The Swedish Flute

Tobias Carron, Ale Möller, Gunilla von Bahr, Göran Månsson, Svenska Blockflöjtskvartetten, Maria Bania, Peter Fridholm, Manuela Wiesler, Ulf Bergström, Alf Andersen, Bengt Christiansson, Magnus Bäckström

In the eleventh instalment of the Caprice Records series about Swedish classical music, we have reached an instrument (or rather an instrument type!) that has had a special position in both Swedish and the global music history. The flute has followed man in some form almost as long as we have had music at all. In Sweden, different types of flutes almost dominated folk music until the violin reached our latitudes, noticeable by the huge variety of local designs with different ranges and timbres created throughout history.

This 40-track collection aims to highlight the diversity of different types of instruments, ways of playing, and genres that the flute represents in Sweden. Here you will find everything from the familiar concert flute and recorders of all sizes, to the primitive but fabulous willow flute and the dark sounding Härjedalen flute.


The modern flute has been dedicated a large number of works by Swedish classical composers, highly valued for its airy, expressive, and yet warm tone. Already during the baroque era, Johann Helmich Roman wrote a large number of sonatas for its ancestor, the key-less traverso flute. During the 20th century, many works were written with the concert flute in the very centre, and even the recorder began to receive more attention by the more curious composers.

One explanation for the survival and popularity of the flute in Sweden may also be that the recorder has long been a popular instrument for use in elementary school music education – an instrument that really fits the description “a day to learn the basics, a lifetime to master.”

The music on these recordings is performed by some of Sweden’s most prominent musicians, such as Ale Möller, Tobias Carron, Göran Månsson, Gunilla von Bahr and Maria Bania, as well as Kungliga Filharmonikerna and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra led by Osmo Vänskä and Leif Segerstam.

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Show playlist

    • 1.
      Dance Suite No. 1 for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Percussion Music: Karl-Birger Blomdah

    • 2.
      Flute Sonata No. 3 in C Minor: I. Largo Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 3.
      Flute Sonata No. 3 in C Minor: II. Allegro Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 4.
      Flute Sonata No. 3 in C Minor: III. Adagio Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 5.
      Flute Sonata No. 3 in C Minor: IV. Vivace Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 6.
      Flute Sonata No. 3 in C Minor: V. Alla francese: Con spirito Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 7.
      Träpipvalsen Music: Olof Jönsson/Jonas Jönsson

    • 8.
      Village Music: I. Four Voices Music: Albert Schnelzer

    • 9.
      Village Music: II. Dance Music Music: Albert Schnelzer

    • 10.
      Village Music: III. Variations Music: Albert Schnelzer

    • 11.
      Vismelodi på sälgpipa Music: Traditional

    • 12.
      Concerto for Flute and Orchestra Music: Sven-David Sandström

    • 13.
      Flauto d'inverno, Op. 16 Music: Åke Hermanson

    • 14.
      Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Cello, Op. 31: I. Andante Music: Dag Wirén

    • 15.
      Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Cello, Op. 31: II. Intermezzo - Vivace Music: Dag Wirén

    • 16.
      Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Cello, Op. 31: III. Lento espressivo Music: Dag Wirén

    • 17.
      Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Cello, Op. 31: IV. Tema con variazioni Music: Dag Wirén

    • 18.
      Silhouette (arr. for flute and guitar) Music: Lars Gullin

    • 19.
      Växlingar Music: Gunnar Valkare

    • 20.
      Sonata for Solo Flute: I. Andante liberamente cantando Music: Sven-Erik Bäck

    • 21.
      Sonata for Solo Flute: II. Allegro Music: Sven-Erik Bäck

    • 22.
      Sonata for Solo Flute: III. Moderato Music: Sven-Erik Bäck

    • 23.
      Hör du flicka på ett enda ord Music: Olof Jönsson

    • 24.
      Flauto del sole, Op. 19 Music: Åke Hermanson

    • 25.
      Flute Sonata No. 9 in C Major: I. Cantabile Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 26.
      Flute Sonata No. 9 in C Major: II. Vivace Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 27.
      Flute Sonata No. 9 in C Major: III. Andante Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 28.
      Flute Sonata No. 9 in C Major: IV. Allegro Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 29.
      Flute Sonata No. 9 in C Major: V. Minuetto Music: Johan Helmich Roman

    • 30.
      Sälgflöjtshalling efter Mats Berglund Music: Traditional

    • 31.
      Tango Flautando Music: Ingvar Karkoff

    • 32.
      Concertino for Flute, Oboe, Cor Anglais and Cello: I. Adagio Music: Ingvar Lidholm

    • 33.
      Concertino for Flute, Oboe, Cor Anglais and Cello: II. Sonata Music: Ingvar Lidholm

    • 34.
      Concertino for Flute, Oboe, Cor Anglais and Cello: III. Canon Music: Ingvar Lidholm

    • 35.
      Concertino for Flute, Oboe, Cor Anglais and Cello: IV. Finale ritmico Music: Ingvar Lidholm

    • 36.
      Suoni d'un flauto, Op. 6 Music: Åke Hermanson

    • 37.
      Vauxhall: II. Flauto solo (Diana) Music: Ture Tangström

    • 38.
      Polska efter Timas Hans, 'Många flickor dom är klara som en sol' Music: Traditional

    • 39.
      Tarantella Music: Carin Bartosch Östenberg

    • 40.
      Rallarmarsch Music: Olof Jönsson

  • Total playtime
CAP 80017 // Swedish Classical Music // Releasedate: 8 June, 2018