Blavet, M :: Six Sonatas, op. 2 - Book 2: Sonatas 4-6

Apart from some stage works, Blavet composed mainly for flute. His surviving output for the instrument includes a concerto and three books of sonatas. The present works are part of the second book published in 1732 as Sonates melees de pieces pour la flute-tranersiere, Op. 2. While Blavet was one of the first flute composer to write in the new sonata style derived from Italy, this book combines that style with elements of the traditional suite favored by his predecessors, La Barre and Hotteterre le Romain: italianate sonata movements, marked Adagio, Allegro or Presto, rub shoulders with dance movements like the allemande, gavotte, rondeau and tambourin.

Several pieces in the collection also have character titles. While individual titles do not always have a close connection with the pieces concerned, it may be helpful to know that Le lutin is goblin and that La Deadly refers either to the Daedalus of Greek legend or to the labyrinth he built in Crete. A caquates literally means cackles but here is more likely to mean idle gossip, while Les genres badinages suggests loving banter or gentle teasing. The remaining titles are either self-evident or refer to specific people.

The present edition was first produced between 1908 and 1913, well before the current vogue for authentic performance. It assumed a post-Boehm flute and piano accompaniment. As such, it still has considerable value for those learning the modern instrument and without access to a harpsichord. The editor took a number of liberties with Blavet s notations.