Almost every instrumental piece (including a few from the "easier" grade levels) has at least one nasty passage that eludes control, even after one has cleared all the other technical hurdles of the composition.
    Our usual approach to such a thorny passage is by direct frontal assault, hammering it with wave after wave of repetitions, each one faster or slower, louder or softer, slurred or tongued, with perhaps some inventive rhythmic variations thrown in for good measure. When success finally rewards our heroic struggle, alas — it may prove to be short-lived. The old battle plan then has to be laboriously revived once again.
    Is there anything else that can be done? Well, one useful approach (though certainly not the final answer for every technical problem) is to turn the passage inside out through the process of rhythmic transposition. That is, shifting the position of the beat so that you experience fresh accents on formerly unstressed notes, thereby revealing some new and fascinating phrase groupings. It’s really a kind of psychological trick that takes advantage of our natural attraction for newness and novelty but does not lose touch with the old and familiar.
    A good example of the type of problem passage that resists taming — and is also a good candidate for the rhythmic transposition approach — is one that uses chromatically ascending minor thirds crossing the register break.

    One little mistep here and the domino effect becomes an embarrassing reality. Jacques Ibert was especially fond of taunting us with this house-of-cards progression, using it in extended form in both his flute concerto and the Piece for unaccompanied flute. Let’s analyze its latent phrasing possibilities by transposing the rhythmic structure.

    In this version the notes are the same, but the added sixteenth rest shifts the beat. Now the higher note of each minor third is in an accented position, exposing the previously "hidden" inverted major second. Many flutists would prefer this inverted grouping, claiming that it lies better for the fingers and settles into a more flowing pattern. Obviously the fingering pattern doesn’t change — only the mental image of it. The alternate intervallic framework (both seen and heard) gives the player a strong impression of a new and more comfortable sequence of fingerings.
    This feeling for the inverted seconds can usually be obtained without having to rewrite the phrase (as we have done here), but simply by mentally bracketing the major seconds, being careful not to accent them sonically. In fact, feeling these major seconds against the beat after you’ve practiced them on the beat will reinforce your overall control, much like a cross-stitching that keeps the fabric of the phrase from unravelling.
    However, in a long progression such as the one in the Ibert Piece (from low E to high E), one is still likely to feel an almost irresistible urge to rush. A good way to control this — although it is confusing and a little difficult at first — is to employ a diversionary tactic: divide the notes into groups of three.

    It is surprising how often the mind seems to embrace three-note patterns in preference to two-note groups in a rapid passage, especially when it consists of such a long string of repetitious couplets. Perhaps the mind tires of too much repetition and, given the chance, prefers to camouflage such tedium by superimposing congruent triple groups. These groups can be started from any note, as shown in the following rhythmic transpositions.

    It is helpful to practice all three versions, but the one shown in Figure 3 may be the most effective since it gives a subtle emphasis to the C# — a vulnerable note for rushing (when it follows A#). And it is still a good idea to heed conventional wisdom and practice these rhythmic transpositions slowly — at least some of the time. Then, go on to some other task. This will allow your subconscious mind to do some of the work for you by sifting out and digesting your most recent practice experience while your conscious mind is busy elsewhere. Rest and diversion are just as important to the learning process as highly concentrated practice sessions.

Internal Regrouping

    Regrouping also helps to improve evenness. For example, the tremolo type of phrase shown in Figure 6 is difficult to play cleanly. This is because each measure contains a two-note motive which must be played six times; and after so many repetitions, the contrary fingering motion between left and right hand tends to deteriorate. However, if we mentally regroup the notes into threes, we feel only one repetition of a six-note motive. Almost as if by magic, our fingers coordinate more smoothly and confidently. Although this approach is suggested mainly as a practice method, it can sometimes be carried over into performance, but one has to be very careful to avoid revealing these mental groupings through audible accents.
    There are innumerable instances in the solo and orchestral literature for applying this "secret triplet" practice technique. Almost every running passage in compound meter has a potential for regrouping (four-note combinations are sometimes possible too). Figure 7 shows an example from the last movement of the Nielsen flute concerto (bars 239-242). Figure 8 is the practice version. Other such passages in the same concerto occur in bar 155 of the first movement, the last phrase of the main cadenza, and in the second movement, bars 162-174 and 255-262.

    The following is a two-bar excerpt from the Griffes Poem (11th bar after letter L).

Its regrouped counterpart is especially helpful because it stabilizes the G# and keeps it from rushing.

But again, a reminder that it is a secret accent. Other trouble spots in the Griffes which can be treated in this way occur 6 bars after E, 15 after G, and 3 before J.
    Figures 6 through 10 are all examples of internal regrouping without changing the position of the beat (as was done in Figures 2-5), and they can be practiced rather easily without any rewriting. In some music the beat can also be shifted conveniently without rewriting. Bars 97-102 of Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel is a famous (and difficult) example. (See Fig. 11.) The composer’s precise notation shows clearly the unique displaced hemiola structure. It can be practiced as shown in Figures 12, 13, and 14. Each version makes a distinct contribution to strengthening technical control.

    A more conventional hemiola is found in the opening bars of the flute part in the Scherzo movement of the Prokofieff D Major Sonata.

Practicing the following variation gives a good check on the evenness of the eighth notes.

    In too many performances the three-note motive is played with a "cute" sounding diminuendo that spoils the rhythmic definition of the C. Here is a good antidote for such affectation.

Problems in Mozart

    There are many passages in Mozart that tend to be rushed, uneven, or just plain difficult. One example is in bars 86-88 of the first movement of the D Major Concerto. (See Fig. 18.) The two-note slurs are often clipped, uneven, and over-accented. The two staccato sixteenths, on the other hand, are likely to be too soft and vague. (The bracket overlapping bars 87 and 88 calls attention to a special fingering designed for more smoothness. Keep the right third finger down and the fourth finger up for the duration of the bracket.)
    A sampling of some conventional practice variations is shown in Figures 19, 20, and 21. By contrast, Figures 22 through 28 show that rhythmic transpositions make it possible to probe all the technical weak spots. Of course, the ultimate test of your control is to be able to play any of these transpositions and make your listener believe you are performing the original phrase — and doing it well!

    The kinds of transpositions illustrated in these Mozart examples would be very difficult to practice without actually writing them out. And if writing out such transpositions for other problem passages seems to be a waste of time, consider the enormous amount of unnecessary and wasteful practice time that can be saved. Besides, I firmly believe that the very act of copying music helps one learn it better — think of all the great composers who developed their craft (at least in part) by copying in manuscript some of the admired works of their masters.
    As composing technique, rhythmic transposition is of course nothing new. Along with the more familiar techniques of imitation, diminution, augmentation, and modulation, it is used by many composers (especially since 1900) to develop and vary their thematic material. Strauss, for one, is a master of rhythmic transposition, and abundant proof can be found in Till Eulenspiegel. Its first striking appearance is in the opening horn call. If your familiarity with this famous solo comes only from hearing it in concert or on records, you will be very surprised at the way it is notated. Here is indeed a tour de force of rhythmic transposition! (see Figure 29). A careful study of the entire score will reveal many other fascinating examples of this device.

The post Shifting the Beat for Cleaner Technique appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

     There is a certain style to a Rampal concert — an aura of unhurried graciousness seems to impart the old-world atmosphere of an earlier time. His very appearance is Baroque. The dashing handsomeness of his early concert days has mellowed like the rounded courtliness of his graceful music and has endeared him to audiences throughout the world. This quality is equally evident in person. The day of our interview was bitter cold in New York, but his Park Avenue hotel suite was an oasis of easy warmth. A large round-faced man, his presence was like a stamp of authenticity on the quasi-baroque sitting room in which we talked.
     A red turtleneck, the watchband worn outside the sleeve, accented a dark blazer and soft black boots. The two golden flutes lay in an open double case on a desk nearby.
     Rampal speaks excellent English in a melodious, constantly modulating baritone and exudes a childlike, ingenuous charm completely lacking in artifice or pretension. His ruddy face flushes quite red whenever his feelings are involved and acts as an almost perfect emotional barometer.
     Of all wind performers, he alone travels in the select company of the truly international concert artist — a field dominated by violinists, pianists, and singers. When I questioned him about this unique position, his answer was typically modest.

     "It is, primarily, the literature. The piano has a large repertoire of fantastic works; the same with the violin. Conversely, the cello repertoire is much less, so it is not as common to hear a cello recital."
 
But what of the clarinet? It certainly has an enormous literature.
     Yes, but it is short, quite short. Many good works, of course, but mostly of this century, and not enough of the other periods. No Bach, for example. One must have seven or eight full programs in order to travel, to tour.
     For instance, I come to this country several months each year for recitals, chamber music, appearances with orchestras, and recordings; if I wish to return I am obliged to have many programs — a wide range of choice for those who would hire me. I do not think this is possible on the clarinet, or on any other wind instrument for that matter.
     As for the flute, we are coming into what I think will someday be called the "Golden Age of the Flute."

And what of your audiences? Do you notice a difference here from other countries?
     No. It is quite the same now all over the world, but I must say that American audiences are very enthusiastic. And they are not snobbish. They don’t go with a preconceived idea of "I want to hear this" or "I want to listen to that." They trust the artist, especially if they like him. "Make your choice, play your program — we trust you." It’s very good.
     And very inspiring. It’s a young audience in this country — even the older people. Very direct, and I like this.

I’m very struck by the beautiful engraving on the mouthpiece of one of your flutes: it’s almost like an inset. Is that the Louis Lot?
     Yes. Made by Louis Lot himself in 1869.

Is it the lower pitch, then?
     No, because for a brief period they actually made the pitch higher. This started somewhere around 1867 and lasted for maybe ten years, no more. Then it went back.
     So I’m lucky to find this flute; I would say it’s about 440. Now they are playing 442 or 444, and it’s not too hard to get up there.

Are you referring to orchestras in this country?
     Some of the orchestras. Until recently it was generally 440, and this was best, but now they are raising it. I think New York is now 442. Boston, of course, has been high for many years. In France we play 443, 444. This is not too bad, if they don’t go any higher, bat some places are becoming impossible, especially in Europe. In Belgium, in Austria, they are now 448!
     They think it is more brilliant, but it kills a violin. It is death for an old Strad, to pull it tight like that, and it is not good for the wind instruments. You can-not get the roundness, the sonority of tone.
     I hope the pitch will eventually go down: 442, no more.

How did you happen to acquire this flute?
     By chance; just by luck.
     I had heard that Louis Lot made one gold flute — only one. But what had become of it? Nobody knew.
     Then one day somebody told me of a golden flute in an antique shop. I immediately went to the shop, played the flute, and of course bought it. That was in 1948.
     Then, when I came to this country on my second visit, I purchased the gold Haynes at the factory in Boston. I have used it ever since, but I always carry the Louis Lot with me.

Is there a big difference in tone between the two?
     Not so much. In the beginning, yes, because I was not used to it, but after one or two years I was able to do the same things on both.

How would you describe the difference between a gold and a silver flute?
     It is very little, like the difference between silver and silver plate. Silver is more brilliant, and gold is more mellow — darker. And if you have a brilliant tone by yourself, naturally, then I think it is good to have a gold flute.

I notice both of your flutes have only the low C foot joint.
     Yes. I don’t like the low B.

Because of the difference in tone?
    No. It is just not necessary. Besides, it ruins the other low notes and upsets the balance of the instrument — all for the one time a year you play the low B. This is nonsense! Nobody plays a B foot joint in Europe. Nobody.

Any flutist who hears you in person must admire your low register — the power, the volume, and especially the attack. The notes speak instantaneously, without the slight lag that is so common. Have you developed this in any special way?
     No, I don’t think so. There are many levels of flute players, of course, just as with pianists and violinists; but I think most of the great flute players of the world are great because they have a good technique of attack. The attack must come from the diaphragm. And if you have a good attack coming from the diaphragm, and not from the throat, you have a good low register.
     Except if you have bad lips — a bad configuration of the lips. That is different.
     That is what I call a gift from nature, and you must have that gift to play an instrument. Most of the time when people are not good on an instrument it is because they chose the wrong one. They say, "I want to play the flute," and would have been better on the oboe. It is difficult to say in advance what would be best.
     Some people are just able to produce better sounds than others who are just as clever and study with the same teacher.
     When Mr. Stern presses a string on the violin, what is the difference from another man? A small thing. Just flesh. It is impossible to know exactly why.
     Flutes are made very exactly by machine and then finished by hand, yet there is no flute identical to another. Why? A small thing. Only a small thing.
     And so it is with the low register. You must have the gift, and then the attack must come from the diaphragm.

Where do you begin with a student who doesn’t do this?
     It is difficult, especially if the student is already strong, but strong with some mistakes.

It is easier if he is a weaker student?
     It is better, yes. If somebody is already good, but not good enough — strong, but with many mistakes — then you have to take out the mistakes to build something else. You have to destroy.
     It is like you do with old buildings in this country. Instead of repairing and fixing, as we do in Europe, you destroy it, take it out, and then put in a new one.
     But this is difficult to do with a human being. It is dangerous. You have to be careful.

Psychologically?
     Yes, especially in the beginning. You must not say, "All is wrong." Instead you must say, "That is very good," and then, little by little, you try this, you try that. But you must be very patient.
     Unfortunately, I am not so patient, but I know teachers who are.

I understand your father gave you instruction.
     Yes, from the beginning. I started when I was 13. Not so young, but then, not so old.
 
What made you want to start the flute?
     Listening to my father. He was professor of flute at the Conservatoire in Marseilles, so, as a result, I became very involved. And when I started to play, I started with the tone of my father in my head. So he was my only teacher and model.

Did you have regular lessons with him?
     Only at the conservatory, never at home. He never gave me a private lesson. (Sometimes in passing my room he would say, "Be careful of this, or that . . ." And we played duets often — every day. But he never taught me privately.)
     You know, in France we don’t teach privately. It is by class — always.
     So I went to the conservatory 3 times a week, and he taught me no more than the others.

Did you study solfege?
     Yes, everybody is obliged to study solfege. Sometimes I think we make a little too much of it, but essentially it is good, and I think it is necessary. In the United States, however, there is not enough of it.

Do you do much teaching?
     I teach at the Paris Conservatory, but, with 150-160 concerts a year, I am usually gone over 6 months.
     Fortunately, I have a very good assistant, Alain Marion, who conducts my classes while I am gone. He is a marvellous teacher: a young man, a pupil of my father and myself, and a fantastic player.

How do you feel about the masterclass, as compared to private lessons?
     Much better, because people can help each other. There is competition, but a nice competition. They are inspired by each other — a sort of osmosis.

How frequent are your masterclasses at the conservatory?
     Three a week, and each one is from 9:00 until 1:00 — four hours.

That’s a very large class.
     Yes, but in 7 hours you can hear many people. Each one plays every 2 days for 10 or 15 minutes. They have time to improve before they play again, so it is better than if they play every day. And they get involved in the playing of the others — it is very good.

I notice that your embouchure is formed to the side of your mouth. Is there a reason for this?
     No, it is a mistake. It was my mistake when I was young, and I somehow managed with it. I must have been a lazy boy. And when young people say, "Ah, so you play this way," I tell them not to imitate me. It is, finally, a personal thing.

How do you feel about the thumb Bb? Do you add it automatically in flat keys?
     Yes, always. I use the thumb Bb constantly, except in sharps, and even then I use it sometimes, because it is a better fingering.

Do you ever slide the thumb from B natural to Bb?
     Yes, there are some passages where this makes a nice effect if you do it well. It is a good technique to know, but it must be practiced to work out the gymnastics.

There are teachers in this country who feel the opposite, and don’t want their students to use the thumb Bb at all, even in flat keys.
     But it is made for that! If you play a fast scale with a Bb and no B natural, why should you avoid it? The action is very fast, and in flats the other is not so logical.
     It is not a false fingering. In fact, from the standpoint of tone it is the best fingering. The Bb fingering with the first finger of each hand closes more pads — it is not as open as the thumb Bb. If you have a Bb next to a B natural, it is better to use the small key on the right than the "one and one" fingering, because, again, it is very direct and does not add another pad.

What about the difference between the lower and upper registers on the flute? Do you make any changes in the mouth?
     No, not in the mouth, only in the direction of the blowing, and this is not the same thing. If you change the mouth position, you lose the homogeneity of the tone. To produce a beautiful, homogeneous tone, so there is not a stop or a jump between notes, you must think always of the passage from note to note, even in rapid music.
     And you must retain the same mouth position. Otherwise you have a flutist for the low register, a flutist for the middle register, and a flutist for the high register. You have three flute players, and you must be only one — always the same.
 
How do you effect this change of air direction? In other words, what actually causes the air direction to shift? Some players move the lower jaw for the transition between registers.
     No, I do not agree with this. It is all done on the wall of the flute, and I think it is just a matter of closing or opening the lips. It is really a simple thing, and involves only the gymnastics of moving the air column. Think of the air column as a part of your body, like a finger, which you can direct up or down very easily.

Flutists the world over go sharp on the high notes.
     It is because they change the position of the mouth, and they don’t play with their ears. (A very good player doesn’t go sharp. Julie Baker doesn’t.)
     A musician must always play with his ears, and not trust the instrument. They are all false. And besides, I can take a flute and change the pitch by almost a fourth of a tone without moving the embouchure or the mouthpiece. It’s very easy. So if you don’t play with the ears — impossible! You must always adjust, and always think the note before you play.

Is there a change in your tongue position between registers?
     No, it is the same.

And where do you place the tongue when you articulate?
     Between and behind the teeth.

Between the teeth?
     Only a little. A tiny bit.

Not where the upper teeth join the gums?
     No.

Would you say your tongue is pulled back any to produce your tone?
     The tongue is just — how can I say this? — a stop, a valve. You keep everything open from the diaphragm. The throat doesn’t move. As soon as a wind player plays with his throat, he produces a bad tone. An unnatural tone.

And the vibrato?
     Also from the diaphragm. When you speak, you speak from the diaphragm, not from the throat. When you play, it must also be from the diaphragm.
     And when you speak, it is always with a vibrato. It is impossible to talk without vibrato — impossible. You would have to try very hard.
     And it is the same way with the flute — you must play the flute the way you speak. There is no method for vibrato. You must not worry it, it is natural.
     So if the attack is from the diaphragm (everything is open), and if you have good breath control (by that I mean you keep your breath in — you don’t push, you don’t force it out, you don’t overblow), then there is no problem. The vibrato will be correct, the phrasing will be normal.

How do you find the recording process? Can you work in it and still feel free and expressive?
     Yes.

Many people feel confined by it.
     Yes, especially someone who works alone, like a pianist. But you still have your public. There is an engineer, there is an assistant — there are always people. You play for somebody. Yesterday I started recording sessions with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau —he is a fantastic musician. You play for these people, and even in a recording studio you can find the excitement.

Are there any specific things which you do in these situations to help your own playing, for instance, microphone placement?
     Of course. I trust the engineer, but I also know myself and what I have to do with the different microphones, the different types. I know that this position is better than another, etc., and it is now very rare that I make a mistake in this regard.
     And if, by chance, I am playing for a new company and a new engineer who does not know me, then I am able to help him.
     I know what I have to do. It is a different thing from playing in a hall — it is not the same.

You play differently?
     A little. You know, on the stage you are a prisoner of the people. In a recording you must bring some-thing else, to replace that. The tempos are not completely the same, and so on.

It’s not really a tangible thing?
     No. But you find it instinctively. It’s a different way.

Coming from the rich cultural heritage of Europe, what is your reaction to the musical climate of this country where all of the media are dominated by popular music?
     Well, it is a problem — all is publicity. A company promoting a washing machine must speak to a big mass, to a large audience; so they use pops music. They can’t promote cigarettes playing Mozart, you know. It doesn’t catch the people.
     In Europe most radio stations are sponsored by the state (the private station is rare), so they play light music, they play classical music, and they are not obliged to go in just one direction.
     TV is the same (the French TV is nationalized). You have part theater, part serious music, part jazz. But here all this is left to the educational channel. On the others what do you get? Only pops. It appeals to the masses, to the large audience, and they don’t want to be educated. It will never be done unless there is some form of control.

Can you think of any other country that has gone as far in this direction of exploiting the media commercially?
     No, I can’t. Japan has a large number of channels, like here, but they also have many more serious programs.

How many stations do you have in France?
     Only two, but if you have two good channels, it is enough. Here you try one channel, you try another — quite nothing. In Italy, France, or Germany, there are few stations, but it is a rare occasion when you can’t find something to interest you. You always have a choice: something light, something serious.
     And in France it starts at 11 in the morning and stops at 2 in the afternoon; then starts again from 6 to midnight. Nobody complains. But in the U.S. it is on all the time, and I think eventually this must certainly stun the brain. I have many friends in this country who do not have TV because they do not want to spoil their children.
     It is like hearing music all the time. Finally, you don’t listen to it anymore. If there is anything I detest, it is this constant background music — in every restaurant, every plane, every airport. People get used to the fact that they don’t have to pay attention —they don’t have to listen. And this is not good for music.

How do you feel about music on television? Does the poor fidelity bother you?
     Ah, but is it more inferior than a phonograph recording? One is as false as the other, each in its own way — you cannot trust the techniques (and even if you do have a beautiful record, it is usually played on bad machines). Neither is like a live performance.
     So TV is really not so bad in comparison, and if it is well done, why not? Personally, I like it. I’ve only made one program here (for the educational channel in Chicago), but I saw the tape, and it was very well done.

You perform modern works on your concerts, but I have never noticed any of the aleatory or avante-garde works. Is there a reason for this?
     For me the avante-garde music is cool — very cold. It brings me no feeling, so I prefer to leave it to others. I want to get involved when I play, to express something within myself, and with avante-garde music … well, maybe I am too old. It is not of my time.

Can you put your finger on what you do wish to express?
     No one thing. But if you play Bach, if you play Schubert or Debussy or Prokofiev, there is something to catch, to show, through yourself, to the public. Yet each is different.
     Many composers of today have the impression that everything has already been written in music, that they must make something new. But what is new?
     Music is music, it is sound. You write a melody, a harmony: it is natural. It comes from within. And when a composer writes his music, if he has a strong personality, he will evolve an honest style, perhaps even a new style. The styles of the 18th century, of the 19th century, were like this. But now Prokofiev is old, and somehow, finally, this modern music is music no more.
     If you make only noise, then open the window and listen to the streets. A screech, a rasp, a howl — it means nothing. I can do this myself, I don’t have to buy a ticket.

How widespread do you think aleatory music is in this country as compared to others?
     It is not so prominent here as in Europe. France has not so much, but Germany and Italy are spending a lot of money for this music.

In this country it has never won any support from the public, so it is concentrated in the universities and not concert situations.
     Yes. In concert situations you don’t see anything — very little avante-garde music is ever put on a program.
     But you must remember that composers of all music must live by their teaching if they are to continue. If you are not Mr. Stravinsky, how can you get money for your work? When you are unknown it is very rare, and you are lucky if you get one commission a year.

Do you have any ideas about what direction things are going to move?
     I don’t know. It is moving all the time, it has already moved. But where? In what direction?
     It is like the Polka. Or the Charleston. They leave off for a while, then they start again.
     Ten years ago the young people started to promote the serial music as if it was new; but it is an old system, dating back to before World War I. It disappeared. Ravel came. Prokofiev. Stravinsky. We forgot the serial music. Then, suddenly, after the last war, it came again, and we said, "This is modern music!"
     But it was old music; it is a cycle and a circle. I think the old music will stay — the ancient, the classical, the romantic (we have a big background, you know).
     But little by little we always discover what our fathers already knew.
     And perhaps one day our children will happen upon our avante-garde music and say, "Ah, Classic! A little old, but not bad."

The post An Interview with Jean-Pierre Rampal appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Any flutist or piccoloist who aspires to a professional performing career in North America must face the fact that there exist only about 150 positions in his specialty that pay a steady living wage – more or less. The vast majority of these are in symphony orchestras, and when a vacancy occurs (there were only five or six this year) the competition is always very keen. Winning a post in one of these orchestras, therefore, marks one as an elite among professionals.
    The Instrumentalist feels that this special flute issue would be an appropriate occasion to publish a roll call of these musicians – in recognition of their unique professional stature. In this compilation, the principal flute of each symphony is listed first, and the principal piccolo last.

United States

Atlanta Symphony
Warren Little
Paul Brittan
Benson Prichard

Baltimore Symphony
Britton Johnson
Bonnie Lake
Laurie Sokoloff

Boston Symphony
Doriot Anthony Dwyer
James Pappoutsakis
Paul Fried
Lois Schaefer

Buffalo Philharmonic
John Burgess
Eiko Ito
Laurence M. Trott

Chicago Symphony
Donald Peck
Richard Graef
Ralph Johnson
Walfrid Kujala

Cincinnati Symphony
George Hambrecht
Elizabeth Bruner
Rochelle Doepke
Jack Wellbaum

Cleveland Orchestra
Maurice Sharp
John Rautenberg
Martin Heylman
William Hebert

Dallas Symphony
Jeanie Larson
Harvey E. Boatright
Karen D. Adrian

Denver Symphony
Pamela Endsley
Nora Shulman
Elaine Lenicheck

Detroit Symphony
Ervin Monroe
Shaul Ben-Meir
Robert Patrick
Clement Barone

Hartford Symphony
Carl Bergner
Stanley Aronson
Mary Ellen Jacobs

Honolulu Symphony
Jean Harting
Patricia Martin

Houston Symphony
Byron Hester
David Colvig
Carol Robertson

Indianapolis Symphony
Albert Saurini
Francis Fitzgerald
Anne Reynolds

Kansas City Philharmonic
James Hamilton
Doris Shoush
Thomas Hurst

Los Angeles Philharmonic
Roger Stevens, Co-Principal
Anne Giles, Co-Principal
Roland Moritz
Miles Zentner

Louisville Orchestra
Francis Fuge
Sally Brink
Marla Crutcher

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
James Politis, Principal
Victor Just, Principal
James Hosmer
Fernando Morrone

Milwaukee Symphony
David Shostac
Glenda Lathrop
Rudoph Uhlik

Minnesota Orchestra (Minneapolis)
Sidney Zeitlin
Emil Opava
William Hedges
Emil Niosi

New Orleans Philharmonic
Dean Miller
Richard Harrison
Jacqueline Goudey

New York Philharmonic
Julius Baker
Paige Brook
Robert Morris
F. William Heim

Oklahoma City Symphony
Jean-Louis Kashy
Feodora Steward

Oregon Symphony (Portland)
John May
Mary Keller
Sherry Moore

Philadelphia Orchestra
Murray Panitz
Kenneth Scutt
Kenton Terry
John Krell

Pittsburgh Symphony
Bernard Goldberg
James R. Walker
Martin Lerner
Ethan Stang

Rochester Philharmonic
Bonnie Boyd
Francine Berger
Leone Buyse

St. Louis Symphony
Jacob Berg
Janice Smith
Janice Coleman
Jan Gippo

San Antonio Symphony
Eric Hoover
Bernard Birnbaum
Cynthia Foss

San Francisco Symphony
Paul Renzi
Barbara Bernhard
Gary E. Gray
Lloyd Gowen

Seattle Symphony
Scott Goff
Victor Case
Pamela Mooney

Syracuse Symphony
John Oberbrunner
Edward Karakaian
Cornelia Brewster

Utah Symphony (Salt Lake City)
Henry Hoffman
Ralph Gochnour
Michael Vance

Washington National Symphony
Wallace Mann
Thomas Perazzoli
John Dennis
Albert Woodward

Canada
 
Edmonton Symphony
Harlan Green
Joan Pecover
Andre Bergman

Montreal Symphony
Jeanne Baxtresser
Mardele Combs
Gretchen Kander

Quebec Symphony
Barbara Todd
Marcel Saint-Jacques
John Zan Zeen

Toronto Symphony
Nicholas Fiore
Marjorie Yates
Keith Girard
Anthony Antonacci

Vancouver Symphony
Harriet Crossland
Kenneth Helm
Conrad Crocker

Winnipeg Symphony
Nancy Doerksen
Albert Horch

The post Flutists in American and Canadian Symphony Orchestras appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    If asked what I play in the first 30 minutes of my practice, I would have to think a minute. Not because I don’t have a routine, but because I don’t do the same thing every day. That would be boring, and boredom leads to poor concentration, which does not accomplish anything. How I warmup also depends on whether there is music to prepare for an upcoming performance. In that case, the music becomes etude and exercise material.
    All of my warmups are without music although I do use a metronome. It is important to hear every nuance without the distraction of reading notes on a page. A good imagination, a full-range chromatic scale, open ears, and a metronome are all that are necessary for a proper warmup.
    I usually build my practice around something my teacher Alain Marion said in class. He believed that the three main areas of flute playing are tone, tongue, and fingers. Obviously, these are not the only skills needed, but if these key ingredients are addressed, improvement is assured. I am a firm believer in old-school methods, primarily those of Marcel Moyse and Taffanel & Gaubert.
    Addressing Marion’s three topics in order, tone is first up. Some people can deliver excellent performances when they do not sound good, but it is not so easy for me. If my embouchure is working and my tone is full, resonant, and free, I perform with confidence and enjoyment. However, if the tone is not secure, I am distracted and will not deliver what is in my head. For that reason, a tone warmup always comes first.
    The key to any warmup is to listen to every sound you make and focus on the task at hand. If you are thinking about the clothes in the dryer, or the rabbit the dog is chasing outside the window, you might as well put the flute away and come back to it later. It is extremely important to isolate variables and practice one aspect at a time. For tone, play slowly. For tongue, do not slur or begin fast. For fingers, slur.

Tone (about 10 minutes)

    Sometimes a simple lyrical solo can suffice as a tone warmup – pieces like Faure’s Morceau de Concours, Debussy’s Syrinx, or even film or Broadway tunes. Choose anything lyrical and uncomplicated that you can sing. I love asking students to sing a simple phrase they just played and then compare the shaping. Generally, the sung version is better.
    Include the full range of the instrument in warmups. It is important to have a big, projecting, vibrant sound at your disposal, but it is also important to keep those pianissimos in shape and be able to control the vibrato. Depending on how I sound, I may include echoes in my practice or begin with a comfortable mf to avoid pushing or forcing. When I was younger, I had the feeling that flutists were judged by how well they projected in the huge carpeted ballrooms at conventions. I thought that loud players were the best. I now know a non-forced, free flowing sound with lots of color is a good thing.

Bad Tone Day Exercise – Optional

    Tone can be elusive. On bad tone days I do my infamous POOing exercise. I say infamous, because once while coaching a gifted flutist with focus issues in a masterclass, I asked if he had ever POOed. Of course, the class giggled. Later, after his semester jury, he sent me a note saying how much the exercise had helped his tone as evidenced by the jurors’ comments. Here is how to POO properly.
    In brief, you start tones with your lips closed. Inhale and hold your breath. Keep the lips closed as if you are stifling a burp. Release the air as if saying POO. Your lips will open (the aperture) just enough to let the air escape. Do not let them open any more than that. Practice by putting the right-hand index finger on the bottom lip, fingernail facing the ceiling and pooing a steady airstream (as if gently bending a candle flame). My personal preference is to use a mirror and keep the entire bottom lip in a straight line on the lip plate. With mm = 60, POO and sustain all notes for two or three beats. Continue over the full range.
    Tip: Ask students to make a tight fist, then tell them to keep the fist, but relax the hand. You can be firm without being tight.

Warm-Up Exercises

    For my daily warm-up, I choose from the following:
    I start with Marcel Moyse’s De La Sonorité – perhaps the world’s most popular tone exercise:

    It is essential to stay mentally engaged while playing this exercise. To help, I play it with echoes (ff-pp) and with varying vibrato (5 pulses, 3 pulses, 4, 6, 0, etc.). Five vibrato pulses per beat is excellent for concentration because it is such an unnatural number of pulsations. I want the ability to imitate vibrato speed whether I am playing super loud or super soft – in any register. If this first exercise goes well, I move on to number two with whole steps. If I am really doing well, I speed up the process by extending the slur in quarter notes as Moyse suggests himself in the exercise.
    Marcel Moyse’s Tone Development Through Interpretation includes a less popular exercise, but one that is perhaps my favorite:

    To be sure vibrato is constant and consistent in this exercise, I use measured or counted vibrato on each note, pulsing either four or six pulses to the beat with the beat at 60 or slower. Adding echoes into the mix (measure 1 loud and measure 2 softly) lets me work on the soft extreme registers where control of the vibrato speed can be tricky. This exercise is great for working on the homogeneity of the sound, interval flexibility and vibrato control.
    Another gem of Moyse is found on page 23 of the De La Sonorité. When I breathe in a phrase, I always ask, “Is it a breath, or is it a break?” This exercise focuses on matching the sound before and after a breath.

Controlled Exhalation – Optional

    Also, in the Moyse De La Sonorité is his Suppleness in the Low Register exercise found on page 10. Controlling the airstream is essential to good phrasing. It is one thing to inhale a big breath, it is another entirely to pace its release.

Tongue (about 10 minutes)

    The secret to good articulation is getting the air behind the tongue so there is no delay when the tongue is released. If I am feeling lazy or tired, I may HOO (breath attacks) full range to get everything going. I HOO every note forte and monitor my embouchure to make sure it is as relaxed as possible while concentrating on aiming the air. I want the notes to be short, crisp, and resonant. I start on the middle octave D, ascend to top D, descend to low B, ascend to the D where I began.

Tonguing Exercises

    My all-time favorite exercise from Moyse’s De La Sonorité is one he intended for slurring flexibility, but it works beautifully as a single tongue exercise. I do this one every single day. If I do not have time to do the HOOing warmup in the previous exercise, I HOO this one before I tongue it. I take sip breaths between each note, using the same aperture so that every note is an initial attack.

    Tip: Instead of starting on F, as shown here, pick any note whose attacks you might want to improve For example, E2 might be a good choice since it is such a fragile note.
    Next, I move on to single tonguing by triplets and four sixteenth notes. These may be played on scales (diatonic or chromatic) with the metronome set on 104. This is followed by double tonguing with a goal speed of 134-154. Be creative in executing the scales. Try starting at the top and going down and back up too. If I have time, I will also practice my tonguing skills on the five-note patterns in the Taffanel & Gaubert 17 Big Daily Exercises, No. 1.
    Tonguing exercises may also be practiced on repertoire such as the Volière by Saint-Saëns, Sonata in C Major by Bach (Allegro), Mendelssohn’s Scherzo, or any other music with similar passagework.

Fingers (about 10 minutes)

    My finger warmups are basically the same as my tongued ones, only slurred. I do them last with the hope that all of my tongue and finger work will pay off with steady, even slurs. If there is time, I play two-octaves scales in sixes up and down three times in all keys.

Trills

    Practicing half-step and whole-step trills on each chromatic note is also helpful. It may come as a surprise to students to learn that some fingers are slower than others. Practicing trills with a metronome can get them going.

Fingering Exercises – Optional

    For my younger and less experienced students, I have written the following exercise to help them learn to balance the flute well in their hands. Repeat 8va to work those high register cross-fingerings.

The post Tone, Tongue, and Fingers appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Assessment and Suggestions

    With your phone, video yourself playing the following measure four times slurred, with the camera set facing you, and with both hands visible in the frame. (When playing back, if you have difficulty assessing these issues, there are several apps that may be downloaded for free that slow videos, so you may further examine each finger’s movement. One that many musicians use is Coach’s Eye, the free app version.)

    On the first playback, notice if your fingers are moving with ease and precision. The best players make it look easy. To accomplish this ease, practice the pattern with the metronome set to tick on each sixteenth note. As you repeat the exercise, increase the speed one notch. This auditory suggestion does wonders for the fingers. String players speak of having articulate fingers. Thinking the word articulate may help too.
    Check whether your knuckles are positioned to be at the same height as the finger tips on the indentations (open holes) on the flute. Long-time Flute Talk columnist Michel Debost suggested imagining that you are “pulling a horizontally positioned book off the shelf” to organize the right hand. Do this gesture a few times checking for a gentle arch of the fingers, rather than a severe curve of the fingers. This exercise helps the alignment of the knuckles with the finger tips. Notice if the movement is initiated from the third knuckle back from the nail. Anatomy and movement specialists believe that this is where the movement should originate.
    To find the best placement for the thumb, pick up a soda can or bottle of water and notice the relationship of the thumb to the other fingers. Some thumbs will be under the index finger, while others fall between the index and middle finger or under the middle finger. Do what is natural for you.
    After lifting the finger, does it stay in position or does it straighten out? Many flutists develop the habit of straightening a finger while lifting it off the key. This extra motion slows down playing the passage because there is an extra unnecessary movement incorporated before they use the finger again. Play a few trills (F to G in the first or second octave) and notice how efficiently the finger works. This is the movement to strive for with all fingers.
    Determine whether fingers remain close to the keys when lifted. Generally, they should be kept as close to the keys as possible. (However, professional flutists sometimes over-finger difficult passages for control. This means lifting the fingers slightly higher than usual to keep them from rushing. This suggestion is for advanced flutists only.)
    Next, notice whether the left index finger lifts with each repetition of the D on the fourth line. This is the most common fingering error – keeping the left index finger down when playing D in the middle octave. If you keep it down, the tone is dull. Katherine Borst Jones, flute professor at The Ohio State University, names this finger to help her student remember to lift “Herbert” or whatever you select to call the left index finger.
    For the next note E, check whether the right-hand pinkie opens the D# key. Not having the right-hand pinkie on the D# key is the second most common fingering error. Like D, E sounds dull and flat without an open D# key.
    Check stability and balance. As you remove fingers on the ascent, the weight of the flute should not shift to the left and then back to the right as you descend. The goal is to keep the flute equally balanced in the hands with no movement of the flute at all.
    Check the position of the left-hand pinkie. Novice flutists often let the pinkie drop when not in use. Strive to keep it in position as if it is the next note in the passage.
    Look at the left-hand thumb. It should be straight and pointing to the ceiling. The bottom of the thumb key should touch the left-hand pinkie at the first crease back from the nail. For most, this means that the key touches farther down the thumb. Avoid saying curve your fingers when teaching as the thumb should not be curved.

Initiation

    Flutists often lose time in a passage at the initiation stage of the movement. This means there is a delay in getting the finger to move from the first to the second note. When noticing this in a student or yourself, it is time to practice mordents. A mordent is an ornament indicating that the note is to be played with a single, fast alteration with the note above or below (which is indicated with a slash through the mordent).

    The rhythmic relationship is short, short, long. Start with an F major scale and play a mordent followed by a rest on each note of the scale using real (not trill) fingerings. Begin with the mordents that alternate with the note above. The goal is to make each mordent sound the same with regards to rhythmic values up and down the scale. Be sure the beginning of the first note is on the beat rather than before. You can check this by working with the metronome and recording yourself to check for accuracy. Each day practice one major scale this way. Check the key signature because some of the mordents will be whole steps and others half steps.

Tremolos

    Select a passage that you find difficult to execute quickly. This could be from solo repertoire or an etude. Practice tremolos between each two notes with the regular fingerings (no trill fingerings). A tremolo is a rapid alteration between two pitches. Play each tremolo for four seconds followed by a breath, then eight, twelve, and sixteen. As you play for a longer time, most find that it is difficult to keep the tremolo even rhythmically. Conquering this skill will improve the movement of the fingers. Some of the tremolos may be step-wise which are easier than the ones with larger intervals. The benefit of working with larger intervals is that the fingerings are complex – in some cases with some fingers closing keys while others are opening them. Practicing a difficult passage with tremolos daily for several weeks ensures that at concerts or lessons the fingers will move evenly and cleanly. When practicing this exercise, try to remain calm and relaxed. The goal is economy of motion in the fingers. Doing this exercise with a mirror or video recording is a good idea. Using something like the Coach’s Eye app shows where there are issues in the technique.

Playing Fast

    One of my concerns with beginning band books is that flutists are never required to play fast. Since these books are written for classroom situations with other instruments present, students play in unison most of the time. This speed is fine for many of the instruments, but it is not the personality of the music flutists are eventually required to play. In orchestral scores, flutists play many notes along with the violins, while the brass instruments are playing notes of longer values. To combat this curriculum issue, I suggest that as flutes, oboes, clarinets, and saxophones learn new notes, they begin trilling between those fingerings. If flutists learn B and A first, they can practice trilling from B to A and then A to B. Good music educators bring in supplemental materials for these woodwinds in the form of finger twisters.
    The worst downside of playing so slowly in the first year of instruction is that the hand position often evolves into fingers hanging off the keys, which is something that a private teacher will have to address later. Better to have flutists play fast from the beginning and learning to place the fingertips in the center of the keys.
    If you want to learn to play fast, you have to practice playing fast. This is a statement I make especially to my adult students. They are comfortable playing slowly and moderato, but shy away from vivace. In a masterclass, Michel Debost mentioned that when a flutist is asked to play in church, they immediately think about playing a Baroque slow movement. He said this is the worst choice for an audition or performance because playing slowly shows all your flaws. It is better to select one of the allegro movements because the joy and excitement of the music will hide a lot of sloppy fingers.
    When closing the keys with the finger tips, avoid any clanging noise or percussive effects. Doublers often have this issue because of the unfamiliarity of the secondary instrument. Practicing mordents and eventually regularly fingered trills trains the fingers to the new hand position.
    As you approach an entrance, the fingers should already be in place for the first note of the next passage. Many adult flutists wait until the last moment to get their fingers into position. This last-minute flurry of action causes the first note to have an awkward sounding attack. Remember when finishing one passage and counting measures to enter again, skim ahead and look at the first note of the next phrase. During the rest, get the fingers into position to play the first note.
    Fast, efficient fingers are possible for every player. Time spent working on fingering strategies will lead to great results.

The post Fast Fingers appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Journey Home

     One day, my father, an 83-year old Curtis-trained musician told me that it was time for me to play again. I replied, “I don’t have time for all that. I have my job, a husband, dogs. I volunteer. I don’t want to lock myself away in a practice room anymore. There’s laundry, cooking, and grocery shopping. I don’t find etudes relaxing!” My father responded that I did not have to be a perfectionist. I just need to play for my own enjoyment.
     I recalled my first flute lesson with Dad when I was nine years old. I remembered the warm feeling of playing a well-executed piece of music. Then I realized that I had never injured myself playing the flute or sitting in an orchestra pit which was more than I could say of the other hobbies I had tried. Maybe it was worth a shot, but I had not touched my flute in 15 years.

Flutist Rescue & Recovery

     I decided to apply my business skills to create a plan to fast-track my flute playing progress. I have had great success working as a project manager with strategizing, leading change, and helping teams of engineers reach their goals, so why couldn’t I do the same for myself as a flutist?
     My goal was to recover my former level of playing ability and perhaps even improve upon it. I gave myself a year to execute my plan and a budget of $7,000 to cover lessons, sheet music, and potentially a new flute.

The List

     I created a top ten list of everything I could do to become a better flute player and got started.

1. Find a group to play with on a regular basis.
2. Find a teacher.
   
3. Be a dedicated student to my lessons and practices.
   
4. Increase my playing ability.
   
5. Get a better flute.
   
6. Join local and national flute associations.
   
7. Buy tickets to orchestra, chamber, or solo concerts.
   
8. Listen to my favorite players.
   
9. Read about flute playing and musicianship and subscribe to Flute Talk.
   
10. Join Facebook groups that are focused on flute playing.
    

     While reading the local newspaper, I read about a community orchestra. I contacted them and was invited to their next rehearsal. Then I found a flute teacher through a recommendation of a local symphony flutist. I found her to be encouraging and supportive of my situation while still holding me to a high standard of playing, which was exactly what I wanted. When the teacher assigned one etude, I asked for two. At a local flute fair, I selected a pre-professional-level flute. I was on my way.
     I became a member of the National Flute Association and the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia. I attended events, made new friends, and found much inspiration.
     Listening became part of my regimen. I attended local symphony concerts, purchased CDs, and searched YouTube for performances of flutists I wanted to emulate. My favorite is A Flutist’s Favorites played by Julius Baker. He covers songs I remember playing as a younger flutist, though he plays them with an elegance I had not previously imagined.
     My reading material now included Flute Talk and books like The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green and A Soprano on Her Head by Eloise Ristad. Facebook provided access to my favorite flute players, orchestras, instruments and Etude of the Week group. I found this filled my Facebook news feed with lots of links to good articles about music and flute playing, as well as videos of many excellent players from whom I could learn.

Muscles

     During the execution of my plan, my 50+ year old body had trouble adjusting to the new muscular demands. First, it was my hands that experienced painful stiff and sore muscles. After the first few months of daily playing, the pains in my hands disappeared. It was as if my hands had been rebuilt and were stronger and more flexible. Then came tension in my cheek muscles, followed by tension in my lip muscles. Things I did so easily in my youth became so difficult now that I was older, which was disheartening. I was undeterred and kept plowing forward.

Measurement & Assessment

     I needed a way to measure my success. I came up with a list of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) against which I could measure my progress.

1. Increased practice time. I started with 30 minutes a day but now practice an hour a day during the week and two to three hours per day on the weekends.
2. Etude progress. After six months of lessons, I completed Book 1 of my etude studies and was ready for Book 2.
   
3. Sightreading. With a constant stream of new music through the community orchestra and lessons, I am exposed to a wider variety of challenging music. I became more comfortable with things such as subdivision and feel more comfortable when sightreading music.
   
4. Breathing. I started walking daily after lunch to increase my aerobic activity in hopes of strengthening my lungs and improving my breath control when playing flute. I was initially taking breaths every 2 measures, and now find I can play up to 3 or 4 measures before needing a breath. Gaining control of my air and volume in lessons has also helped me with my breath control.
   
5. Master a concerto. My teacher and I selected Concertino, Op. 107 by Cecile Chaminade. With analysis and many hours with the metronome, I am finally able to play it, though still not perfectly.
   
6. Attend events. I attended my first ever Flute Fair in March 2019 followed by the NFA Convention in Salt Lake City later that same year.
   
7. New playing opportunities. I signed up to participate in an adult chamber music four-day program at Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where my Dad attended in the 1950s. I felt I was not really ready for a step this big but knew if I did it, I would come out having learned many new things. I left with a new appreciation for music, who I was, and who I could be as a musician.
   
8. Enhanced performance. I started feeling more confident as a player performing in my community orchestra. I paid more attention to dynamics and blending my part with my section and other instruments.
   

Celebration Time

     According to my KPI rating system, I achieved 85% of my goal, which feels like respectable achievement. My estimated one-year project turned into a two-year project. Since it ran over time, I also ran over budget. It did not help that I spent more on my new flute than I had anticipated, and the events I attended were unplanned in the original budget.
     I approached my playing like a project at work. I invested a lot of time and money to crash the schedule and quicken my progress, but at times, I think I am still falling short. I keep hearing flutists talk about things like tone, color, and playing every note beautifully. However, my teacher reminds me, “Music doesn’t work that way. It takes time. You’re trying to compete with people who’ve spent their whole lives doing this. Give yourself more time.” Now, I continue to play, using my new tools and skills, and look forward to what the future holds, no matter how long it takes.

The post Applying Business Skills to Flute Playing appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Lung Capacity

    Most would agree that making musical decisions based on purely physical limitations like lung capacity will result in a substandard performance. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore the fact that wind players must breathe, and to maintain a beautiful tone, circular breathing is not an option. Of the three artists, only Stephen Preston goes for more than four measures without a breath, and he only does this once. The average span measured from breath to breath on the three recordings is three or four measures. While it would be easy to take breaths more frequently, the absence of any rests encourages the artists to maintain a sense of perpetual motion, and all three recordings respect this aesthetic.

Melodic Returns

    When melodic material serves as the beginning of a phrase early on, it demands a parallel treatment when it returns later. All three performers consequently took breaths immediately before the return of the material from m. 1 when it returned in mm. 9, 21, 26 and 29. There are other melodic returns that did not elicit the same response, such as the return of m. 17 in m. 42, and the return of m. 24 in m. 36. The difference between these returns and the return of m. 1 is the clarity of their position relative to the phrase structure. It is impossible not to hear m. 1 as a phrase beginning, whereas the position of the material in mm. 17 and 24 relative to the phrase structure is more subjective. Only two of the performers breathe at the start of m. 17 and only one breathes at the start of m. 24.

Cadential Gestures

    There were only three other places where all three performers took a breath: mm. 12, 44, and 46. All three of these spots are preceded by gestures that strongly indicate an authentic cadence. The cadence preceding the breath in m. 12 is highlighted by a 5-4-3-2-1 stepwise descent in D minor, and this is the only place where that pattern of scale degrees begins on beat 4 and ends on beat 1. The cadences that precede the breaths in mm. 44 and 46 are both highlighted by the resolution of the leading tone in the upper register. While the G# to A motion occurs in other places, it is only in mm. 44 and 46 that the resolution of the leading tone arrives on a strong beat and suggests a change of harmony.
    Stephen Preston took far fewer breaths than the other two – only thirteen. This is most likely because he played the Allemande on a Baroque flute, and those instruments allow for playing longer without the need for a breath. The seven breaths the performers have in common account for fewer than half of those taken by Rampal and Pahud. Rampal took nineteen, and Pahud took twenty. Most of the other breaths seem motivated by cadential gestures or sequences.

Melodic and Harmonic Sequences

    Melodic sequences are defined here as a transposed repetition of material; whereas harmonic sequences are defined as a patterned progression of chord roots. While most of the harmonic sequences can be confirmed simply with this analysis, the sequence in m. 17 and its transposed return in m. 42 cannot. The implied chord changes are so fast there that one likely hears a single harmony prolonged throughout, despite the fact that harmonic changes are implied. In these measures, the rising sixth in each case functions as the third skipping to the root of one harmony, while the tritone formed by the next two notes functions as the third skipping down to the seventh of the next harmony.
    If sequences are understood as vehicles that take the music somewhere, then breaking them up with a breath would be contradictory to their essential function. All of the performers were careful not to breathe in the middle of one. Instead, both Rampal and Pahud took a breath before each of the first two sequences got underway, while Preston lumped the two sequences together in a single breath. There is a definite sense of sequential repetition in mm. 12-13, as the second and third beats of m. 13 are a transposition of the second and third beats of m. 12. However, perhaps because of differences between the first and last beats of each measure, neither Rampal nor Pahud treated this as a sequence, and each took a breath in m. 13, but in different places (Pahud actually changing the location his second time through the A section).
    The sequence in mm. 14-15 dissolves gradually. It is both a harmonic sequence and a melodic sequence in m. 14, but in m. 15, the melodic sequence is abandoned. This gradual dissolution may explain why, though all three performers took a breath in m. 15, none of them took one in the same exact place. Rampal took one after the first sixteenth in beat 2; Pahud took one after the first sixteenth in beat 3; and Preston took one after the first sixteenth in beat 4.
    In m. 34, sequences also influence interpretation. Both Rampal and Pahud take a breath after the first sixteenth, even though the melodic sequence that began in m. 32 stretches two more beats. Here, because the entirety of m. 32 is not repeated, one can take the first two beats of m. 34 as a phrase beginning, serving to link it with the one starting in m. 32 through parallel material. Nevertheless, the harmonic sequence starting in m. 32 consists of the root progression C-A-D-B-E, so the point of arrival for the harmonic sequence is the downbeat of m. 32, where Rampal and Pahud both took a breath.

Comparing Performances

    As mentioned before, the first two breaths in mm. 5 and 7 mark the beginnings of the first two sequences, while the third in m. 9 marks a return of the opening material transposed to C major. The fourth in m. 12 is set up by the strong cadential gesture that leads to the downbeat of that measure. So far, the Rampal and Pahud recordings have breaths in identical places. In m. 13, however, the near sequence is broken up by both artists with a breath, though in different places. All three artists observe the repeat of mm. 1-19, but only Pahud chooses to move one of his breaths from the first time through to a different place on the repeat. It is in m. 13 that he seems to change his mind. A simple mistake is one explanation for the move. However, a possible musical justification might be that by moving the breath in m. 13 to two beats earlier during his second pass, he highlights the return of the first six notes of m. 1 in a way that the breath two beats later does not. This increases the dramatic tension by making the most of this false return.
    Rampal and Pahud also take different breaths in m. 15. Rampal’s breath in beat 2 can be thought of as motivated by the end of the melodic sequence. Pahud’s breath in beat 3 can be thought of as motivated by the end of the harmonic sequence, the root progression starting halfway through m. 13 and being B-E-A-D-G-C-F#-B. The next difference between the two recordings is the extra breath taken by Rampal in m. 24, a breath that logically separates the sequence in mm. 24 and 25 from the three bars that begin the second part of the Allemande.This one could be argued against based on the desire to keep the sixteenth notes flowing as much as possible.
    The last set of discrepancies do not occur until m. 39 when Pahud takes two breaths in the same measure, while Rampal waits to breathe until the first beat of the next measure. These breaths cannot be explained by any of the four factors previously mentioned. Both artists are most likely responding in different ways to the repeated C-B half step on top in m. 39 that is answered by the low E-F-E neighboring motion in m. 40. It is as though Pahud wants to underline these two measures by separating them out from everything else, and he completes the separation by also taking a breath in m. 41. Rampal, on the other hand, might hear the quasi-inversional relationship between mm. 39 and 40 as merely a way to link the end of one phrase to the beginning of the next.
    Stephen Preston seems to employ a very different strategy in how he articulates the phrase structure. In m. 4, Preston takes a breath in the last beat of the measure, though the cadence that marks the first phrase ending does not come until the following downbeat. Preston could not possibly hear a cadence on beat 4 of m. 4 because it is functionally a subdominant chord in a weak metrical position in the midst of a harmonic rhythm that inexorably carries the listener to the downbeat of m. 5. The logic of his breath here seems likely to be a conscious effort not to mark the end of the phrase with a breath, but rather to create the effect of an elision by pausing just before the end of the phrase to breathe instead. He employs this same strategy in mm. 15, 35, and 40. In m. 15, while Pahud’s breath a beat earlier suggests a phrase ending on a half cadence, Preston’s breath suggests that he hears an authentic cadence on the downbeat of m. 16. Either interpretation seems viable. In m.35, Preston’s breath suggests that he hears the same cadence on the downbeat of m. 36 that Rampal and Pahud do – one that tonicizes D minor – but again has opted for his own elision strategy rather than clearly articulating the cadence point itself with a breath. In m. 41, the cadence on the downbeat suggested by Preston’s breath in m. 40 is also recognized by Pahud although Rampal does not take a breath here.
    Preston’s breath between mm. 38 and 39, also taken by Pahud, could be understood as serving the same underlining function. This leaves only one of Preston’s breaths unexplained: the breath he takes in m. 31. A clear sequence begins in m. 32, most likely motivating the breath in beat 1 of that measure taken by the other two. If Preston were using his elision strategy to mark the same phrase ending marked by Rampal and Pahud, one would think he would have taken a breath in beat 4 of this measure rather than in beat 1. Writing it off as simply a mistake is not very convincing. Preston, unlike Rampal and Pahud, actually takes the repeat of m. 21 to the end, and he takes this same breath the second time through as well. One should also consider that Preston does not take a breath in the same part of m. 28, even though m. 31 is a literal transposition of m. 28. The only difference between m. 28 and m. 31, besides the transposition, is what follows. M. 28 is followed by a return of the opening, while m. 31 is followed by new material. It is this last point that suggests the decision to breathe in m. 31 is a variation on the elision strategy, perhaps varied because of the nature of the material itself.
    In conclusion, this study suggests that the four factors of lung capacity, the return of the opening material, cadential gestures, and sequences play the most significant roles in deciding where to breathe. Next, the factors that elicited the most consistent response from the performers were the return of opening material and the presence of cadential gestures that represent authentic cadences. There is a significant amount of variance from interpretation to interpretation in this piece, at least in terms of choosing where to breathe. While this article only analyzes three recordings, it would be useful to apply it to additional recordings of the Allemande and other pieces to further discover what makes great performances so moving and memorable.

Partita for Solo Flute
BWV 1013
Allemande

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What led you to the flute?

    I grew up in Quito, Ecuador in a family of non-musicians. My father is a chemical engineer, and my mother is a part-time accountant and homemaker. When my older sister and I were about eight and six, my mother started looking for extracurricular activities for us to explore. We took some tests, and it was determined that my sister had a facility for physical activities, and I was more adept at music or the visual arts. My sister ended up enrolling in ballet at the National Institute of Dance, and I started at the National Conservatory of Music.
    The first three years at the conservatory were mostly devoted to solfege, dictation, recorder and choir. After successful completion of this introductory phase, we were expected to choose an instrument and start private lessons. My initial desire was to play the piano. However, there were not enough piano teachers, and it was required to have a piano at home. We did not own a piano, so I turned to my solfege teacher for advice. She suggested the flute. Señorita Fanny Andrade thought that I was really good at the recorder, and I remember her saying, “If you play the piano, you will rarely get a chance to play in the orchestra. But if you play the flute, they need at least two of you!”
    My first flute teacher was Luis Carrera, and I started lessons with him at nine years old. Luis was a young flutist at the time, still in his early twenties, and I believe that I was his first student. In many ways it was like being a first child. I received so much attention and amazing information from him: recordings, scores, flute magazines, books, etc. His love for the instrument was contagious, and I cherished my time with him.
    At the time, the French school of flute playing was the model for us in Ecuador. That meant that we had to get through the entire Taffanel et Gaubert and Altés Complete Method Books by the time we graduated from the conservatory. I particularly enjoyed my Altés exercises, as I would get to play them with my teacher on the second flute part.
    As I went through my education at the conservatory, I also had the opportunity to become involved with the Festival Internacional de Flautistas en la Mitad del Mundo. This is an international flute festival organized by Luciano Carrera, the most notable flutist in Ecuador (and Luis’s father). Every year Luciano invites flutists from all over the world to Quito for a week of recitals, masterclasses, and flute choir. This festival was crucial for me to be able to have an idea of what the level of flute playing was outside of Ecuador, and it gave me the opportunity to meet Angeleita Floyd, who would become my teacher and mentor in the United States.
    Competitions were an important influence in my early years. The Festival Internacional de Flautistas en la Mitad del Mundo organized its first competition in 2002, and I was named the winner and given the opportunity to travel to Italy and study in Rome, Pescara, and Chieti. This was my first time travelling outside of Ecuador, and I still remember being overwhelmed with everything about this experience. A newfound love for travelling came out of it as well.
    During my high school years, I was selected to be a part of the Latin American Youth Orchestra in Caracas, Venezuela. This orchestra of young musicians from all over Latin American and the Caribbean was conducted by Claudio Abbado and Gustavo Dudamel. Being part of this massive orchestra and playing Debussy’s La Mer and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 under Abbado is something that I will never forget. It inspired me to pursue a career in music.
    From the beginning, I have been fortunate to have the support of my parents, especially my mother. I never took this for granted, as I saw many of my peers having to go in different paths because of the opposition of their parents. Choosing a career in music always seems risky, especially in Ecuador, where music is only slowly being considered a serious profession.

How did you decide where to continue your studies?

    The process was difficult. At the time, some schools were still figuring out their websites, and it was hard to find all the information needed online. I relied heavily on my teachers’ guidance. Unless you have a lot of money, it is practically impossible to do school visits and sample lessons when you live in a different country from where you want to study. Fortunately, Luciano Carrera’s yearly flute festival allowed me to take lessons with many of the flutists who came to the festival, including Angeleita Floyd.
    I started my undergraduate studies with her in 2005 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. It was the first place I had seen in the United States, and I experienced a strong culture shock. My English was terrible, the winters were rough, and there were no mountains. (Quito is surrounded by incredibly beautiful, snow-capped mountains.) However, I was surrounded by some of the kindest people I have ever met.
    The resources I had access to at UNI were vast, especially coming from Ecuador where music libraries are extremely limited. I tell this to my students all the time. I checked out as many CDs, DVDs and scores from the library as was allowed. I watched opera DVDs over the weekend, returned them, and went back for more. It was wonderful.
    I trusted my teacher 100% and practiced many hours to accomplish what was asked of me. Angeleita became an important figure in my life. As a teacher she was kind, nurturing, and very demanding. I model a lot of my own teaching after what I saw in her. She created an environment in her flute studio that was cordial, constructive, and competitive, and always left room for fun and wonderful flute parties.
    Lessons were very structured and included tone, technique, etudes and pieces in every one. I was encouraged to organize my practice sessions this way as well. This is very productive method for undergraduates, who are in the process of building strong fundamentals.
    Another important part of the curriculum was flute choir. Every studio member was expected to perform, and we were given challenging pieces. My favorites were arrangements of well-known symphonic pieces, including Mozart or Rossini overtures, movements from a Mendelssohn, Dvorák, or Haydn symphony, or Vivaldi concertos. When it came time for me to perform these pieces in orchestra, I had a level of comfort and familiarity with the music because of the intensive work we did during flute choir.
    At this time, and for a long time after my undergraduate studies, I did not have a clear idea of what exactly I wanted to do professionally. I wanted to become the best flutist I could be, but I had not thought about whether I wanted to play in an orchestra, teach, or be a soloist. I started entering competitions from the moment I arrived in the U.S., but nothing was really happening until my junior year when I won the School of Music concerto competition followed by the Presser Scholarship competition. Then, I was selected to participate in the NFA Young Artist Competition and won 1st prize at the 2008 NFA Convention in Kansas City. In 2009 I won the WAMSO Minnesota Orchestra Competition and the Monteux Flute Competition in Indianapolis. This was by far the best year of my life! Winning the NFA competition opened many doors for me. The exposure that one gets from being featured at this event is wonderful.

Where did you attend graduate school?

    I went on to pursue a master’s degree with Marianne Gedigian at the University of Texas. Having the opportunity to attend Marianne’s performances on a regular basis in Austin was such a privilege and an infinite source of inspiration.
    An important revelation came to me when I started my specialist degree (artist diploma) at the University of Michigan. After I was accepted, I received a call from Amy Porter letting me know that her current DMA student had gotten an offer to join the New World Symphony, so the teaching assistantship was open, and she needed me to step in. I quickly accepted although until then I had never taught flute lessons and was a little uncomfortable about having to do so. I started teaching non-majors who were interested in flute lessons at the University of Michigan and realized that I loved sharing the ideas that I had been working on for so many years. Seeing them work on other people was extremely fulfilling, and that is what ultimately led me to pursue a doctoral degree after I finished at Michigan.
    I believe that every teacher I have had has come at the right time and for the right reasons in my life. My last teacher was no exception. Trudy Kane was crucial for me being able to transition from being a good student into a professional, ready to win a job. When I came to Trudy, I was already a good player, knew the repertoire, and had a decent resume. What I was lacking was the confidence and the right mindset to know that I was ready for a job. After some successes in my undergraduate years, I went through a phase of questioning what I had accomplished and even my potential to continue in a career in music. One summer I even looked into starting engineering school back in Ecuador. All of this affected my playing and state of mind.
    Trudy was committed to reminding me that what I had to say musically was important, and that I needed to get back to that. She is a nurturing teacher with a sixth sense about what people need to hear. I admire her ability to know exactly what to say to help students. I find myself quoting her often.

With KU colleagues Erin Wood and Boris Vayner for Kansas Public Radio at the Lawrence Public Library, October 2018.

    Studying with Trudy also gave me the opportunity to learn and relearn all of the orchestral excerpts in much more depth, including opera excerpts. Her expertise from her many years performing in the MET Orchestra was shared generously with us. We had rigorous classes and mock auditions addressing all major excerpts, including piccolo solos and lesser known pieces. The thoughtfulness and level of detail (and tricks) that Trudy shared with us is something that I am fortunate to have and happily share with my students now.

What were your experiences as a young professional performer?

    During my time in Miami I started to work professionally with many of the South Florida orchestras. I was offered full seasons with the Florida Grand Opera and the Palm Beach Symphony, and started as a founding member with the NuDeco Ensemble, a genre-bending chamber orchestra. All of this helped me build up the confidence I needed to believe in my strengths again. I put together a good set of materials to apply for jobs that resulted in my first teaching position at the University of Akron. In 2018, I became the flute professor at the University of Kansas.

What advice do you have for high school students getting ready to apply for college?

    I advise all aspiring high school students to take trial lessons and visit the schools that interest them. I enjoy meeting prospective students who come to the University of Kansas for a lesson. It is a good opportunity to share ideas on what to work on as they get ready. The way they implement (or not) these ideas by the time of their audition becomes an important factor in my decision making.
    Many schools of music offer honor band festivals or summer camps that give high school students a chance to be on campus, play in the ensembles, take private lessons with the college flute professor, and get an idea of the daily life of a music major. At KU we have a wonderful program called Prairie Winds Festival that takes place every year in early February. Prairie Winds participants are promising high school flutists who are often interested in our undergraduate programs. They can even schedule their audition during the festival. We also offer a summer camp called Midwestern Music Camp. This summer music festival offers intensive work for a full week on campus and has been a KU tradition since 1936.

With the KU Flute Studio

What are the benefits of entering competitions and how do you prepare?

    I have been interested in competitions from an early age. During college, I would take breaks from practice sessions and walk around the halls perusing the boards of the faculty offices to find as many competitions to enter as possible. I have always approached competitions as a way to advance my career by making connections, learning new repertoire, and getting exposure. Another nice incentive was the cash prizes which allowed me to purchase my first computer and fly home for the holidays.
    I prepared for these competitions the same way that I prepared for any other performance. I tried to memorize as many of the pieces as possible. I had a strict daily schedule of tone exercises from the Trevor Wye Tone Book, scales (Moyse Daily Exercises), an etude or two, and then the repertoire.
    When I entered the Minnesota Orchestra WAMSO competition, I happened to be in Quito for the holidays during the three weeks leading up to the semifinal round in Minneapolis. Quito at 9,350 feet is one of the highest capitals in the world. This was really good for my breath capacity and allowed me to prepare like an athlete would do to run a marathon. I played my repertoire over and over so many times that when my parents were driving me to the airport, they were whistling the Jolivet concerto!
    Not advancing or placing in a competition was hard at first. All of the work seemed to mean nothing. However, once I recognized the amount of talent that is out there and the subjective nature of what we do, it made it easier to handle. Rejection is a huge part of the life of a musician, and competitions certainly prepared me for the process of job applications and orchestral auditions.

What are your goals?

    I have a wide range of goals that I think is reflective of the type of career that I have. First, I am a flute professor, and my goal is to be as helpful, thoughtful, and supportive as I can in shaping my students’ careers. I enjoy the time I spend with my students and consider it a privilege to be a part of their lives.
    As a flutist from Ecuador, my goal is to make the music of Ecuadorian composers better known in the U.S. To that end, I am working on my first solo album that will feature pieces by Gerardo Guevara, Leonardo Cárdenas, Jacinto Freire, Sixto María Durán, and others, who have written beautiful works that should be heard and played. To complement this project, I am also working on publishing editions of all this music to make them available to the public. I also just wrapped up a recording project with my colleagues at KU on the music of Ecuadorian composer Luis Humberto Salgado. This prolific Ecuadorian composer is the subject of the research of my colleague and musicologist, Ketty Wong, who is from Guayaquil, Ecuador.
    I also want to be able to give back to the younger generations of Ecuadorian flutists. I am delighted to be a part of Luciano Carrera’s International Flute Festival in Quito as a guest every year. Supporting Luciano’s vision is important to me, and I know that many of my friends who were able to pursue flute careers through this festival feel the same way.
    I am also becoming involved in other projects in music education in Ecuador, including the Festival Internacional de Música de Guaranda. This is a relatively new summer orchestral academy that offers full tuition to three flute fellows every year and the opportunity to study with excellent faculty from around the world. The festival will be touring Panama, Colombia and Ecuador this summer.
    I am also involved with the Festival Internacional de Flautistas Perla del Pacífico. This new flute festival takes place in Guayaquil, the most populous city in Ecuador. I participated for the first time as a guest artist last year, and it was a rewarding experience of giving back and playing for the public of Guayaquil.
    I also want to continue to perform in the orchestra as much as possible. I often substitute with the Kansas City Symphony (only a 40-minute drive from Lawrence), and I have been a member of Miami’s NuDeco Ensemble since its creation in 2015. I am committed to this wonderful group and travel to Miami about six times a year. NuDeco is starting an education program called NuDeco Next to train young orchestral players from South Florida. During the summers I perform in the orchestra for the Utah Festival Opera in Logan. I have been working with this group for four years now and enjoy the camaraderie as well as the opportunity to spend the summer in the mountains.
    Lastly, as part of my recruitment efforts, I have been visiting universities in the U.S. and abroad where I offer masterclasses and solo recitals. I enjoy meeting other flute professors and students from all kinds of backgrounds. It is very enriching, and my goal is to continue developing a network of flutists and musicians all around the world.

Masterclass for the Greater Cleveland Flute Society Fall Festival, November 2018.

How do you determine recital programs for your students?

    I try to make sure that there is enough diversity of styles and that the program is appropriate for the level of the student. I think that students should play at least one unaccompanied piece and one chamber piece and that they speak about the music. Adding a piccolo or alto flute piece is always a nice way of adding variety. Many of my music therapy and music education students learn to play a variety of instruments throughout their time at KU. It has been wonderful to see some of them include a short piece in which they play the harp, guitar, or percussion on their recitals.
    For studio class performances, my students are all encouraged to research the composers’ lives, the historical context of the creation of the piece, and any other relevant information that might enhance the experience for the listener. It is really interesting to see what they find, and many of them give in-depth presentations that we all learn a lot from.

What advice do you offer to graduating DMA flutists about finding a job?

    I think that in order to be qualified for a teaching job it is important to have a level of comfort with being a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer and also be familiar with contemporary music. Students should start checking all of these boxes as early as possible. That way their credentials will not look like those of a good student who has just graduated, but rather those of a young professional who has been active in the field for a few years.
    One of the most difficult rounds to get through for a teaching position is the first one. Committees review over a hundred applications in some cases. Think about important parts of your resume to highlight that might grab their attention and encourage them to keep looking through your materials. These might include prestigious schools you have attended, study with well-known teachers, success in national or international competitions, success in orchestral auditions, prestigious summer festivals, recordings made, current positions, and students’ successes.
    It is also important to create a network of people and develop a good reputation of being an excellent professional and colleague wherever you go. There probably will not be any flutists on the search committee, so be sure to get to know musicians outside of the flute world.
    One way to do this is through summer festivals. As a result of some of my competitions, I was given scholarships to attend orchestral festivals. I still keep in touch with many of the people that I met during these intensive weeks of performing, living, and touring together, and people like Richard Sherman and Leone Buyse have become mentors and cherished role models.
    Word spreads quickly, both positively and negatively, so keeping a high standard in any professional situation will go a long way. It is remarkable how often a comment from a former colleague, classmate, or teacher will help you advance or get a second look from a search committee.
    Crafting a concise but informative cover letter is also crucial. This might be one of the few materials that receives the full attention of a committee. Make sure that it is well written and offers a complete summary of what you are all about. Include a section about your accomplishments, teaching philosophy, reasons for applying, what you can offer to that particular program, and so on. A page, or a page and a half is probably a good length. Common mistakes that are easy to avoid include avoiding spelling errors, writing the correct name of the institution and position, and directing it to the right person.
    A few jobs open every year, and while the field is very competitive, it is helpful to think that someone will be winning those jobs and that someone might be you. I like to stay optimistic and things tend to fall into place.

My Daily Warmup

Harmonics
Begin on Low C and overblow to the octave. Then slur from the octave into the real fingering. Continue partial to partial alternating the harmonic fingering with the real fingering ascending and descending. Repeat chromatically ascending.

Marcel Moyse De La Sonorite
No. 1, descending to low B, quarter note = 52, with six vibrato cycles per beat.

Taffanel & Gaubert 17 Big Daily Exercises, No. 4
First with breath attacks (Hah), then followed by all articulation patterns plus double tonguing. Whole note = 76.

Favorite Etudes
(In the order I teach)
1. 18 Etudes for the Flute by Tranquille Berbiguier
2. 24 Studies, Op. 33 by Joachim Andersen
3. 8 Etudes de Salon by Johannes Donjon
3. 30 Caprices by Sigfrid Karg-Elert
4. 14 Arabesque Etudes by Eugène Bozza
5. 24 Caprices by Niccolo Paganini

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