Twenty Pieces: Flute (or Violin) & Piano Book

These pieces strike a rare balance: they're immediately musical and genuinely rewarding to play, yet they're grounded in authentic Baroque style. Rather than simplified arrangements of famous works, you're getting Lully's own instrumental writing, which teaches phrasing, ornamentation, and line-spinning naturally through the repertoire itself.

Elegant, conversational, and deeply French. Each piece unfolds with grace and clear melodic logic, never hurried or overwrought. There's an aristocratic refinement here, yet the music feels human and direct; these are not abstract exercises but genuine, singable melodies that ring true across centuries.

Intermediate to advanced flutists building their foundation in Baroque solo repertoire, or violinists who want accessible early French music. These pieces work equally well in solo recital or studio settings, and they're substantial enough to hold their own in concert programming.

• Shape each phrase with gentle dynamic contours rather than keeping the line flat. Baroque flute naturally brightens and darkens with embouchure and air speed; use this to bring Lully's melodies to life.
• Coordinate articulation with the piano to ensure clarity without sounding choppy. Lully expects clean tonguing, but legato phrasing within each gesture.
• Let the piano's harmonic language guide your interpretation of ornamentation and cadences. These pieces were written for continuo awareness, so listen closely to how the accompaniment traces harmonic rhythm and phrase shape.
• Treat repeats as opportunities to add subtle embellishments on the second statement, staying true to the Baroque practice of varied repetition.

Lully's pieces work beautifully as either a complete Baroque suite or as standalone numbers paired with later works. Use them to anchor a recital program in historical style, or program several shorter pieces as a set between larger contemporary works to add variety and breathing room.

• French Baroque phrasing and ornamentation practices
• Balancing solo line with accompaniment texture
• Reading and interpreting figured bass implications without relying on a realization
• Stylistically informed articulation and dynamic shaping across multiple contrasting pieces
• Flexibility between legato melody and clean, supported tonguing