Abstract:
In the 1940s two particularly significant pieces were commissioned by the Paris Conservatory to be used for the Solos de Concours, compositions that were written for students to play in their final examinations. Sonatine by Henri Dutilleux (1943) and Chant de Linos by André Jolivet (1944) were written one after the other for the concours and continue to be two of the most important and most frequently performed pieces of French flute repertoire. The Dutilleux and Jolivet concours for flute share characteristics with many of the concours that followed. The one movement three-section form of Dutilleux’s Sonatine is present in several of these concours. Jolivet’s Chant de Linos set a new standard for difficulty. The traditions of the French flute school continue with each performance of these pieces