Widor: Suite, Op. 34 for Flute and Piano

The name Widor is so closely associated with music for the organ that his many compositions for other instruments can easily be overlooked. The Suite for Flute and Piano, presumably composed in 1877, stands out amongst chamber music works on account of the wealth of expressive and tonal nuances. The late Romantic work is specially tailored to the possibilities of the flute; and it is no accident that it was dedicated to the most important French flautist and flute teacher of the time, Paul Taffanel, who gave its first performance in 1884. From the very beginning the four-movement Suite has been very popular and now belongs to the core repertoire for flute and piano.