[Piano Solo] Famous Flute Pieces Performed on Piano! A Selection of Recommended Works

Meditation from ThaïsJules Massenet

Massenet – Meditation from Thais – pianomaedaful

Jules Massenet’s Méditation from Thaïs is a celebrated piece known for its beautiful, delicate melody and is frequently used as background music in dramas and films.

Originally composed for the violin, it accompanies a scene in his opera Thaïs where the character offers a prayer, thinking of a loved one.

Performed as a piano solo, its moving melody comes alive across the keys, revealing a charm distinct from a flute performance.

By all means, try bringing this richly expressive piece to life with the colorful tones of the piano.

Dance of the Reed Flutes from The Nutcracker (ballet)Pyotr Tchaikovsky

[Songs You’ve Heard But Don’t Know the Title 24] That Song from the SoftBank Commercial – Tchaikovsky – “Dance of the Reed Flutes” from The Nutcracker – Classical Piano – CANACANA

“Dance of the Reed Pipes,” one of the numbers from The Nutcracker—one of the three great ballet scores by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky—leaves a powerful impression with the flute’s characteristically brilliant tone, rendered with delicate yet rich resonance.

However, since it is often performed on two pianos or as a piano duet, many listeners may not find a solo piano version particularly unfamiliar.

With a melody full of excitement that suggests a light, buoyant mood and an airy accompaniment, aim for a performance that preserves the atmosphere of the original while making the most of the piano’s unique qualities.

EarthMuramatsu Takatsugu

Earth Takatsugu Muramatsu Piano Solo

Composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu, Earth is a piece written for Ayako Takagi, one of Japan’s leading flutists, and it is also included on her album.

While the beautiful melody played on a gentle, warm-sounding flute and its harmony with the accompaniment make for a very pleasant work, performing it on piano alone adds depth and power to the original delicacy.

Although it is a renowned flute piece and thus not often performed as a piano solo, please enjoy the different atmosphere and listening experience it offers compared to a flute-and-piano ensemble.

“Memory” from the musical “Cats”Andrew Lloyd Webber

Memory – Cats | Piano Cover + Sheet Music

The song Memory from the musical Cats is a poignant yet beautiful piece sung by Grizabella, who was once a beautiful and very charming cat, as she laments her old age and reflects on her radiant past.

Although it is originally performed with orchestra and vocals, its great fame has led to frequent performances as flute or piano solos as well.

Multiple sheet music editions exist for both flute and piano, so please enjoy performing it with an arrangement that suits your level and taste.

The Maiden with Flaxen HairClaude Debussy

The Maiden with the Flaxen Hair / La fille aux cheveux de lin / Debussy / Classic Piano / CANACANA

Claude Debussy’s signature piece “La fille aux cheveux de lin” (“The Girl with the Flaxen Hair”) is a solo piano work included in his Préludes, Book I.

It is also frequently performed on the flute, offering a different kind of charm from the piano’s elegant sonority.

Its emotionally rich melody captivates listeners, sounding calm and composed on the piano, yet fresh and breezy on the flute.

It’s highly recommended to compare both renditions, as they can leave strikingly different impressions—as if they were almost different pieces.

Children’s Corner Suite, No. 5: The Little ShepherdClaude Debussy

Debussy: The Little Shepherd (2020 PTNA Competition Set Piece) pf. Enatsu, Marina: Koka, Marina

Claude Debussy’s suite Children’s Corner was originally written for piano, but the fifth piece, The Little Shepherd, is also frequently performed on the flute.

For those familiar with the flute, it may feel like a particularly familiar work.

Its melody, guided by a gentle dotted rhythm, invites the listener to imagine a distant, pastoral scene.

I encourage you to compare performances of both the piano and flute versions.

You’ll surely find new nuances to add to each interpretation.

Song cycle ‘Swan Song’ No. 4 ‘Serenade’Franz Schubert

Schubert – Ständchen (Serenade), piano solo version – with score

Franz Schubert’s song collection of German lieder, “Schwanengesang” (Swan Song).

No.

4, “Ständchen” (Serenade), is the most famous piece in the set and is often performed as a solo work for flute or piano.

When the flute is added to the mandolin-like piano accompaniment, the result is an even more elegant and refined atmosphere; if the piano covers all parts, it produces a rich resonance with a strong sense of unity between melody and accompaniment.

Try challenging yourself to see how much of the original’s poignancy you can convey when performing on instruments without lyrics.