Devienne, Flute Concerto in E minor

This flute concerto by Francois Devienne is an excellent example of classical flute composition. The famous third movement, the Rondo, is my favorite.
In the first 8 bars of the movement we can hear the beautiful theme of the piece that we find to permeate the rest of the piece. In the large scale, this piece come in three large sections. It is roughly a rounded binary form, of A B A'. In the first section, we hear the theme of the piece played out, usually alternating phrases. Devienne makes use of the triplet and 32nd note,
in juxtaposition with the theme. This gives developmental sections much more contrast. The increase in rhythm also builds excitement and shows off the performers virtuosity.
The B section is definately a transition period. Almost completely removing itself from any semblence of the original theme, it modulates twice into the foreign keys of F major and Eb Major.
In the recapitulation of the main theme, we hear that theme again. Devienne adds a little more speed, building the excitement of the piece until its flurry of a conclusion.
I really like this piece, even though it is very classical. There are few surprises as most melodic movement is scalar, and cadences are typical and expected. However, Devienne's craftmenship of melody and his use of grace notes really bring out the best music in a flute.