Paul Taffanel

Andante pastoral et Scherzettino

Paul Taffanel (born in Bordeaux on 16 September 1844, died in Paris on 21 November 1908) was solo flutist at the Paris Opéra comique and professor of flute at the Paris Conservatoire. Among the pupils of his class were Philippe Gaubert and Marcel Moyse, the greatest French flutists of their generation. It was perhaps the close relationship to his pupils who, according to Georges Barrère, were to him, without exception, 'musical sons', which makes Andante pastoral et Scherzettino stand out among his compositions. Dedicated to his favourite pupil Philippe Gaubert and composed in the last year of his life, its style is reminiscent of Fauré who for his part dedicated his famous Fantasia to his friend Taffanel. Energetic and richly colourful, the work demands a subtle interpretation, especially with regard to sound and technique.