Saverio Mercadante - Concerto in E Minor for Flute and Piano, revised and edited by Ervin Monroe. Saverio Mercadante (1795–1870) was an Italian composer, conductor, and teacher whose career encompassed opera, orchestral, chamber, and instrumental music, and who spent much of his early life studying and working at the Naples Conservatory. Although best remembered today for his operas, Mercadante was an accomplished flutist himself, and his early flute compositions demonstrate both his intimate knowledge of the instrument and his gift for elegant, Italianate melody. His Concerto in E Minor, Op. 57, composed during his student years and generally dated to 1814–1819, is a three-movement work that combines the virtuosity of the early Romantic concerto with the melodic character of the bel canto tradition. The flute part is particularly brilliant and demanding, featuring rapid passagework, wide melodic leaps, elaborate ornamentation, and of particular note is the charming theme of the last movement, Rondo Russo. In three movements: Allegro maestoso, Largo, and Allegro vivace scherzando (Rondo Russo).

This edition includes a cadenza for the first movement composed by Ervin Monroe.