Customer Reviews

Guitar/Flute Duets MFM 69 (Classical Guitar)

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This two-book set (one for guitar and one for flute) has the sheet music of 47 duets for intermediate players.

`Guitar and Flute Duets' is an excellent and long-lasting value, especially if you play the flute and have a classical guitar player in the house, or of course vice versa.

I'm an intermediate player resuming after many years of inactivity: I found I could play many of the Bach, Mozart and Beethoven pieces in the collection. None were too easy to be boring, and some were just beyond reach at first. I also enjoyed the Dowland, Handel, and there's a really great slow sensual Corelli piece too.

There are also pieces by Purcell, Telemann, Chopin, Schubert, Granados, Tarrega and others, some waltzes and Spanish pieces which we haven't played at all. I'm just mentioning them so you can get an idea of the range of music in the book.

After thirty years I feel I would like to say a few words about my collection of arrangements. It was produced after the publisher asked me to make a book of flute/guitar duets while I was teaching in Berkeley California- I gave it my best shot. I admit it has a few weaknesses, but also quite a few strengths. I selected from various sources - piano collections, guitar solos,and other - some work really well: the Recuerdos, the Corelli, the Playera by Granados, the Chopin Prelude in E minor. Some not so well - the Bach Siciliano is too hard for the guitarist ( although it sounds well if you can play it!), the Hayden Serenade has been ( criminally!) shortened, Beethoven and Mozart should have been left well alone! All in all though, the book has sold steadily for thirty years, and has been useful for gigs ( the guitarist can usually rely on the flutist or violinist to be able to sight read their parts fine) and has been useful and liked as a variety of styles and "playabilities" for amateur players. If it has given pleasure to anyone over the years, I am happy. And no, it did not make me rich! ( I still teach guitar here in Melbourne Australia - and I've learned a bit over the years ( about guitar and arranging for it) since the book was written. I hope you find enjoyment from most of the pieces contained in the collection. Peter Draper ( Author)- December 2010

I play the classical guitar and my daughter play the flute. I thought that this music book could be a very good selection. And it was, in a sense that this is the only available one in the market.
First of all, the selection of the music. In my opinion, only one third of the selections are reasonable. I do not know what the author's quality of music is, but other two thirds are quite degrading if they were played with flute and guitar as were written in this book.
Second, the quality of transcription is also quite doubtful and not so high quality. Mostly low quality. For example, J.S. Bach's Siciliano. It's a good selection. But the playability of the guitar part does not match the quality of the sound it produces. It must have been transcribed by the person who does not know anything about guitar. If you look around, there is a sheet music of Siciliano for flute and guitar duet. Much easier than this one and much better quality (this is the one which was written by the person who knows how to play guitar).
Third, the level of flute and that of guitar do not match. The flute part is for beginner, and guitar part is intermediate or higher.
Unfortunately, this is the only one that is available in the market. I hope that someone who can actually play the classical guitar and have good musical quality may publish a better music book for flute and guitar.
If you are desperate, this book is OK. Otherwise, look around the individual sheet music. Or if you play guitar well and know how to write music a little bit or you can improvise, find the original music and add your own musicality.