The publication of a keyboard reduction of this concerto with a separate part for the soloist invites flautists and oboists to discover these pages of concertante music from the end of the reign of Louis XIV.

François Dieupart, also known as Charles Dieupart, was a French composer who made his career in England. He was involved in a venture to promote Italian opera in London. This project was derailed by the success of Handel’s operas from 1710 onwards. Nevertheless, Dieupart seems to have enjoyed a solid reputation as a performer, orchestral musician and harpsichord teacher. His works enjoyed a certain success, notably his 6 suites for harpsichord, widely distributed in Europe and said to have inspired Johann Sebastian Bach’s English suites.

The concerto à 5 is an intermediate genre between the concerto grosso, inherited from Corelli, and the solo concerto popularized by Vivaldi in the 1710s. It treats the soloist and the orchestra equally, creating a dialogue between them.

This concerto for flute and orchestra in A minor is a fine piece of repertoire for recorder (soprano flute with alto flute fingerings), traverso and oboe. The orchestra has 4 "Italian" string parts, which can be doubled ad libitum by oboes and bassoon.

The work, in three movements (1. Vivace - 2. Grave e staccato - 3. Allegro), lasts around 10 minutes. It makes an excellent transition in a concert of vocal works, between two Handel arias, for example.