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Piccolo

Baroque

Classical

Romantic

20th century

21st century

Solo repertoire

Piccolo

Alto flute

Bass flute

Silva Pattápio

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

Evocaçao Op.1 for piccolo and piano

By Silva Pattápio

Pattápio Silva: Evocaçao Op.1 for piccolo and piano was written around 1900 - 1902. The piece is dedicated to the memory of his professor, Duque-Estrada Meyer. It was recorded by Silva during a historic 1902 session at Casa Edson in Rio de Janeiro.
Subtitled as a "Romance Elegíaco" (Elegiac Romance), it is typically marked Andante Assai and features a lyrical, melancholic character that alternates between minor and major modes. The piece blends the 19th-century European romantic "romance" form with the emerging Brazilian national identity.
Originally written for flute and piano, it is frequently performed on the piccolo due to its high-register technical demands and the historical tradition of Brazilian flute virtuosos.
Pattápio Silva was one of the first flute virtuosos to be recorded in Brazil. His compositions, led by Op. 1, helped establish the flute as a primary solo instrument in the Choro genre.

Jean-Louis Beaumadier

Laetitia Bougnol (piano), 2005, Skarbo / TuneCore

Evocaçao

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Silva Pattápio

Pattápio Silva (1880–1907) was a legendary Afro-Brazilian flutist and composer who became one of the first true "stars" of the Brazilian recording industry. Though his career was tragically cut short, he remains a foundational figure in the development of the Choro genre and a national icon of the flute.
Born in Itaocara, Rio de Janeiro, he was the son of a shoemaker. He initially worked as a typesetter while teaching himself to play the flute on a simple wooden instrument.
His talent was so undeniable that he was admitted to the Instituto Nacional de Música (now the UFRJ School of Music) in 1901. He studied under the renowned professor Duque-Estrada Meyer and completed the entire flute course in an unprecedented six months, graduating with a Gold Medal.
Between 1902 and 1904, Silva was among the first artists to record for the Casa Edson and the Gramophone Company (Victor) in Brazil. The recordings of his own works, such as Evocação and Primeiro Amor, captured his extraordinary technique, characterized by a powerful tone (the "Pattápio Sound"), precise articulation, and a unique "singing" quality that bridged the gap between classical and popular styles.
Silva’s music is a sophisticated blend of late-19th-century European salon music (waltzes, polkas, and romances) and the emerging rhythmic syncopations of Brazilian Choro.
At the peak of his fame, Silva contracted a sudden illness (variously reported as diphtheria or a sudden infection) and died in Belo Horizonte in 1907 at the age of 26.