Piccolo
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20th century
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Solo repertoire
Piccolo
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Boisson Felix
Adler, Samuel
Andersen, Joachim
Auric, Georges
Baksa, Andreas
Beaser, Robert
Benshoof, Ken
Boisson, Felix
Bonnisseau, Frédéric
Chamberlain, Nicole
Damase, Jean-Michel
Daugherty, Michael
Dehnhard, Tilmann
Donatoni, Franco
Dorff, Daniel
Harberg, Amanda
Huylebroeck, Jan
Jacob, Gordon
Janáček, Leoš
Koechlin, Charles
Krek, Uroš
Lavista, Mario
Liebermann, Lowell
Loeb, David
Mălăncioiu, Gabriel
Martinů, Bohuslav
Meltzer, Harold
Morlacchi, Pietro
Mower, Mike
Musgrave, Thea
Papandopulo, Boris
Persichetti, Vincent
Poulenc, Francis
Reichert, Matthieu Andre
Rotaru, Doina
Schocker, Gary
Silva, Pattápio
Smith, Matt
Vivaldi, Antonio
Wilder, Alec
Yun, Isang
"Pipelette" for piccolo and piano
"Pipelette" for piccolo and piano
Felix Boisson: "Pipelette" for piccolo and piano is a representative polka from the heyday of turn-of-the-century dance music (late 19th/early 20th century).
This piece, subtitled "Polka, étude pour le triple coup de langue" (Polka, study for triple-tonguing), was composed as a technical study specifically to master triple-tonguing articulation. The work was revised and arranged for modern performance by the renowned piccolo specialist Jean-Louis Beaumadier and published by Éditions Billaudot in 2018 as part of the "The French Flutists propose" collection.
During the years Boisson was active (mid-to-late 19th century), the piccolo and flute were undergoing significant technical evolutions in France. Works like Pipelette were part of a broader trend of composing light, brilliant salon pieces and technical studies that showcased the agility of the new Boehm-system instruments.
As a composer born in 1846, Boisson lived through the "Golden Age" of the French woodwind tradition, where such polkas were staple repertoire for both military bands and conservatory examinations.
Boisson Felix
Felix Boisson (1846–1921) was a French composer and musician active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period often regarded as the "Golden Age" of the French woodwind tradition.
Boisson grew up during a time of significant technical evolution for wind instruments in France, particularly following the adoption of the Boehm system.
While specific details of his early childhood are obscure, his compositional style and focus on technical brilliance strongly align with the French Flute School. His works suggest a background steeped in the pedagogical traditions of the Paris Conservatory, where light but technically demanding salon pieces were used to refine the virtuosity of students.
Boisson is primarily remembered today for his contributions to the piccolo and flute repertoire, specifically works that blend the popular dance forms of his time with rigorous technical training.
Most of his other output consists of similar "genre pieces": polkas, waltzes, and technical etudes. That was the staple repertoire for French military bands and salon performances during his lifetime.