Jolivet's Flute Concerto (1949) is a work that to some extent reconciles the composer's dissonant, aggressive style of the 1930s with his more melodic and accessible aesthetic of the early 1940s. Jolivet had already explored the flute's potential in Chant de Linos (1944), and he brought that knowledge to the Flute Concerto, which has been described by one commentator as "sometimes lyrical, sometimes piquant and capricious."

The first movement opens with a melancholy Andante cantabile introduction. The flute spins out a dissonant line, while the string accompaniment becomes increasingly tense and blustery. The tempo quickens to Allegro scherzando; the atmosphere remains agitated, though music of a brighter character breaks the surface from time to time. The brief, somber Largo is followed by an Allegro risoluto finale; indeed, "resolute" is a good description for this lively but stern movement. A miniature cadenza brings the work to a propulsive close.

© All Music Guide