Thirty Studies for Flute Solo – Karg-Elert

Having no intention to repeat truisms, I still can’t help but write about my attitude towards virtuosity: virtuosity doesn’t cost a thing if playing doesn’t come from a heart. Contrariwise, if music is sincere, it need not be technically complex; a piece can be simple in its structure or harmony yet be regarded as a masterpiece.

As for an adjective best describing studies and what they usually aren’t, it is perhaps “interesting.” While learning, one usually thinks not about enjoyment but rather about how exhausting exercises will be rewarded handsomely in the future. Still some studies can be a real pleasure to play – take Thirty Studies for Flute Solo, written in a form of capriccio, a form quite lively and cheerful. German composer Sigfrid Karg-Elert composed them for his friend, a flutist and recruit, to make the latter's military service less dead-alive. Thanks to his good intentions, Studies now are pretty much a part of every aspiring flutist’s repertoire. Download them here: Thirty Studies for Flute Solo, Op.107.