Editor’s Note:

The theme and variation form has remained popular for hundreds of years, and is again brought to life in Earl Louis Stewart’s 2007 Baching the Blues for flute and harp with its explicit combination of baroque and blues musical tendencies. The piece consists of a theme (played by the harp alone), sixteen variations, and a finale, with the flute part suitable for advanced players. Like many of Stewart’s works (and, of course, like Bach), the harp part may be played as written or expanded based on the chords presented.