Six Sonatas: Flute, Solo with Piano, Book

These sonatas occupy a rare sweet spot: they are substantial enough to reward serious study, yet accessible to intermediate flutists who have solid fundamentals. The variety of keys across the six works lets you program them individually or as a sequence, and the realized piano part by Wittenbecher handles all the harmonic sophistication without requiring a harpsichord or period accompanist.

These sonatas balance Baroque structural clarity with an 18th-century elegance that feels less elaborate than J.S. Bach's own works and more intimate than later Classical sonatas. Each movement unfolds with measured grace, inviting the flutist to sing through sustained passages while navigating gentle scalar runs and the occasional ornamented cadence.

Intermediate to advanced flutists preparing solo repertoire for recitals, competitions, or degree requirements. These sonatas suit players who have progressed past basic etude work and are ready to engage with Baroque-galant style conventions, including ornament realization and period-appropriate articulation.

• Shape each movement's long melodic lines with gentle rubato; the flute part sings naturally when you resist the urge to mechanically subdivide the beat.
• Coordinate articulation with your pianist beforehand. The piano realization varies in texture and density from sonata to sonata, and clarity depends on matching attack points and release timing.
• Balance the printed continuo line against the realized keyboard part. If your score includes both, decide whether the extra bass line enriches or muddies the texture in your performance space.
• Attend to the cadential passages with particular care. Bach's sons often signal structural points through harmonic rhythm and figured-bass convention; clear phrasing here anchors the listener.

Offer these works as solo recital repertoire for your advanced students, or program individual sonatas on chamber recitals alongside other Baroque-era wind literature. The variety of keys allows you to select complementary works in contrasting or related tonalities, and the moderate length of each sonata makes them suitable for both formal concert programs and studio masterclass demonstrations.

• Baroque phrasing and articulation conventions in the galant style
• Ornamentation and realization of typical 18th-century flute figures
• Ensemble listening and balance with a piano accompaniment
• Interpretation of figured-bass notation and continuo conventions
• Long-line singing on the flute across multiple movement types (fast, slow, dance forms)