Köhler Op. 33 Book 1 Flute Etudes
Ernesto Köhler’s Op. 33 Book 1 flute etudes are staples in flute literature due to their technical and musical challenges targeted for developing flutists.
History and Background…
Ernesto Köhler (circa 1900)
Source: Wikipedia
Ernesto Köhler (1849-1907) was a virtuoso flutist and prolific composer. Born in Modena, Italy, young Ernesto was taught flute by his father, Venceslau Joseph Köhler. Ernesto Köhler moved to Vienna in 1869 and eventually became a member of the Imperial Opera orchestra in Saint Petersburg. Köhler wrote numerous studies for the flute. Among these, his “Der Fortschritt im Flötenspiel” (Progress in Flute Playing) includes three volumes, progressing from Easy (Vol. 1) to Medium-Difficult (Vol. 2) and Difficult (Vol. 3).
Because of their popularity, Köhler’s Op. 33 Book 1 flute etudes have been reprinted and re-edited numerous times since their first publication in the 1880s. This volume of flute etudes is also printed as:
Der Fortschritt im Flötenspiel, Heft 1
Progress in Flute Playing
15 Easy Exercises, Opus 33 Book 1
15 Petites études mélodiques (in “Melodious and Progressive Studies for Flute, Vol. 1”
Many Editions and Editors…
In its nearly 150 years in existence, Köhler’s Op. 33 flute etudes have seen many editions and editors. Many versions suffer from the heavy-handed editing practices of the mid 20th century. Having searched the internet to the best of my abilities, the earliest (and least edited) version available seems to be the 1905 Carl Fisher edition. I continue to search for an earlier edition and, if you have any leads, please contact me.
A side-by-side comparison of the 1905 Carl Fisher edition with Robert Cavally’s edit (date unknown) shows many dynamic discrepancies (red circles) and added notes (green circles).
New Edition…
In 2025, I set out to create a personal edition of Kohler’s Op. 33 Book 1 flute etudes to use for teaching and to share with others.
Since there are already many editions out there (including free sheet music online), I had a few goals:
A cleaner print free of pencil marks (compare to IMSLP)
A more restrained editing style with minimal additions (compare to “Melodious and Progressive Studies” and other free online versions)
Create a LARGER PRINT sheet music version
Köhler Op. 33 Book 1 Etude Recordings…
Allegro Moderato in C Major (alt. Allegretto) - Flute Etude No. 1 by Ernesto Köhler, Op. 33 Book 1 from “Der Fortschritt im Flötenspiel, Heft 1” (Progress in Flute Playing, Vol. 1).