Casella

Sicilienne et Burlesque

With a huge range of repertoire existing for the Flute, Italian composer Alfredo Casella's Sicilienne et Burlesque stands out as an extremely evocative and inspiring piece, composed, notably, as WWI broke out across Europe. Having studied at the Paris Conservatoire from 1896 under the direction of Gabriel Fauré, Casella received an exceedingly high standard of education. His clear compositional ability and understanding of the Flute is portrayed in his Sicilienne et Burlesque through the use of advanced Flute techniques and brilliant ensemble devices, exploiting the duet between Flute and Piano. The Sicilienne is in a slow, compound time, significantly contrasted by the light and comedic Burlesque. These aspects combine to create an enjoyable and challenging piece for advanced flautists.