carlson refuses the false choice between accessible and artistically demanding. These five pieces have the melodic charm and approachability of salon music, yet demand real fluency from the flutist: secure upper register work, rhythmic precision, and the musical maturity to distinguish whimsy from simplicity. A Grade 4 piece that respects both the performer and the listener.

What to expect

These pieces balance wry humor with genuine sentiment. Awakening feels like a quiet moment of reflection; Sally's Wedding carries ceremonial warmth tinged with gentle irony. Together they create an intimate recital collection that showcases the flute's lyrical range without demanding pyrotechnics.

Who it's for

Flutists who have progressed beyond repertoire that coddles them and who want to perform pieces written with genuine affection for the instrument. Teachers seeking concert-ready material that challenges upper intermediate players without requiring virtuosity for its own sake.

How to get the most out of it

  • Treat each piece as a character study. Sally's Wedding needs bridal processional poise; Awakening requires introspection. Let the emotional distinct color of each piece shape your phrasing and tone production.
  • Balance the flute's line against the piano without overshadowing it. Carlson writes the accompaniment as a genuine partner, not mere backdrop, so dialogue matters as much as solo voice.
  • Lock articulation details early in rehearsal. The rhythmic clarity and lightness these pieces demand won't emerge from vague ensemble feel; nail the specifics of tonguing and breath placement with your pianist.

How to use it

Program this as a complete five-piece suite on a flute recital to demonstrate both range and personality, or extract individual pieces for variety in mixed concerts. The salon quality makes them work equally well in informal settings or formal recitals; their charm reads clearly in either context.

Skills your students will build

  • Secure passagework in the upper register
  • Musical characterization and phrasing across contrasting moods
  • Balance and ensemble listening with piano accompaniment
  • Rhythmic precision in articulated figures
  • Sustaining lyrical lines with consistent tone quality

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