Song Clearance Sheet

3 sources cited

Flight of the Bumblebee

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov · 1900

Classical 1900s

A minKey

More in A minor → · More “Public Domain” →

Key from published sheet music / hymnals

The verdict

Public Domain

In the public domain — but check the Rights Status below; a specific host's copy can carry its own caveat.

Used by independents?

Yes — it’s in the public domain — free for any independent artist to use, with no clearance needed.

Quick Facts

Released1900

GenreClassical

More infoWikipedia →

Origin

Composed 1899–1900 for the opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (libretto by Vladimir Belsky, after Pushkin’s 1831 poem); premiered November 3, 1900, at the Solodovnikov Theatre, Moscow.

Wikipediachecked Jul 2026

Its place in the opera

It closes Act III, Tableau 1 — depicting a magical Swan-Bird transforming Prince Gvidon into an insect so he can secretly fly away to visit his father, the Tsar, who doesn’t know his son is alive. No libretto text reproduced here.

Flutetuneschecked Jul 2026

Why it became a standalone piece

Although the Swan-Bird sings during part of the scene, her vocal line is melodically simple and easily omitted — combined with the passage decisively closing the scene, this made it easy to lift out and perform independently of the full opera.

Flutetuneschecked Jul 2026

A “perpetuum mobile”

Famous for its extremely fast, nearly uninterrupted chromatic sixteenth-note runs — the challenge lies less in the specific notes than in the raw speed required to play them.

Wikipediachecked Jul 2026

Rights Status

Licenses explained →

Public domain is not one blanket badge — each source can carry its own caveat

The compositionPublic domain

Composed 1899–1900 for the opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”; premiered 1900 — long in the public domainWikipediachecked Jul 2026

The early recordingPublic domain

Early recordings are pre-1923 and in the U.S. public domainWikipediachecked Jul 2026

Cultural Impact

Documented covers, adaptations, and cultural echoes — each with a real, dated source

A deep sampling and cover history

Per WhoSampled, it is tagged as sampled in more than 20 songs and covered in more than 30 versions.

WhoSampled · read it →

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Can You Use It for Free?

How to check PD →

Is it public domain?Yes — free to use without clearance

Wikipediachecked Jul 2026

References

Every source cited on this page — 3 in total

Wikipedia Flutetunes WhoSampled

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Page history · 3 updates

Jul 2026Key added from published sheet music / hymnals (documented source)

Jul 2026Page created — full research (Unique Angles Batch)

Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass