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A Bit of Background
    The French Flute School founded by Paul Taffanel, who taught at the Paris Conservatoire from 1893 to 1908, became a collaboration of teachings that were influenced by other professors and flutists, including Philippe Gaubert, Georges Barrère, Andre Maquarre, and Marcel Moyse.
    Between 1860 and 1950, flute music at the Paris Conser­vatoire was written for use as test pieces and studies. Rather than grades, students received prizes for their performances of these works, and receiving a First Prize (premier prix) was the same as graduation. These pieces are now staples in our flute repertoire and represent a vast part of what we are expected to learn.
    Music written during the first half of the 20th century began to breakdown traditional tonality; functional harmony was no longer used in the traditional sense. This music retained the pillars of functional harmony, but also filled phrases with extended tonality.  This was done with the use of whole-tone, octatonic, and hexatonic scales.
    Meter and rhythm also began to change. Rhythmic ambiguity was created with poly-meters, such as shifting subdivisions in mixed meters. Greater technical demands became part of music during this period, as composers explored new interpretive and expressive extremes. Flute music became more dramatic and expressive than before, causing music written in typical classical structures to be less rigid and more free forming. In The Flute Book, Nancy Toff describes early French flute music: “dynamics, tempo, expressive markings – became more numerous and more complex. But, paradoxically, these increased markings gave rise to greater interpretive license for the performer: rather than being restrictive, they provided the performer with a whole new range of possibilities.”2

The Scales
    French composers influenced by impressionism favored whole-tone, octatonic, and hexatonic scales and patterns, called symmetrical scales, which created a dreamlike musical atmosphere. Also known as synthetic scales, these scales lack a tonal center,3 because they lack a leading tone. This creates a lack of drive or resolution. Because these scales are frequently used in 20th-century and contemporary literature, it is extremely important for flutists to learn them well.

Whole-Tone Scales   
    The whole-tone scale is constructed entirely of whole steps. (W=whole step)
A whole-tone scale starting on C consists of three white keys and three black keys.
There are only two possible combinations of notes for whole-tone scales – one that begins on C and one that begins on C#.
    Because all the notes in a whole-tone scale are equidistant from each other, no note feels more or less important than the next. Here are two examples of whole-tone scales taken from Philippe Gaubert’s Fantaisie. The introduction sounds free and has improvisatory characteristics. The C# whole-tone scale below concludes the dreamy introduction right before a beautiful and lyrical, yet definite beginning theme.
    This next example uses a C# whole-tone scale accompanied by a descending augmented triad that just happens to be one of only two possible triads available in the whole-tone scale.

Octatonic Scales
     An octatonic scale has eight notes that alternate whole and half steps. The pattern is as follows: whole step, half step, whole step, half step, whole step, half step, whole step.
Because the whole/half step interval pattern is consistent, there are only three forms of an octatonic scale. Octatonic scales can start on any pitch, but they always fall into one of these three patterns.
    The octatonic scale is also called a diminished scale because it is made up of two super-imposed diminished seventh chords.4
    Octatonic scales, similar to the whole-tone scales, lack a tonal center because of their symmetry. Composers use octatonic scales because their major, minor, and diminished qualities make them extremely flexible.
    In Jacques Ibert’s Pièce Pour Flute Seule, the beginning of the piece plays around a D-octatonic scale. Marked “a piacere,” which means “at your pleasure,” this octatonic passage gives Pièce a haunting foundation.
    Another example comes from Henri Dutilleux’s Sonatine for flute and piano. The octatonic scalar passage, leads up to a forceful high-A trill and is the climactic and elusive ending to a long crescendo based on the A theme at the beginning of the piece. This particular octatonic passage is based on a C-octatonic scale, although it is a little hard to detect because it is enharmonically spelled.
    The example above from the Sonatine is a double-tongued passage that marks a vague ending before the cadenza segment that ends the Allegro section.

Hexatonic Scales
A six-note hexatonic scale follows the pattern: half step, minor third, half step, minor third, half step. (A minor third is equal to the distance between three half steps.) The keyboard following illustrates a hexatonic scale.
    Like the whole-tone and octatonic scales, a hexatonic scale is symmetrical, so there are only four possible combinations. Like all other symmetrical scales, hexatonic scales can start on any pitch and can be enharmonically spelled.
    The use of hexatonic scales or patterns in music provides a sense of detachment of tonality or a “floating between a tonality that has been attacked by the weakening of the root progressions but not yet completely destroyed.”5
    The Dutilleux Sonatine excerpt above is a wonderful example of a hexatonic scale. It is part of the cadenza at the end of the first allegro section.
    Another example of a hexatonic pattern in French flute literature comes from George Enesco’s Cantabile et Presto. This excerpt from the very end of the Andante ma non troppo incorporates an A major instead of an A minor, which would complete the whole hexatonic scale.

Applications for Use
    Flutists should add these scales to their daily scale routines. When the  whole- and half-step patterns become second nature, many of the running passages of scales and arpeggios in solo pieces will become more fluid, and practice time will be reduced. Using the interval patterns defined above, you could chose one scale type each week and play them on each scale degree every day.
    If you are used to playing scales in key centers (all types of C scales and arpeggios, etc.), then just add the three symmetrical scales to your daily routine. When they are smooth and even, try them with various articulations and rhythms. The more time spent on them in your practice session, the easier the French Conservatory and contemporary solo repertoire will be.

Bibliography
Andrews, H.K: ‘Whole Tone Scale’, Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy
Bass, Richard. “Models of Octatonic and Whole-Tone Interaction: George Crumb and His Predecessors.” Journal of Music Theory, Vol. 38, No. 2. (Autumn, 1994), pp. 155-186.
Cohn, Richard. “Maximally Smooth Cycles, Hexatonic Systems, and the Analysis of Late-Romantic Triadic Progressions.” Music Analysis, Vol. 15, No. 1. (Mar., 1996), pp. 9-40.
Garner, Santa, and Thomas Hughes. Flute/Theory Workout. USA: 24Keys, 2002.
Garner Santa, Lisa. Rêver en Couleurs (CD insert notes). USA: MSR Music LLC, 2007.
Kostka, Stephan and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony. United States: McGraw-Hill     Companies, Inc., 2000.
Moyse, Louis. Flute Music by French Composers. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1967.
Strunk, Steven: ‘Altered Scale’, Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy
Toff, Nancy. The Flute Book: A Complete Guide for Students and Performers. New York:     Oxford University Press, 1996.

Footnotes
1 Wye, Trevor, 1993, Marcel Moyse, an extraordinary man, ed. Angeleita Floyd, Winzer Press, Iowa. pg. 107.
2 Toff, Nancy. The Flute Book: A Complete Guide for Students and Performers. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. pg. 242.
3 Kostka, Stefan and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony. United States: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000. Pg. 496.
4 Strunk, Steven: ‘Altered Scale’, Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy http://www.grovemusic.com.lib-e2.lib.ttu.edu
5 Cohn, Richard. “Maximally Smooth Cycles, Hexatonic Systems, and the Analysis of Late-Romantic Triadic Progressions.” Music Analysis, Vol. 15, No. 1. (Mar., 1996), pg. 9.

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No Long Note Playing Games
    No band director wants his band to breathe on every bar line. However, beginning flutists usually do so.   Musical and artistic breathing involves learning to control the air stream in order to play long phrases. The size of a student and his lungs greatly affects what is possible. Small players are not able to take in the three to five liters of air that many professionals use. Holding notes and long phrases is a challenge for young players, and as teachers we must be prepared to mark where the extra breaths may be taken.  
    Each instrument in the band requires a different air flow rate. The flute and the tuba have the highest flow rate, while the oboe, with its super small bore, requires the least air flow. If the band director decides to challenge a classroom full of beginners to a long note playing competition, the playing field is not level because of the different air flow requirements of each instrument.
    Flutists placed in this situation will do almost anything to win the contest. This encourages them to tense up, close the vocal folds (throat), and squeeze the air out. In other words, they have learned to play with tension and a poor sound quality. Directors should therefore, avoid long note playing games and opt for the excellent exercise below. Not only will it teach student to play naturally on a long air stream, but it will sharpen their counting and concentration skills. 

A Solution
    The following breathing exercise helps students learn to play long notes in a natural, relaxed fashion and can be used with the entire band on a concert F. This exercises also reinforces individual counting and concentration. With a metronome set on quarter = 60,   ask the players to extend their legs straight out in front of them while tapping their feet in the air. Start at a dynamic level of mf, begin on an F quarter note followed by a quarter rest.  On each repetition lengthen the quarter note by one beat still followed by a quarter rest. Very quickly young players will be able to play a long note for eight or more counts. 

Embouchure Development
    No students’ embouchure looks exactly like another’s. Some students have a teardrop in the center of the upper lip, which prevents the aperture (the hole in the lips) from being in the center of the lips. When you have a student with a teardrop, move the aperture to the  left rather than the right, which will allow them to bring the right shoulder and end of the flute forward. When the aperture is on the right side, the right shoulder is placed in an uncomfortable position.
    To prevent injury after 25 years or so of playing, encourage your students to play with their natural face. Those who make facial contortions in an attempt to look like a picture in a book may eventually develop pain and even be unable to continue playing. Foreheads should be relaxed, and students should play naturally. It is not the face that makes the sound; it is the air.  

Marching Band vs. Concert Band
    I often tell masterclasses that how we stand and balance the flute in marching band has nothing to do with concert band. It is unfortunate that the rules of marching band performance and competition cannot be changed so that no student has to perform in a way that is detrimental to his concert performance.
      In marching band, flutists stand with both feet together and the flute held parallel to the ground. In concert and solo performance, flutists stand with the left foot in front at 12:00 o’clock and the right foot back at a 3:00 o’clock. (This is a neutral position from which players can adjust for comfort.) The lower part of the body faces at a 45 degree angle to the right, and the upper body spirals toward the left toes. The end of the flute is not parallel to the shoulders but is slightly forward. The arms should hang from the shoulders, and the left thumb should be straight and pointing to the ceiling. On most average sized thumbs the crease in the left thumb will align at the bottom of the key. 

Chairs and Stands
    I have seen so many rehearsal rooms where the chairs and stands are too close together. There should be at least 30 inches between the students’ eyes and the music, so I encourage you to move the chairs back and let the players claim their space. Only oboes, clarinets, and trumpets are played somewhat symmetrically, so those chairs should be the only ones set up with the stand parallel to the back of the chair.  All other chairs should be slightly rotated to the right in relationship to the stand. This means that players’ left knees should point toward the stem of the music stand, and the right knee will be pointing to the right. 

    No flutist should ever have to share a music stand with another player.   Provide enough music so that each player has his own stand and music.   Band directors of concert bands should experiment with flute section setup to insure good alignment health. I personally prefer a setup based on the woodwind setup of an orchestral section. 
The front row might include:  Piccolo, Flute I, Oboe I and II, Bassoon I and II. The second row would continue with Flute II and clarinets. Depending on the number of clarinets, the arrangement should place Clarinet I behind the Flute I and Oboe I. 

Intonation
    Intonation problems will be minimal when the cork placement is correct, the headjoint is pulled out about 1/4", the keys point to the ceiling, and the player uses a good air stream. I find that most school flutists never check their cork placement, think that 1/4" is actually 1/8", play with the keys pointing back to their shoulders, and do not blow well. There is the problem. 



(The first picture above shows the keys pointing backward. The second shows them parallel to the ceiling.)

Support
    I never use the words support or diaphragm. After hearing these words throughout my public school days, it has taken all the discipline that I can muster to remove them from my vocabulary. When you say the “support” or “support from the diaphragm” to a band, the first thing you see is every child pulling in what they consider to be their tummy, and they continue in that rigid position, page after page.
    Breathing is an IN and OUT process. It is not a pulled-in, motionless abdomen. We breathe at the beginning of a phrase and use the air throughout the phrase. At the end of the phrase, we release what is left of the air and then let the air fill the lungs again. The bottom of the lungs is located approximately where the floating ribs are. The top of the lungs are just above the collarbone. Breathing is much higher in the body that most of us think.
    The diaphragm is an involuntary muscle, which means that we can not move it at will. It moves down as the lungs fill and up as the lungs empty – a natural process. It is better to talk about the intercostal muscles, which are the muscles located between the ribs. Moving and controlling the intercostals (lifting the ribs) is a great idea. 
    I think we get better results when we speak about air speed. Most bands sound better immediately when students use faster air at the beginning of a note and think about producing an even air stream throughout the note. 

Separate the Vocal Folds
    So many teachers ask a student to open their throat. However, when you ask students where there throat is, you receive a vast array of answers. What we want students to understand and do is to separate their vocal folds. To teach this, they need to pant. When panting the vocal folds are separated on both the inhale and the exhale. Learning to play with the vocal folds separated is the goal. You might  also have students swallow, because  the muscles used to swallow should be relaxed when they play. 

Repair or Buy
    Many beginners start on a rental flute or on one that a relative has passed down. Recently I had a student proudly tell me that she was the third generation to use her flute, and it had never been to the repair shop! This was the time to expain how important it is to have a flute serviced at least once a year.
    A basic yearly service is called a COA or clean, oil, and adjustment.  During a COA, the craftsperson cleans the flute of finger prints and tarnish, checks/replaces the cork, checks the fit of the tenons for roundness and seal, removes dents, checks and replaces worn pads, checks felts and corks, adjusts spring tension, and oils the flute. A complete overhaul should be done every 3-5 years, depending on how it is cared for and how much it is played. 
    In the mid 1980s, most manufactures began producing flutes on a recalibrated scale. Many of the intonation problems on older-scaled flutes were improved. Intonation in a flute section is difficult when some players have old-scaled flutes and others use new-scaled flutes. Instruments produced today all use a modern scale based on the work of Albert Cooper or William Bennett. Because of the new improvements in both the scale and ergonomic design, it is wise to encourage students to purchase a newer flute.  
    Today there are a group of flutes known as step-up flutes that bridge the gap between the student line and the professional models. I prefer to start beginners on an in-line, open-hole, B-foot flute.  At the beginning students use only the headjoint and body, no footjoint, and the holes in the body are plugged and the right hand is placed on the barrel. As students grow, we add the footjoint and eventually remove the plugs. Many flutists prefer flutes with the off-set G rather than the G key in line with the other left-hand keys. 
    When you set the hands on the flute from the lowest note up (D in the right hand and G# in the left), you discover that the flute fits the student’s hands better than setting the hands on the flute from the top notes (F in the right hand and B in the left), which makes an in line flute as finger friendly as a flute with an offset G. 
    In line flutes weigh less and feel more streamlined and less clunky in the hand. If a student can afford to upgrade to a silver flute, then choose a silver riser first, then a silver headjoint, a silver body, and finally silver keys.  
Most stores allow prospective customers to test two flutes for about 10 days. Players should try out a flute in band, in a large hall or church, at lessons, and at home. The flute should make the player feel creative and be pleasing to play. When choosing a flute, check to be sure that the embouchure hole is no wider than the natural aperture of the player. An embouchure hole that is too large may cause the upper lip to tremble over time.

Thank You
    As you conclude the meeting with the band director, thank him for inviting you to work with his students and for all he does for his students and the community. Band directors change the lives of many students each and every day.

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    Section            Line Numbers
    A                            1-8
    B                            9-29
    A’                         30-34

    Folio told me that the title “reflects the shape of the piece and also describes its palindromic ABA form. One of my graduate students tells me the title means sacred ark in Spanish.”
     The following comments were made by Folio during a lesson I took with her on  Arca Sacra in La Jolla, California in 2005. Therefore, all musical directions in the following section are her thoughts.

Line 1:
    The opening line includes pitch bending, which creates a Native American flute sound. I also had the Japanese shakuhachi, North Indian bansuri, and jazz in mind. These instruments all come together for me. Try to bend the pitches as much as possible, as in Native American music, particularly on the D to F in Line 1. I finger D normally at first and then add the left-hand first finger while sliding the right-hand fingers off the holes.

You don’t even have to finger the F. Slide the fingers all the way off the holes, keeping the key rings down during the slide. That keeps the pitch from getting too high. If you let the keys up, you will produce a different note. Robert Dick has an entire chapter on how to slide in The Other Flute: A Performance Manual of Contemporary Techniques. He discusses how to do a continuous slide for the entire length of the flute.² 

Line 2:
    There is another bend or slide on the B flat in the middle of Line 2. For this one you could  also exaggerate the slide by depressing the A key without covering the hole as you bend the pitch lower. Adding the half-hole very gradually during the bend drops the pitch down to A flat. If you are uncomfortable adding a half-hole, just try to bend more.
    Be careful not to sock the A after the crescendo/decrescendo at the end of line 2. This can occur because it is a low note. Make sure that you emphasize the diminuendo. All of the Ds in Line 2 should be D#s.

Line 3:
    There is a bend from A flat to E at the end of Line 3. After the bend down, come back up fast to the E while sliding right-hand fingers 1 and 2 onto the keys for the E. Make the rising tuplet a six-note tuplet, rather than a five-note tuplet, by including the rest in the 16th-note figure.

Lines 4-7:
    The sixth note in the line should be an A flat. At the end of the line, roll the flute in on the high F to make it flat; then roll out on the F harmonic at the beginning of line 5. The challenge is to have those two Fs in tune with each other. On the flourish in the middle of line 6, bring out the B flat. It should pop out of the texture because it is the center note in the palindrome. Be careful, as the B flat can easily get lost because it is a fast passage. The last note of the line is a G#, as is the first note of Line 7.

Lines 8-10:
    At the very end of section A, prepare the new tempo in Line 9 by thinking in 16ths by the end of Line 8. Breathing is a challenge here, but the poco rallentando in Line 7 allows time for a breath. Then breathe before the beginning of 8 and try to make it through the first measure in Line 10 before breathing again. The accelerando in Line 8 should help.
    I recommend single tonguing in the B section because it is clearer. Gauge the speed of the eighths in 8 to be similar to the 16ths in 9 by accelerating on each note. A great dynamic contrast between the two measures in line 9 will add interest. The second measure of 9 should be much softer than the first, almost like a whisper with some mystery. You also save air that way. The crescendo in line 10 is important, so make more out of it.

Lines 11-15:
    The standard fingering from low E to C# requires the right-hand pinky down on both pitches, but omit the pinky here, as in the trill fingering. Diminuendo more on the second measure of Line 11 to a mp dynamic to give the piece more shape. Articulate accents well in general, but particularly when they create groups of threes, such as those at the end of Line 13.
    The whisper in Line 16 should be mostly air. You may want to anticipate that airyness by making the accents in Line 15 kind of airy. Pretend that you are a beginner who can’t quite find the embouchure hole. Blow but don’t focus the air and keep it very soft.

Lines 16-26:
    This is the line with the octatonic scale. Line 17 should also be airy, and Line 18 should be marked whisper (but more sound). Normally, flutists aim the air across the embouchure hole to produce a wonderful sound, but here try aiming the air up a little higher. It doesn’t feel like a different embouchure to me; it is more of an aim. Where is that hole?
    Start to focus a little in 19 and be clearly focused by the beginning of Line 20. Some musical directions were omitted in the first printing, but a second edition is available now. Please write in m.o. (modo ordinario indicates a return to a normal sound) in the first bar of Line 19, almost normal sound in the 1/4  bar that follows, and m.o. in the 3/8 bar. The punctuated eighths in this section should be resonant, accented, but not long.

Lines 27-34:
    The flutter tongue in Line 27 should start on the G# and end on high B. Add an accent over the high C# two notes later as well. Try the tongue flutter with some vocalization to get the R to roll.
    This fluttered arpeggio explodes on the high C-C#, and after that, things start to wind down. The palindromes begin to break down in Line 28, and the passage loses momentum by the time the A section returns in Line 30. Finally you land on a low D in Line 30 – back to where you started. That is the sensation that I am looking for – sort of a winding down, almost kind of breaking down. It is a transition back to the lyrical A section.
    I have argued with myself about where to breathe in Lines 29-30. I don’t want to breathe before 30, but there doesn’t seem to be any way around it. Ideally, it would be best to go from the end of  29 to the end of 30 without a breath. My preference is to have all of Line 30 one breath. For the low E-Aflat slide at the end of Line 31, slide left-hand second and third fingers and right-hand first and second fingers off the keys simultaneously. There is no need to actually finger the A flat. Just use your ear until you hear anA flat and then slowly let it go.
    The term niente (disappearing to nothing) works well at the end of lines 31, 32, and 33. Drag the slide out on the half-note B flat in 33, slowly disappearing at the same time. Close the A-key ring with the left-hand second finger but don’t cover the hole. Note that all the Ds in line 33 should be D#s.
    For the slide on Line 34, slide the right-hand first and second fingers off the holes, leaving the keys down, and slide them independently of each other. Experiment with moving the second finger first, followed by the first finger until you get a slide that is smooth and even. I like the effect of sliding and disappearing at the same time, but it does take some practice to arrive on the correct note!

    At the end of the lesson, Folio said, “While I hope that flutists appreciate the structure of the work (the scales and palindromes), I also hope they find it expressive and fun to play. The style reflects many musical idioms that are part of my experience, especially ethnic music and jazz.”

***
A clear understanding and analysis of Arca Sacra only enhances its effectiveness. The conclusion of this guide addresses the various scales and palindromes found within.

Palindromes By Line Number
In addition to the overall structure of the work, many of the lines in the piece include palindromic phrases. The following list includes every motive that is a palindrome.
Line 1:    Opening motive
Line 2:     Motive beginning with B-flat 16th notes
                Motive beginning on A grace note
Line 3:     Motive beginning with the 16th-note run on C
Line 6:     Motive beginning on low A
                 Motive beginning on low G#
Lines 16 and 17: the whisper section is a palindrome of groupings: 2 + 3 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 3 + 2; each group has the same notes. At first the groups are articulated by rests, but this    switches to slurs in line 16.
Line 17: First five notes and last five 16ths of 2nd bar
Line 22: Second measure from the second high G to the last high G; F# is the midpoint.
Line 23: Second note of second measure through end of third measure with the B flat; B natural is the middle of palindrome.
Line 24: From first five 16ths through last five  16ths (groups, not pitches).
Line 28: Last four 16ths of the second measure.
            Last measure (B, G#, G, E followed by E, G, G#, B in diminution).
Line 30: A palindrome of intervals.
Line 32: Second C through the next C
Line 33: First motive
             Beginning on the second D#
Line 34: Final motive of piece
From line 27 on, only fragments of symmetrical scales or note groups are used.

Augmented Scales
    Arca Sacra uses complete and fragmented forms of augmented scales throughout. Examples can be found in lines 7-13. Augmented scales are inversionally symmetrical, and therefore palindromes of intervals. Other examples are lines 3 and 4 (C, E flat, E, G, A flat, B) and line 29. Of course, the main motive in the high register (line 19 after the airy tone) is mostly minor thirds and half steps. The last six notes of line 8 are an ascending augmented scale, and line 9 has descending augmented scales in diminution.
     Because most classically-trained flutists don’t practice augmented or octatonic scales, adding them to your practice routine is a good idea. Folio urges, “Contemporary music is filled with octatonic and augmented scales–especially the former. Whole- tone scales are important to practice too, because the French flute repertoire uses them so much. All of these symmetric scales are also great for use in jazz improvisation! I practice them almost daily.” (see “Symmetrical Scales in French Flute Repertoire” on page 21 for more information and practice ideas.)
     Complete octatonic scales are not used in Arca Sacra, but seven of the eight notes are in the whisper section in line 16: C #, D, E, F, G, A flat,  B flat.

Accent and Polyrhythms
Line 15: There is an accent on every fifth note starting on the E in the second measure. The accents create a polyrhythm. Folio states, “My intent was to establish a new pulse for a couple of bars to create instability; each accent should be felt as a larger beat, slower than the quarter =108, more like quarter = 86”.
Line 22: The first measure has accents on every fourth note, again intended to create a new pulse, this time faster than quarter = 108, more like
quarter = 144.

Section A Gestures That Return
Lines 1 & 34: The final gesture is a restatement of the opening one, an octave lower and inverted.
    The next to last gesture is the same as the first four notes of the second one, an octave lower and inverted.
Lines 2 & 34: Both quarter-note triplets are a tritone plus a perfect fourth.
    The timbral trill in Line 2 repeats in Line 34 an octave lower and starts fast and gets slower, the opposite of the opening timbral trill.
    The beginning of Line 2 until the timbral trill is inverted at the beginning of Line 34.
Lines 2 & 33: The quarter-note triplet through the bend on the B flat is inverted in Line 33. The pitches are the same in both gestures.
    The first gesture of Line 33 is an inversion of the last gesture of Line 2.
Lines 3 & 32: The first gesture of Line 3 is the last one of Line 32, but the dynamics are reversed. The only notes that are not palindromic in 3 and 32 are the grace note D to B.
Lines 3 & 31: The last three notes of Line 3 are an exact retrograde in Line 31: A flat, E, G becomes G, E, A flat with a slide between the same two notes.
Lines 5 & 31: There are harmonics in both lines, although not strictly repeated or in a palindrome.
Line 30: This line presents a different kind of palindrome from some of the others listed above. From beginning to end it is a palindrome  of intervals and rhythms rather than exact pitches. The minor third up from low D to F at the beginning of the line is matched by a minor third down from D flat to B flat moving backwards (retrograde) from the end of the line. Follow all the intervals forward and backwards in this way to arrive at a midpoint of E flat and C (the two eighths). Note that the rhythms go backwards as well. The line begins and ends with a dotted half note, which is followed and preceded by an eighth-note triplet, etc. This line is also based on intervals from the augmented scale.

¹ Paul Griffiths, The Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of 20th-Century Music (New York: Thames and Hudson Inc., 1986, reprint, 1992), 134.
² Robert Dick, The Other Flute: A Performance Manual of Contemporary Techniques, 2d ed. (St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breath Music Company, 1989), 76.

     Flutist and composer Cynthia Folio earned a bachelor’s degree in flute performance at West Chester Uni­versity in Pen­nsylvania, where she studied flute with Emily Swartley-Newbold and composition and electronic music with Larry Nelson. Following graduation she went to the Eastman School of Music, where she earned master’s and doctoral degrees in music theory working with Joseph Schwanter, Robert Morris, and Alexander R. Brinkman. She also received a performer’s certificate in flute with Bonita Boyd.
    After a ten-year position at Texas Christian University, she became a music theory professor at Temple University, where she still teaches. Besides the 1997 Arca Sacra’s premiere at the N.F.A. convention, she has had other works performed at N.F.A. conventions, including her Trio (1994) for flute, cello, and piano, which won the N.F.A. Newly Published Music Competition and The Elements (1986) for flute choir. Her chamber music CD, Flute Loops, was released in 2006.
    Folio writes in various styles including multimedia works, compositions that include improvisation, folk and jazz inspired pieces, and spatial works for larger ensembles. As a theorist, composer, and performer, her main interests include analysis and performance of contemporary music, analysis of jazz, and the relationship between analysis and performance. Her webpage is .

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    Many people do not realize that Rampal might have become a relatively unknown physician, except for an incident that changed the direction of his life. Born in Marseilles, France, he studied with his father, Joseph Rampal, professor of flute at the Conservatory, but Jean-Pierre was not encouraged to become a flutist. As a third-year medical student, he was called up for military service during the German occupation of France in World War II. Learning that his outfit would be sent to Germany, Jean-Pierre made an unauthorized departure and went to Paris, where he felt a flute-playing medical student might be lost in a big city. A professor at the National Conservatoire in Paris persuaded him to attend classes; he left the Conservatory five months later with the first prize for flute playing. His career began to blossom with the liberation of France.
I met Rampal for the first time following his U.S. premiere of the Poulenc Sonata at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., one of his first American performances. Over the ensuing years we saw each other many times and enjoyed numerous telephone conversations.
    On one occasion, Rampal called from a city an hour’s drive away. He said that he had no concert that night and asked if I would come and get him. I drove to his motel and found him pacing in the parking lot. After dinner and conversation, I returned him to his motel. The following day, he was to present a masterclass in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which Judith and I told him we would attend. The weather that morning was snowy, making the drive longer than expected. By the time we arrived, the session had just begun and all the seats were taken. We stood at the back of the hall. A person in the audience asked Rampal a question and after he replied, he asked, “Mark and Judith – why are you standing in the back of the hall?” As the entire audience turned to look, I told him all the seats were taken, whereupon he said, “You and Judith must come onto the stage and sit with me.” Once we were seated, he resumed the masterclass.
    Rampal preferred flutes with low-C footjoints, suggesting that a shorter footjoint was better for Baroque music. He said that if anyone ever made a D footjoint, that would be even better. A year later, during one of my European tours, I had the opportunity to play trios with William Bennett and Alexander Murray, two of England’s premiere flutists. Bennett had a flute workshop in his house and I noticed a short, strange-looking footjoint that had been pieced together from spare flute parts. Bennett said it was his attempt at making a D footjoint. After some discussion, Bennett gave it to me. Happily, I put it in my suitcase and took it home. I called several New York City flute colleagues when I returned, and asked them to let Rampal know the next time they saw him that I now had a D footjoint for him. A week later, my telephone rang and Rampal asked, “Mark, what is this about the D foot joint?’ We enjoyed a good laugh over that for many years.

In 1978 I put together a number of questions about the flute and flute playing. He graciously consented to answer all of them.

Some call this era The Golden Age of the Flute. Why is it so popular?
    I think it grew out of World War II. People needed balance in their lives, and Baroque music was ideal after a period that was so full of terrible things. Baroque music provided a certain quiet, and there are many Baroque chamber music works and concertos for flute and flute ensembles. For that reason both Baroque music and the flute became very popular.
There is also the fact that quite a bit of the Classical and Baroque literature published during the past 30-40 years is relatively easy to play. The flute seems easy to play at the beginning. By this I mean that players get results quickly when they first begin. Another reason may be the psychological effects for players because the flute helps express emotions.

At what age would you recommend starting the flute?
    I started at 13, but it depends upon when someone is ready. I could have been ready to play flute one or two years earlier. As a rule, I don’t think it helps to start at 9 or 10, as many youths will resist it, although some are ready before others.

Should prospective flutists have some basic music training before beginning on the instrument?
    That is a good question. It is possible to start the flute without any musical background. I started that way. Afterwards, however, I did a lot of background study. It is not good to only be an instrumentalist, but you can start directly on the flute and why not? I really think it is better, however, to study solfeggio and harmony from the beginning.
What is your view on how long students should practice each day?
    It depends upon how gifted they are. At the beginning, I think students should play very seriously for one hour every day – and this is not much. Those thinking of becoming professionals should aim for three or four hours a day, although there is not a limit.

So an hour a day is the minimum.
    Yes. Practicing 10 minutes a day is nothing.

You prefer to teach in a class format rather than privately. What are the advantages of this approach?
    Inspiration is the main advantage; you don’t get inspired yourself as a teacher with just one pupil. If the teacher is not inspired, neither is the pupil. It is like playing in a box – you get nothing from it. When you play in front of three or four people, there is an exchange. Both performer and listeners are inspired, and everyone gets better. Also, a class format creates the feeling of pleasant competition.

Do you still find it necessary to practice every day?
    The problem for those who tour a lot, like you and me, is that we are obliged to go to our hotel room, close the door, and practice two hours a day. You fly quite a bit, meet people, and play concerts. You must drive yourself always, and it is very difficult to practice regularly while touring.

What should young players listen to when developing their tone?
    Long tones. Start on low G (second line), play the octave, and then come back to the low G. Do this sequence in chromatic order, which will take about 10 minutes at least. Those who want to play well must do this, and they should play from the diaphragm – as when singing – not just blow. The tone study exercise books of Marcel Moyse are very good for tone development.

Your sound is glorious, yet your lip opening is off center. Do you recommend that for everyone?
    No. My embouchure position is a mistake. My father did not play in the center, and I studied with him. Just because the opening is not in the center does not mean the lip opening is not “centered.” The main thing to listen for is a good tone and the projection of that sound.

Can you briefly describe a correct embouchure?
    A correct embouchure is what you see in the Altes Method (Complete Method of the Flute) and the Gaubert Method.

How do you produce a rich and full tone in the low register?
    Well, I don’t think it is more difficult to play the low register. When you blow just in front of the back wall of the embouchure plate, it is not so hard to project the sound. The airstream must be wider for low notes and smaller for high notes. I feel the sound in my lips when I play. I think that many players blow down into the flute too much for low notes and not enough at the back wall of the embouchure plate. This makes the tone very stuffy. There is no response to the sound.

Can you recommend some good daily basic warm-up exercises, such as scales and so on?
    The daily finger exercise book by Taffanel & Gaubert is very good, as are the daily exercise books of Marcel Moyse.

What are some exercises for increasing breath control?
    I never do any. Mine is just natural: I may be wrong, but I just open my mouth, breathe, and use my diaphragm. That is all that is necessary. The diaphragm is part of you. Since this is so, the breathing should be natural.

How do you feel about performing from memory?
    I was not brought up to play from memory because it was not done then. Pianists and violinists in the conservatory do everything from memory because it is the custom, but wind instrument players rarely play from memory. I do not feel that it is necessary.
    Oh, maybe sometimes I will play something from memory, such as the Mozart concertos, but I don’t feel that I play them any better without the music. I play them from memory because I feel more comfortable that way. Nothing is gained by playing from memory if you get distracted and forget where you are. Also, playing without music can create tension and lack of ease, which results in not playing well. If that is the case, use the music.

You play an open hole flute. Obviously you prefer this to the plateau (closed hole) model. Why is this?
    Early flutes had just six holes before keys were added. Because of the mechanism today, there are still too many closed tone holes. The sound would be fantastic if it were possible to make a separate flute for each individual note, using only tone holes. The modern open-hole flute sounds much better than a closed-hole model. We should thank Louis Lot and Claire Godefroy for adding the open tone hole system, an improvement they accomplished without destroying the basic Boehm flute. It is a mistake to have all of the keys on the flute today, but we need them in order to play the different notes.

Your great finger technique is admired by many. What do you recommend for developing good technique?
    I recommend lots of finger exercises, such as those found in various scales and exercise books. Practice intervals, such as minor thirds, and trills in two ways. For instance, play an F-E trill beginning on F. Then play the same trill, only this time start on E. In the former, your finger must pull down to the E, whereas in the latter your finger must lift to the F. It may sound ridiculous, but they are, in fact, two very different finger exercises. In other words, when trilling F to E, think only of the upper note (F). When trilling E to F, think only of the down note (E). You can do this with many trills. It looks the same but it is not.
    The hand position should be good with relaxed, rounded fingers. Hands should never be tense. Let the right arm hang down in a relaxed manner. This is another reason why I recommend open hole flutes; the fingers must be placed precisely on the flute or the holes aren’t covered correctly. To me, closed hole flutes seem silly, because they allow a sloppy hand position and bad technique. Open hole flutes on the other hand, are much better because they require curved fingers and good hand position.

Do you advocate using alternate fingerings in certain passages?
    Why not? However, always try to play the correct fingerings whenever possible. Much of today’s modern music calls for harmonic sounds and things like that where you use fake fingerings. However, you should use them only where necessary.

Many young flutists leave the left hand first finger down on middle D natural and E flat, as well as the right hand middle finger on F#. Do you agree that these fingerings should be avoided?
    Of course – they are completely incorrect. A good flutist would never do this because they hear the tonal difference very easily.

Which B-flat fingering do you use most of the time and why?
    I use the left hand double-thumb key. It is true B flat from a venting standpoint. The other B flats  have various mechanical and specific uses. For chromatic scales, I use either the right hand first finger B flat or the B-flat lever right above it. For instance, in the slow movement of the Prokofieff Sonata, I slide from B flat to B natural with the left thumb. When I decide to use the right-hand B-flat trill lever, I call it A#, but it can be used as a B flat. It is best for players to be able to use all three B-flat fingerings.

Where does your tongue strike when making an attack?
    Just between the teeth. Do not play between the lips-only between the teeth. You lose time by playing between the lips.

Do you feel the use of TA places the tongue too far back?
    The syllable should sound like “Too,” which places the tongue very close to the opening between the teeth. “Ta” positions the tongue too far back in the mouth. Keep the lips smiling slightly, but not tense.

Far too many flutists play out of tune, especially in the high register, where they go sharp. What causes this?
    When players go sharp, they are not angling the airstream in the proper direction, and air direction is the most important thing. In the high register, blowing the airstream directly across the embouchure hole causes sharpness. With the correct air angle and careful listening, however, you will not play out of tune. It is easy to play in tune. All good flutists play in tune. It is difficult to explain, but there is no excuse for playing out of tune.

What solo pieces should every young flutist learn?
    All of the classic works. We don’t play enough of the Handel sonatas. They are nice in the beginning because they are not difficult and they teach phrasing so well. All young flutists should also learn the Bach sonatas, most of the Vivaldi concertos, and the Mozart concertos before they go on to contemporary works. I don’t mean to say that contemporary works are more difficult. In fact, I think that Mozart concertos are more difficult to play, because you can’t fake in Mozart.

How do you instruct someone to produce vibrato on the flute?
Vibrato should be natural, so it is difficult to speak about it. When vibrato has to be practiced it is unnatural. The body is completely involved in producing vibrato. When you speak, you have the vibrato – the vibrations.

You mean the human voice or singing vibrato, like the sound of a fine singer?
    Yes, I think teachers should encourage beginning flutists to play like they speak. Sing some notes and then play them the same way. It is not so different to play like you speak.
How should students learn Baroque ornamentation?
    There are many good books available. The Art of Ornamentation by Hans Peter Schmitt, (Barenreiter) is a beautiful book. Perhaps the best one to have is The Art of Playing the Transverse Flute by J.J. Quantz, published in 1752 in French. There is a second version in German, but there is no French version of it. There are many examples of ornamentation in this book. In every sonata, Quantz gave an indication of ornamentation.
    Another book a student can buy is Twelve Sonatas by Telemann (Barenreiter). The first movement of every sonata includes a flute part and a proposed ornamentation written by Telemann himself of that flute part in the line above. However, that ornamentation is only a suggestion. Yesterday I played one of the Telemann sonatas and played my own ornamentation rather than the one that was printed. I felt it differently. Young players should play lots of pieces like this and become used to ornamentation by doing it. Other good music would be arias and other piano and harpsichord music.

You perform on solid gold flutes. Why do you prefer them to silver?
    The sound of gold is darker, richer, and has more resonance, a fact that relates to its density. I think it is good for those with a bright, brilliant sound on silver to use a gold flute. I tried platinum once, but I did not like it. The flute was very heavy, and the tone very cold. But the gold for me is warm – it is beautiful! As for people without a good tone, I suggest that they play anything but the flute!

Do you ever become nervous? What advice can you offer for those who do?
    Of course I get nervous. It is impossible not to. For instance, sometimes I play a concert in a small city for a small audience, but for some reason I get nervous. Other times, when I am in a big city before a large audience, I am not nervous. It is very strange, and I cannot explain it.

What is available, besides orchestral playing, for a flutist thinking of playing the flute for a career?
    There are many more things available now for young professionals, such as being an artist-in-residence at universities and conservatories. Many schools have professional woodwind quintets and Baroque ensembles. Solo careers are also a possibility but it takes a long time and luck to build a reputation. You have to make recordings and then be lucky enough to find someone who is interested in your recordings–and they must be very popular. You have to have promotion and be able to sell yourself. I know of many young players who have talent and a manager and yet go nowhere. They blame their managers for their failures when, really, they don’t have that all important gift of being able to sell themselves. It is a lack of charisma. Many good players fail because they lack this important factor of
personality.

    Many things have changed since my interview with Rampal, but his many pearls of wisdom about practicing, tone production, ornamentation, and stage fright are are just as applicable today as they were 35 years ago.
    Jean-Pierre Rampal was a warm, outgoing man who enjoyed life to the fullest. He remains one of the most recorded artists in history; he traveled and performed until his death. He will continue to be sorely missed.

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