Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, Op. 39 (Flute and Piano)

Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, Op. 39 (Flute and Piano) By Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961), Published By Theodore Presser, Includes flute part and piano score. Duration: 25′.

Liebermann is one of the most prolific of composers for the flute, having written three concertos for the instrument (including a piccolo concerto and a flute and harp concerto) and (one with piano accompaniment, the other with guitar) in addition to a soliloquy for unaccompanied flute. This dramatic and Romantic flute concerto is one of the most important twentieth-century additions to the repertory of the instrument, inline with the concerti of Ibert, Nielsen, and Khachaturian. Written for and premiered by James Galway in 1992, the National FluteAssociationnamed it the best new work for the instrument in 1994.

This work, along with Liebermann’s Sonata Op. 23, is a critical addition to all conservatory and professional flutist’s libraries.

This Piece made it onto our list ofThe 19 Best Flute Concertos Not by Mozart.

Coming in at number 3 in our list of top Concertos of all time is the 1993 masterpiece by Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961). The first movement is an exquisite tone poem reminiscent of a movie score with violent outbursts of jazzy syncopation. The middle movement – difficult to interpret by most standards – is a slow, beautiful crescendo that finally resolves to a permanent 9th suspension, and the finale throws the soloist into a front-and-center role with full virtuosity on display. The last two pages or so of the third movement easily prove any flutists technical worth. The full work is a true masterpiece that we are lucky to be able to call our own.