Mozart "Kegelstatt" Trio arranged for Alto Flute, Viola, and Piano

SOMERVILLE, Mass. - Jan. 6, 2017 - PRLog -- Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC (NSM) is an online sheet music publishing enterprise with a catalog of >150 editions, most of which are unavailable from other sources.  NSM specializes in, but is not limited to, sheet music for flute and alto flute.  They offer original contemporary works by distinguished American composers, facsimile editions of rare historical scores, and unique transcriptions of pieces from the classical repertoire.  Selected NSM publications are offered as professionally-printed hard copy versions, and most of NSM's catalog listings are available as convenient pdf downloads from the NSM website (www.NoteworthySheetMusic.com).

The Trio in E-flat major, K.498, was composed by W. A. Mozart in 1786.  Later nicknamed the "Kegelstatt" Trio, the piece was scored originally for clarinet, viola, and piano; but the Trio works remarkably well substituting alto flute for clarinet.  Noteworthy Sheet Music recently received transcriptions of the "Kegelstatt" Trio clarinet part for alto flute from two of their most experienced and proficient arrangers, John W. Pratt and Peter H. Bloom.  That both arrangers chose to create a "Kegelstatt" part for alto flute, and that their transcriptions were nearly identical, attests to the value of adapting this Mozart clarinet part and its natural fit for alto flute.  The newly-published NSM edition includes Mr. Pratt's alto flute part as well as a program note written by Mr. Bloom for his upcoming alto flute performances of the "Kegelstatt" Trio with Ensemble Aubade (Peter H. Bloom, flutes; Francis Grimes, viola; and Mary Jane Rupert, piano/harp).

Here is Mr. Bloom's program note, © P. H. Bloom, 2016, reproduced with permission from NSM:

"The nickname for Mozart's delightful and masterfully constructed Trio (K. 498), "Kegelstatt" (Bowling-alley), amusingly refers to the broader context and not the specific origin of the work.  The composer did include a note, in the July 27, 1786 manuscript of duets for horns, suggesting that he had penned that work (K. 487) while bowling ("Kegelscheiben") (!).  The trio here, K. 498, was written about a week later and without any indication that the composer had been multi-tasking; yet the affectionate sobriquet endures.

Mozart's original orchestration called for clarinet, viola, and piano.  Likely seeking broader sales, the first published edition (Artaria, 1788) specified violin in lieu of clarinet.  Surely the composer approved.  And we're certain that Mozart would concur that the alto-flute provides the perfect principal voice for this splendid trio."

The "Kegelstatt" Trio alto flute part is available as a downloadable PDF accessed from the NSM website at https://noteworthysheetmusic.com/score-descriptions/5-transcriptions-alto-flute/475-mozart-kegelstatt-trio-alto-flute.  The webpage also provides a link to a free preview page of the part.

Visit www.NoteworthySheetMusic.com for additional information about the new release mentioned above and other NSM editions.  New sheet music selections are uploaded often, along with preview pages, contributing composer biographies, useful links, reviews and articles.