14 pieces for piccolo and piano, Op. 157b

Charles Koechlin: 14 pieces for piccolo and piano, Op. 157b was written in 1936. The pieces were first composed for solo flute as Op. 157, and Koechlin added the piano accompaniment later to create Op. 157b. Nevertheless, the collection is frequently used by piccolo players. Because these pieces are short, modal "chants" with a relatively high tessitura and transparent piano accompaniment, they are often performed on the piccolo to highlight their folk-like or pastoral character. 
The whole set of these 14 short pieces was dedicated to flutist Paul Dommel and his wife, pianist Amy Dommel-Diény. The Dommels were close friends of Koechlin. Notably, Koechlin later dedicated his final major flute work, Stèle funéraire (1950), to Paul Dommel’s memory.
In 1936, Koechlin was teaching fugue and modal polyphony at the Schola Cantorum de Paris. His interest in ancient modes is reflected in the modal, folk-like atmosphere of Op. 157.
However, Koechlin was actively involved in social life at that time. In 1936, the Popular Front came to power in France. Koechlin, who was deeply involved in leftist musical organizations like the Fédération Musicale Populaire, was actively composing "music for the people". Works that were accessible, clear, and avoided overly complex avant-garde techniques. While composing these short miniatures, he was also working on larger projects, including his Primavera quintet (Op. 156) and continuing his infatuation with cinema star Lilian Harvey, which inspired much of his chamber music in the mid-1930s.