Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowsky

Kinderalbum für Flöte und Klavier

Tomorrow I am going to write a collection of miniatures for children. For some time I have been thinking it would be good to alleviate the dearth of musical literature for children.' (From a letter Tchaikovsky wrote to Nadezhda von Meck on 30 April 1878)
Tchaikovsky's collection of piano pieces for children is subtitled 'Collection of easy pieces in the style of Schumann.'
The instruments Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky studied included the flute but he never wrote any music for it. How ever many of the miniatures from the Album for Children suit the flute perfectly - from the expressive and romantic Morning Prayer and Sweet Dream to the more technical Mazurka and Neapolitan Song. These touchingly lyrical miniatures and almost virtuosic dance pieces arranged for flute and piano will be loved by young flautists and met with enthusiasm by concert audiences.