John Lemmoné
John Lemmoné wrote late Romantic character pieces for flute and piano that favour brilliance, charm and light virtuosity, in a salon manner close to the violin showpieces of his day.
Thirteen of those pieces are gathered on disc: caprices, waltzes, a Scottish fantasia and reveries with titles such as Wind Amongst the Trees and The Elves. The writing treats the flute as an instrument of high drama, humorous display and elfin charm, always with an eye to entertaining the room. Flash and sweetness matter more than restraint. Lemmoné was also Nellie Melba’s accompanist and musical director, and that concert-platform world shapes the music.
Compositions by John Lemmoné appear on
Kuri: Romantic Flute
Australian–Japanese flautist Masahide Kurita (“Kuri”) offers Romantic virtuoso works for solo flute and flute with piano, with Len Vorster. The selection includes Nielsen’s Fantasy Pieces, the Donizetti Sonata, Lemmoné’s Graceful Dance and Honegger’s Danse de la chèvre.