After the Armistice of Versailles was signed on 28 January 1871, the Paris Commune assumed power in Paris on 18 March. Fearing for his safety, Camille Saint-Saëns fled to exile in London. Under these extreme conditions, he wrote the ‘Romance for Flute’, Op. 37. It’s an enchanting piece that seems to be musically undisturbed by the circumstances of composition. The work is scored for flute and piano and also orchestrated for flute and an orchestra. Today it is one of the more popular minor works by the composer and has established itself as part of the flute's core repertoire.
Belgian arranger and flute player Yorick De Bruycker transcribed this work for Flute and Symphonic Band.