Flute Concerto in D minor
Aram Khachaturian: Flute Concerto in D minor was written in 1940, originally as Violin Concerto in D minor. The transcription for flute was made by Jean-Pierre Rampal.
Khachaturian composed the original Violin Concerto in just two months during the summer of 1940 at a cottage near Moscow.
The 1940 work was dedicated to the legendary Soviet violinist David Oistrakh, who collaborated closely with the composer during its creation. Oistrakh premiered the Violin Concerto on November 16, 1940, in Moscow.
Khachaturian aimed to synthesize classical forms with Armenian folk influences, specifically the improvisational style of ashugs (troubadours), particularly evident in the second movement's "Oriental" melodic inflections.
Rampal approached Khachaturian in the 1960s to commission an original flute concerto. Khachaturian declined but suggested that the 1940 Violin Concerto was well-suited for the flute. With the composer’s permission and "carte blanche" for modifications, Rampal completed the transcription in 1968.
Rampal premiered his arrangement in 1968 and recorded it soon after with the National Orchestra of the O.R.T.F. under Jean Martinon.
In 1940, Khachaturian was establishing himself as a premier Soviet composer, completing the concerto shortly before his famous ballet Gayane (1942). The work was an immediate success and earned Khachaturian the Stalin Prize (State Prize) in 1941. During the war years, the concerto was frequently broadcast on Soviet radio to boost morale and foster national pride.
Jean Martinon (conductor), Orchestre National de l'ORTF, 1970, Erato / Warner Classics/
1. Allegro con fermezza
Jean Martinon (conductor), Orchestre National de l'ORTF, 1970, Erato / Warner Classics
2. Andante sostenuto
Jean Martinon (conductor), Orchestre National de l'ORTF, 1970, Erato / Warner Classics
3. Allegro vivace
Enrique Arturo Diemecke (conductor), Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, 2016, BIS / PLATOON
1. Allegro con fermezza
Enrique Arturo Diemecke (conductor), Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, 2016, BIS / PLATOON
2. Andante sostenuto
Enrique Arturo Diemecke (conductor), Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, 2016, BIS / PLATOON
3. Allegro vivace
Khachaturian Aram
Aram Khachaturian (1903–1978) was a Soviet-Armenian composer and conductor, recognized in 2026 as one of the three "titans" of Soviet music alongside Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
Born in Tiflis (now Tbilisi, Georgia) to an Armenian family, he was surrounded by the rich, multicultural folk music of the Caucasus. Remarkably, he did not begin formal music studies until age 19.
In 1922, he moved to Moscow and enrolled in the Gnessin Musical Institute to study cello. His natural talent for composition was quickly discovered, leading him to the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied under Nikolai Myaskovsky and Mikhail Gnessin, graduating in 1934.
Khachaturian’s style is defined by a "luscious" blend of Western classical forms and Armenian, Georgian, and Azerbaijani folk music. He utilized exotic scales, driving rhythms, and sensual melodies.
Even though he faced censure by the Soviet government for "formalism," his music remained popular for its accessibility and nationalistic fervor, eventually earning him four Stalin Prizes.
Among his most notable compositions: Piano Concerto in D-flat major (1936); Violin Concerto in D minor (1940); Masquerade Suite (1944), and the ballets Gayane (1942) and Spartacus (1954).