The Virtuoso Flute

This album, *The Virtuoso Flute*, presents a collection of 19th-century flute works performed by Robert Aitken, Per Øien, and Elisabeth Westenholz. It highlights the golden age of the flute, a period when the instrument flourished in concert halls and salons across Europe.

The program includes Paul Taffanel’s *Fantaisie sur Der Freischütz*, showcasing both brilliance and lyricism, and Friedrich Kuhlau’s *Introduction et Rondo, Op. 98*, a virtuosic work inspired by Onslow’s opera *Le Colporteur*. Niccolò Paganini’s *Caprice No. 24*, arranged by Lambros Callimahos, pushes the flute to its technical limits with dazzling harmonics and rapid articulation.

Camille Saint-Saëns’ *Adagio et Variation* from *Airs de Ballet d’Ascanio* offers elegant expressivity, while Theobald Boehm’s *Grande Polonaise* demonstrates the innovations of the man who revolutionized the modern flute. The album also features works by the Doppler brothers, including their *Fantaisie pastorale hongroise*, which blends Hungarian folk influences with Parisian charm.

This recording captures the virtuosity and expressive range of the 19th-century flute repertoire, performed by some of the instrument’s finest interpreters.