Preparation
   Begin by knowing how the music should sound. This means listening to a recording, not just once, but many, many times. First listen to the recording following along with your solo part. Next listen following along with the piano score or full orchestral score. Another time listen to the recording without a score, taking in the details of the composition especially focusing on balance and timbre. Try playing along with the recording to see how the solo part fits in to the whole.
   It is easier than ever to find access to recorded material. Online web sites have thousands of recordings that can be downloaded or arrive at your doorstep the next day. YouTube offers another avenue for listening. I am always shocked when students tell me they have not listened to their music as access to a large variety of recordings is easier today than it has ever been.

Practice
   Practice teaches the body to be reliable under performance conditions. Productive practice skills reinforce good habits and retrain bad habits out of the fingers, tongue, ears, or brain. Thomas Nyfinger once said in a masterclass, “If you play everything correctly in practice, you have nothing to repair.” Make sure your first sightreading of new material is slow enough so your eyes are correctly reading the passages. Many times I have misread something while trying to save time by going too fast. This can create long-term errors that are hard to get rid of later. Use a metronome and tuner to check rhythm and intonation.
 
Dynamics and Expression
   Dynamics will need adjustment in the actual rehearsal situation. Prepare for all contingencies. If the piccolo part is marked piano, I practice it pp just in case the conductor wants it softer as he works on orchestral balance. Your goal is to be prepared for any possibility.
   Expression is also part of preparation. Shape phrases slightly differently than you normally would. Perhaps add more sound at the top of the crescendo. Push yourself in practice to try new creative ideas. As you approach the performance, focus on the ideas you like best with the knowledge that spontaneity is also a part of performance. 

Performance
   Careful disciplined practice will allow you to handle the unexpected during performance. If a problem occurs, do not dwell on it. Focusing on the past will take you away from the present and possibly cause more errors in the future. Let negative thoughts and judgments go immediately. The root of confidence is remembering you have trained well and are prepared. This allows you to thoroughly immerse yourself in the performance and will lead to a naturally confident performance. 

Quick Tips
1 When playing, place the piccolo higher on the bottom lip than when playing the flute in order to compensate for the smaller embouchure or blow hole of the piccolo. This smaller embouchure hole also means the player should use a smaller aperture (opening in lips) on the piccolo than on the flute. Keep the embouchure firm but not tight. Check to be sure the corners of the embouchure are not excessively “smiley.”

2 When a composer uses the piccolo in a composition, the piccolo most often functions as a color or solo instrument and is easily heard. This means playing in tune is critical. Since each individual piccolo has its own pitch tendencies, use a tuner to map your instrument. Find ways to correct these tendencies by changing the air speed and blowing angle or using an alternate fingering. Learn the alternate fingerings and keep a notebook of them for future use. They help with pitch, achieving the appropriate timbre and blending with other instruments in ensemble playing. 

3 Many novice piccolo players associate high notes with loud notes. Separate these two concepts. Learn to play each and every note with a full dynamic range from ff to pp.

4 Look at the bore of the piccolo. Notice how small it is. Adjust your air column to reflect the smaller bore size compared to the flute. Many flutists overblow when playing the piccolo. Think of keeping the air column spinning rather than using a large quantity of air. 

5 Check the alignment of your headjoint in relationship to the body of the piccolo. The blow hole should be slightly “in front” of the keys rather than directly in line with the keys on the instrument. Your physical alignment is important too. Many players incorrectly hunch over the piccolo. Keep your sternum high and your chin level as well. There is no need to have intonation issues because you have poor posture.

6 Swab often. Keeping excessive condensation out of the headjoint seems to improve response and certainly prevents water bubbles from sealing the key openings. When it is colder, you may need to swab more frequently.

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Articulation
    Visual images and colorful verbal descriptions are often the best ways of teaching articulation styles to her. For a hearing pupil, one play is often enough to illustrate a staccato note so they can emulate a short sound with bounce. For a deaf person it is more helpful to use a visual image to describe what a short note would look and feel like.
    As Stephenson had never heard a short bouncy note, I decided to set the stage with a story to create the lighthearted nature of the opening Ds in the first two measures of the Rondo movement of Mozart’s Concerto in G Major. The description went something like this:
    On a sunny day a little girl with blond pigtails was joyously bouncing down the street on a space hopper. Her pigtails were also bouncing in rhythm to her jumps, and she was so happy to be outside on such a beautiful spring day. In fact, she was so happy that each bounce got higher and faster with anticipation to her destination, the ice cream truck waiting for her at the end the road.

    After we laughed at the description, she understood what an image of bouncy staccato might look like. Her playing of the phrase was then infused with lightheartedness and staccatos.

Tone Projection
    When Stephenson plays with an intention of tone projection, the effect is clear in her playing. Nancy Toff suggests that a gorgeous, focused, intense sound is an “intuitive and psychological phenomenon as much as a physical one.”⁹ If she intends to play a phrase infused with warm sounds, it usually comes across that way. 
    Georges Barrere, the legendary flutist, suggested that players should visualize setting “the air around themselves into vibration.”⁹ Barrere suggested that using psychological images will aid the flutist in an intention of a focused tone.
    If sound is measured in decibels, then what is considered loud to some is not to others, depending on one’s hearing capacity. According to Daniel Levitin, author of Your Brain On Music, “Loudness is a purely psychological phenomenon, that is, loudness does not exist in the world, it only exists in our mind. When you are adjusting the output to your stereo system, you’re technically increasing the amplitude of the vibration of molecules, which in turn is interpreted by loudness in our brains.”¹⁰ The idea that loudness and projection are linked with vibrations in the air helps Stephenson feel a projected sound. She tells me that the concept of a forte tone means little to her except that she uses more air to focus the tone.
    When working with deaf children, music therapist Rita Keiner discovered that some pupils developed a great antipathy to certain music that had nothing to do with whether they could hear it. “There seems to be an innate inner response and capacity for music that transcends even severe deafness.”¹¹

Communication
    At our first lesson together Stephenson assured me that she could read lips and that she would bring along some British Sign Language Basics for me to study. We also use whatever we can to communicate, including writing unfamiliar music words and drawing pictures to describe ideas. Communication in flute lessons has played the most important role in discovering a tone based on feeling alone.
    Alison and I are in our second year together and are both learning new ways of communicating what it means to “hear” sound. Our lessons have helped us develop new ways of exploring an interpretation based on feeling alone. I am often asked how I teach a deaf student and what role does she have in music. What Davis Ely Bartlett wrote in 1848 still holds true today:
    In estimating the pleasure that is derived from music, it must not be forgotten that the sensation or perception of sound is  not the whole of the pleasure to be produced by music. If the question be raised, what possible reason can be learned from teaching music to the deaf?… It may be answered: What benefit is ever raised from teaching music? It is a means of intellectual cultivation.”¹²

    Musicians try to develop an impeccable ear so that they can hear and fix inaccuracies in their playing.⁶ The discoveries I made working with Stephenson suggest that tone production is not only about hearing inaccuracies in playing but about feeling them as well. As my lessons with Alison suggest, the stories and experiences of deaf musicians are an important tool for understanding the many layers of music. A heightened awareness of how notes feel as well as how they sound, might help hearing flutists improve their tone as well.
    I would encourage flute teachers to work with a deaf student if they get the opportunity. Using traditional methods, with some modifications plus understanding, confidence, and preparation, will lead to a successful experience for both teacher and student.

Deaf Musicians and Sound
   Music is included in most educational programs for the deaf throughout the world.² Yet in spite of numerous studies about the benefits of music education for the deaf, it still surprises many people.³ Questions frequently arise such as, “How do deaf people play music?” and “How would a deaf person make music if they could not hear it?”
   There are fine examples of deaf musicians today, who enjoy successful music careers and have risen to the top of their profession – Dame Evelyn Glennie, a world-renowned percussionist and Janine Roebuck, a professional mezzo-soprano, are just two examples. They have overcome prejudices and challenged beliefs of what it means to experience sound.
   Just as the senses of taste and smell are closely related, science shows that a close connection exists between the sense of hearing and the sense of touch. The ear is designed to respond to a solid block of sound as well as vibrations in the air.2 This explains why, when we go to a rock concert, the body feels the pulses of the sound, even with earplugs to block the noise.
   Because hearing is the combination of touch and sound, you can argue that hearing in the most recognized form (sound only resulting from what enters our ear) is not the only way to hear. From a pedagogical standpoint, it means that hearing in the traditional sense is not essential to learn an instrument.

   Evelyn Glennie argues that no one person on this planet, hearing or deaf, experiences sounds in the same way. She writes: 
   There is a common misconception that deaf people live in a world of silence. To understand the nature of deafness, first one has to understand the nature of hearing.
   Hearing is basically a specialized form of touch. Sound is simply vibrating air which the ear picks up and converts to electrical signals, which are then interpreted by the brain. The sense of hearing is not the only sense that can do this, touch can do this too. If you are standing by the road and a large truck goes by, do you hear or feel the vibration? The answer is both. With very low frequency vibration the ear starts becoming inefficient, and the rest of the body’s sense of touch starts to take over. For some reason we tend to make a distinction between hearing a sound and feeling a vibration, in reality they are the same thing. It is interesting to note that in the Italian language this distinction does not exist. The verb “sentire” means to hear and the same verb in the reflexive form “sentirsi” means to feel. Deafness does not mean that you can’t hear, only that there is something wrong with the ears. Even someone who is totally deaf can still hear/feel sounds.⁴

   There is research that proves that deaf children can distinguish between sounds with specific repetitive training. Over time they develop a concept of tone discrimination and sound production as well. Sound recognition by deaf pupils is mastered through feeling the changing vibrations in the music and through the instruments used.5 A method of recognition based on repetition is not dissimilar to the wa­­y in which a hearing person would develop an ear for aural training in chordal recognitions, cadences, and pitch discriminations. In a similar way, a deaf flutist can learn to distinguish the sounds felt when playing to enhance their tone production and distinguish tone color.

Communication Tips
   Below are some ideas from Ruth Bender, who has written a comprehensive article for any hearing person who communicates with the deaf. These basic communication points will help flute teachers working with deaf pupils:
   First, establish how the deaf person communicates. If they are asking you a question using their voice, it is safe to assume that they will be expecting to lipread your reply.
•    Face the person directly; if you look away they cannot see your lips.
•    Speak clearly at a normal pace.
•    Do not shout.
•    Make sure there are no bright lights behind you that could make it difficult to see your face.
•    Use whole sentences rather than one word replies; lip-reading is 70% guess work, and many words look the same. Using sentences gives contextual clues.
•    Be patient; if you are asked to repeat something try changing the sentence slightly. It may make it easier to understand.
•    Do not give up; if you cannot make yourself understood, try writing it down.
•    Finger spell any names or unusual words.
•    Use gestures to help explain what you are saying. For example, showing size and shape with your hands or backing up directions by pointing can be very helpful.
•    Use facial expressions to help convey meaning.¹³

Bibliography
¹ The National Deaf Children’s Society, www. ndcs.org.uk, Deafness Glossary, http://
www.ndcs.org.uk/family_support/glossary/
deafness.html, 5 May, 2008
² Fahey, Joan Dahms and Birkenshaw, Lois, Music in Special Education: Perception of Music by Feeling and Touch, Music Educators Journal, Vol 58, No 8, (April 1972), pp 44-49+127-128
³ Darrow, Alice-Ann, Music for the Deaf, Music Educators Journal, Vol. 71, No. 6 (Feb., 1985), pp. 33-35
⁴ Glennie, Evelyn, Hearing Essay, http://www.evelyn.co.uk/live/hearing_essay.htm, 5 May 2008
⁵ Wecker, Karl, Music for Totally Deaf Children, Music Educator’s Journal, Vol.25, No. 6, (May 1939), pp.45+47
⁶  Wye, Trevor, Practice books for the Flute, (Books 1-5), London: Novello Publishing Limited, 1980
⁷ Dick, Robert, Tone Development Through Extended Techniques, St. Louis: Multiple Breath Music Company, 1986
⁸ Lydon, Thomas,  Deaf Flute Teacher to Front Consultation with Deaf Children
 Teacher’s Magazine, Volume 86, No 10, (October 2007), pg 26
⁹ Toff, Nancy, The Flute Book, (2nd Edition), New York: Oxford University Press,1996
¹⁰  Levitin, Daniel, This is Your Brain on Music, London: Atlantic Books, 2006
¹¹ Montgomery, Ruth, Music and Deafness, www.ruthmontgomery.co.uk/musicdeaf.html 13 May 2008
¹² Darrow, Alice-Ann, and Heller, George, Early Advocates of Music Education for the Hearing Impaired: William Wolcott Turner and David Ely Bartlett, Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Winter, 1985), pp. 269-279
¹³ Bender, Ruth E., Communicating with the Deaf, The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 66, No. 4, (April 1966), pp 757-760

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Assessment

   To evaluate tone quality, have the student play one note on the headjoint. Hold the headjoint at each end with the thumb and index finger. Keep the fingers away from the embouchure hole. Place the headjoint in the chin. Have the flutist take a good breath and play a note on the exhale. The best results will be achieved if the embouchure hole is level or parallel to the floor. You may wish to video record this test note so you and the student can analyze the results. A voice recorder is also useful. Record the student at two times speed and then play it back at half speed. When music is played at half speed, every flaw is magnified and even a novice can hear what to improve.
   When viewing or listening to the results, check for the quality of the attack, the duration of the note and the quality of release. Check posture and alignment. If the student looks awkward, he probably feels awkward too. If the overall results are not satisfactory, then proceed with the following exercises.

Attack
  The tongue releases the air. If the attack sounds hooty, the air has been released before the tongue is pulled back from the top lip. The tongue touches on the top lip in the center of the aperture. If the aperture is off-sided, the tongue is still placed in the center of the aperture. The aperture and the embouchure hole are also aligned. Many young students with shorter arms are not comfortable with the arms extended, so during a practice session they let the arms retreat closer to the body. This posture slides the embouchure hole too far to the left, so the natural aperture and embouchure hole are no longer aligned. Students with short arms may achieve better results by using a curved style headjoint.
   To improve attacks, have the student play a series of eight or more notes on the off beat. Playing off beats requires the flutist to subdivide the beat; which organizes the breath in a helpful way for a good-quality attack. The student should play off-beat eighth notes on both the lower A (which will be on the flatter side of the pitch) and the upper A (which will be on the sharper side of the pitch). Once the flutist can continuously make clean attacks on the off beats, have him repeat the process on the beat.

Airy Tone
   Since the flute is balanced in the hands off to the right side of the body, most flutists find it comfortable to stand as if serving a tennis ball (right handed). If the student is in this stance (left foot in front and right foot in back) and his tone is airy, ask him to pretend he is blowing the air stream toward the left big toe. This exercise changes the angle of the air as it hits the blowing edge of the embouchure hole. Most airy tones are caused by not directing the air properly against the wall of the embouchure hole. If the flutist angles the air too much into the embouchure hole, the tone is edgy and metallic sounding.

Vibrato
   Most orchestral conductors expect flutists to use vibrato unless the printed music indicates otherwise. Flutists should have a wide array of vibrato speeds and widths which will vary depending on the historical period, orchestration, specific color and mood of the passage.
   When listening to the test note, observe whether the vibrato cycle starts at the beginning of the note or if there is a small delay before the vibrato begins. (The vibrato cycle should start at the beginning.) Watch a skilled violinist’s left hand. Notice the hand is already vibrating as the bow is drawn. The analogy of stepping onto a moving train or merry-go-round seems to help some students produce a fluid vibrato at the beginning of a note.
   When assessing the tone, examine the vibrato cycles. They should be rhythmic, even, and flowing. Exper-iment by placing 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 vibrato cycles per beat at a MM=60 to 80. A wider, slower vibrato cycle projects better into the audience than a narrow, fast vibrato cycle. Record yourself from a distance to choose the best option for the music you are performing. Actors put on heavier makeup to highlight the expressions in their faces; flutists should use a wider vibrato and highlight the vibrato speed, dynamics and other nuances so the audience experiences what you intend.
   If the vibrato cycle is too slow, the flutist has placed the vibrato in the vocal folds in the HAW position. Changing the position toward the HEE position will speed it up. If the vibrato cycles are too fast, then change the position from HEE to HAW. Students should practice alternating the number of vibrato cycles from one note to the next. For example, play a scale with 2 vibrato cycles on the first note, 3 vibrato cycles on the second note, 2 on the third note, 3 on the fourth etc. Repeat this exercise with every possible combination such as 2s and 4s, 2s and 5s, 2s and 6s. Students could also practice vibrato in the style of a Mozart Concerto, the Reinecke Concerto, Griffes Poem, Hindemith Sonate or other solo work. 

Duration
   Unless there is a messa de voce (hairpins indicating a crescendo and diminuendo) written in the music under a note, the tone is even throughout the duration of the note. Listen carefully to the tone to check whether there is any sudden dumping of air which will increase the volume of the note as it is played. Learning to play with an even air speed will improve the duration and shape of a note. Use a tuner to check whether you can keep the needle still when playing a long note. Record this exercise too.

Release
   There are three options to consider in releasing the tone. The flutist may simply stop the air with the intercostal muscles, or he may make a crescendo or diminuendo at the end of the note. All three options should be practiced on a regular basis.

Choice of Sound
   The type of sound which should be developed first is the all-purpose generic sound. Once this generic sound has been learned, and the student is able to produce it at will, the flutist begins a journey of developing a variety of colors to make his playing more interesting and musical. A great teacher guides each flutist in his studio to develop his own signature sound.
   This journey begins with the choice of the make of the flute. Some flutes are naturally brighter in sound quality while others are darker. While physicists tell us the material a flute is constructed of has little to do with sound quality, many flutist prefer gold flutes to silver ones or perform on a combination of metals such as a gold or platinum head on a silver body. Craftsmen are currently making flutes with varying degrees of silver content which may affect the sound quality. Most flutists choose an instrument by playing a selection of instruments and purchasing the one with the tone quality and ease of response that suits him best. A studio teacher may find within his studio, flutists who have chosen bright sounding instruments along with those who prefer darker sounding instruments. As teachers we should remember that sound is a personal choice and our goal is to help the flutist find his own voice.

Harmonic Series for Tone
   When fingering a first octave D (fundamental or 1st partial), it is possible to overblow the flute to produce a second octave D (2nd partial), a second octave A (3rd partial) and a third octave D (4th partial). Have the student slur this harmonic series ascending and descending several times concentrating on where his lips are placed to play each note. Repeat this several times so the flutist is familiar with the exercise and can easily tell which partial he is on.
   Flutists who prefer a mellow sound (so that the flute sounds like its name  rather than dark and edgy like a trumpet) achieve their sound by placing their lips in the position to play the second partial or the second octave D. To explore this idea play the fundamental or 1st partial D and overblow to the second octave D. Keeping the lips in this position play a simple melody or two-octave scale observing the quality of the sound produced. I often use this lip placement when performing Baroque works (Handel, Bach, Telemann) and some Classical era pieces.
   Flutists who prefer a slightly brighter sound should position their lips as if playing the 3rd partial of the harmonic series. Experiment by slurring from the 1st partial, through the 2nd partial, landing on the 3rd partial. Keep the lips is this position and play a simple melody or two-octave scale observing the quality of the sound produced. I use this lip placement for Mozart Concerti and as my basic generic sound. Much of the Romantic symphonic literature sounds good with this type of tone.
   Flutists who prefer a still brighter and commercial sound should position their lips as if playing the 4th partial of the harmonic series. Experiment by slurring from the 1st partial, through the 2nd and 3rd partials, landing on the 4th partial. Keep the lips in this position and play a simple melody or two-octave scale observing the quality of the sound produced. I use this sound for playing the 3rd movement of the Lowell Liebermann Flute Concerto, many commercial melodies, and some contemporary pieces.
   Once the student has experimented with these three set lip placements, he can decide which he prefers. Then the student should learn to use this sound at all dynamic levels. Personally I use all three lip positions in my playing and try to select the one that is best for the time period and the music I am performing.
   With a little thought, experimentation and regular practice, each of us can have the tone of our dreams. The one device that helps the most is the audio recorder. I am always amazed at what it picks up and replays to me. 

Physical Aspects

    Sometimes there is a physical problem, either in how the student is playing or with the instrument. The following are some common suggestions to try with a student. Some may work better for one flutist than another.
Flutist
1. Drop your jaw. Dropping the jaw provides more space between the wisdom teeth making the oral chamber larger.
2. Lower the back of your tongue. Having the tongue high interrupts the air stream. Getting the tongue out of the way lets the air flow unrestrictedly.
3. Play as if you are singing in your head voice (like an opera singer) rather than your chest voice (like a Broadway star).
4. Hang the arms and angle the air toward your left elbow funny bone. Usually when I ask a student to do this, the flutist raises his arm to meet the air stream, and we laugh because the elbow knows more about where the air stream is than the flutist.
5. Ask the flutist to blow to a spot on the wall across the room. This target practice helps the student with the speed of the air.
6. Ask the flutist to blow not with 75 mph of air, not 48 mph.
7. Have the student nod his head up and down to learn to balance the head on the spine. If the head is too high, the vocal folds are pulled out of shape which will restrict the air stream.

Flute
1. Take the cork/crown assembly out of the headjoint and wash the headjoint inside and out with a dish washing liquid (one that is used for hand-washing dishes) and hot water. Dry carefully and replace the cork/
crown assembly. Remember the cork assembly is always removed and inserted from the end of the headjoint that fits into the flute body.
2. Test the flute for leaking pads. Also test that the embouchure plate has an airtight solder where it attaches onto the headjoint tube. A flute craftsman may need to check both of these items if you suspect something is not quite correct. Also have the craftsman check the fitting of the cork. The cork seals the end of the headjoint. However, if the cork is too large and tight, the tone of the headjoint will be flat and dull. A properly fitted headjoint cork will be tapered to mirror the taper in the headjoint design.
3. Encourage the flutist to align the flute in the classic tradition and play with the embouchure hole level or parallel to the floor. This aligns the center of the D, E, and F keys of the flute with the center of the embouchure hole.
4. If the flutist owns other flutes or headjoints, explore switching the crown from one flute to the next. I have a collection of crowns made of silver, gold, titanium, wood and other materials. Finding a crown with the appropriate weight for the flutist and headjoint can do wonders for tone production.

The post Finding Your Sound appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Introduction
    The movement begins with a seven measure introduction with a dotted motive in the horns over the 2nd bassoon pedal point on Bb2. The clarinets and 1st bassoon enter after the second beat in an ascending sequential eighth-note pattern. While the first two of the five-note patterns are marked p with a hairpin crescendo and diminuendo, the performers should continue to shape each group of five notes, slightly increasing the volume of each entrance until the f is reached in measure 5. The last two notes of each of the sequential patterns include a two-note sigh figure (played strong/weak) that occurs on the first beat of each measure, which sets up the sigh figures that occur in the extended flute solo. The accompaniment pattern for the flute solo is played by the clarinets and bassoons beginning in measure 7 and continuing until rehearsal C. The accompaniment pattern is marked pp with an occasional crescendo/diminuendo hairpin.

Flute Solo
    The flute solo begins its descending line in measure 8 and continues until rehearsal B where the oboe joins in with the melody. The flutist should practice tapering the last note before each rest by aiming the air stream higher and making the aperture smaller, paying careful attention to pitch on the last note so it is not flat. There should be a clear articulation on the repeated As in measures 9 and 10 as well as in similar places. Forward-tonguing can help with clarity of articulation in this spot.
    The solo consists mostly of four-measure phrases with a homophonic texture. Take the time to analyze each phrase in the entire movement to determine how it should be shaped. For example, four measures before rehearsal A the flutist should observe the written crescendo, but might add a slight tenuto to the high D on beat three, two measures before rehearsal A.

The last two quarter notes should diminuendo so that the G is not louder than the F that is on the downbeat. The G-F movement is an example of the two-note sigh figure foreshadowed in the introduction. Analyze each phrase to places for the slight accelerandos or tenutos. In general, follow the usual hierarchy beats within a measure (beat 1, 3, then 2), but refrain from accenting beat one in every measure.
    Gounod took care to indicate dynamics throughout the piece, which will help you decide how to shape phrases while maintaining the essence of Gounod’s style.
    Several times throughout the second movement, the flutist has thirty-second notes that are essentially a gruppetto that is written out. The first place this occurs is three measures after A.

These should stay relaxed and gentle, even if the fingerings cause the passage to be technically challenging. Some flutists choose to put a very slight tenuto on the first thirty-second note. Be careful not to rush the eighth-notes that follow the thirty-second notes. Although they are written as thirty-second notes, the tempo is not fast, so the turn should be executed in the lyrical style of the solo and not rushed. Remember that the thirty-second notes are embellishments, not the primary notes of the melody. Measure 18 is the first occurrence of the turn into the 3rd beat. Other instances of the turns occur in measure 36, 74, and 76.
    Beginning in measure 20, allow the phrase to continue to build tension and expression leading to the climax of the phrase at the downbeat of measure 26. From the climax to the downbeat of rehearsal B, the phrase should relax slightly as the moving line is passed to the bassoons at rehearsal B. During this early statement of the melody, the flutist should be sure to save room in dynamic and expressive range for the apex of the entire movement, which does not occur until measure 76-78.
    From rehearsal B to C the flute, first oboe, and first horn split the melody, as if sharing in a conversation. Care should be taken to make the transitions between instruments smooth, keeping the flow of the music moving forward and balancing dynamics and expression with the other instruments that have the melody. Playing the melody with only flute, first oboe, and first horn is helpful in rehearsal to establish continuity of line and to help the other instruments hear the melody. While the melody can push and pull musically, it should stay with the accompaniment and the accompaniment parts should stay together and not rush.
    Interestingly, the flutist who performed in the Stockholm Sinfonietta recording, Classics for Chamber Orchestra, Vol. 2, chose to take the measure before and after B and the measure before and after G up an octave. That octave displacement, however, does not seem to be common. There is also no indication in the score that suggests that practice.

Middle Section
    Rehearsal letter C features the first clarinet and first bassoon in an ornamented version of the opening phrase that functions as the beginning of the middle section of the movement. The horn has a different repetitive rhythmic motive and the bassoon continues with a similarly written pedal. The mood of the piece changes, and the music becomes slightly less lyrical. The mood change is announced and enhanced with the articulated notes in the horns. In the passage from C to D the flute plays only brief passages in harmony with the first oboe and first clarinet. Those passages should be practiced with the oboist and clarinetist to ensure good pitch and unified movement.
    Four measures before D, as well as two measures later, accurately place the notes by listening carefully and matching style and note length with the eighth notes in the clarinet, horn, and first bassoon parts. The flute line should be heard, but the melody is in the first oboe. You should use minimal vibrato and not be more expressive than the melody. Avoid holding the eighth note that occurs three measures before letter D any longer than indicated so the sixteenth-notes in the first oboe are heard.
    The first four measures after D contain a conversation that begins in first clarinet, moves to flute, continues in first bassoon, and finishes back in the flute. A suggestion to help with the phrasing is to think of the clarinetist as asking a question, which the flute answers, then the bassoon asks another question, which the flute also answers. Tracing the contour of the notes in these phrases with a pencil will also help with the musicians visualize the direction of the passage. All parts should listen to the second bassoon for the constant eighth-note pulse to be sure the line maintains its direction. Although the flute, first clarinet, and first bassoon are marked p at this spot, the flutist should be sure the melody can be heard over the accompaniment.
    Starting eight measures before E, Gounod begins to set up the return of the opening flute solo. The clarinets, horns, and bassoons have a three-measure passage with sixteenth-notes that crescendo and lead to a quick diminuendo executed by the first oboe, first clarinet, and first bassoon. In measures 60 and 61 the flute has motives that contain large leaps. To help with the clean execution of these leaps, the flutist can fill in the space of the leaps with the chromatic notes that occur in the interval between the two notes. The rhythm should be practiced as written, but the space between the notes should be filled with rapid chromatic notes to lead to the next note in the passage. In these two measures listen to the first oboe, first and second clarinet, and first bassoon for pitch and uniform rhythmic execution.

Return of Flute Solo
    Most conductors will ritard just before E to set up the return of the flute solo right at letter E. The solo is exactly like it was at the beginning of the movement until the third measure after rehearsal F when the melody leaps an octave higher than its previous statement and continues to be slightly different through G. The octave displacement allows the flutist to add a bit more passion and intensity to the solo, since the higher register makes the flute line very prominent. The fifth measure after rehearsal F is probably the most difficult technical passage in the second movement.

    As mentioned previously lean slightly on the first thirty-second note. Some conductors choose to ritard four measures before rehearsal G, with the downbeat three measures before G a tempo.
    Several places in measures 76 through 78 could be the climax for the entire movement. An argument could be made for the apex occurring on the downbeat of measure 76, with the flutist arriving on a high, long note that precedes the last gruppetto of the piece. The peak could also be on the downbeat of measure 77, just after that final gruppetto and just before the diatonically descending line that leads into measure 78. Finally, the high point of the piece could be the downbeat of measure 78, with the aforementioned diatonically descending line leading down to the D. Practice placing the climax at different places and seeing what sounds most musical with your interpretation of the solo.
    Two measures before G, allow the sixteenth notes to build to a gradual relaxation on the descending line leading into rehearsal G. The leap of a seventh between the G and Ab can be tricky. For a quick and clean execution of the leap, practice slowly alternating between the G and Ab and gradually increasing speed.
    At G, the first oboe and first horn seem to begin a conversation similar to the one at letter D with the first clarinet, flute, and first bassoon. The motives are nearly identical to those at G. This time, however, the flute seems to kindly announce the end of the conversation, which leads into the end of the piece.
    Five measures before the end, a series of ascending staccato sixteenth notes occurs in the first clarinet, then first oboe, and finally in the flute. The clarinet line is p, the oboe line has a crescendo, and the flute line has both a diminuendo and a ritard, so besides listening to each other for note lengths and style, the musicians must observe the individual dynamics assigned to each part. Prior to playing the sixteenth notes, take an adequate breath to sustain the high Eb with a light, shimmery vibrato and good intonation at a pp dynamic. While all of the other instruments in the ensemble have alternating eighth notes and eighth rests to fill the penultimate measure, the flute holds an Eb into the last measure.
    Consistent attention to tone, pitch, and vibrato, in conjunction with expressive and musical playing will create a successful performance of this work. Gounod’s Petite Symphonie has been recorded by many flutists and you should listen to as many recordings as possible to become familiar with this gem in the chamber wind repertoire.

A Brief History
   The Petite Symphonie by Charles François Gounod was written for Paul Taffanel’s Société de musique de chambre pour instruments à vent, which Taffanel (pictured left) formed in Paris in 1878 with the goals of raising performance standards, raising public awareness, and increasing the repertoire for this instrumentation. The instrumentation for the group was that of the classical Harmoniemusik of Mozart’s time (pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns), but with the inclusion of flute and piano. At this time, typical chamber music included strings, but Taffanel sought to create an instrumental ensemble of winds.
   Charles Gounod’s Petite Symphonie was premiered by Taffanel’s Society on April 30, 1885. It was scored for pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns plus flute. The Petite Symphonie has become a standard work in the chamber wind repertoire, but Gounod composed it more as a trifle of a work – a favor for his friend Taffanel. In his book, Gounod, James Harding says that Gounod would “doubtless have been shocked had he known that this unambitious piece was to survive long after his sacred ‘frescoes’ were dead.” While composing the Petite Symphonie, Gounod was also working on the premiere of his major oratorio, Mors et vita. ­
   In the Petite Symphonie, Gounod returned to his youthful style of composition, reminiscent of the two symphonies written thirty years earlier. Some musicians today claim Gounod’s writing to be out of style or pompous, but during Gounod’s time, he was considered to have a fertile and original imagination. Gounod clearly had Taffanel in mind as he composed the flute part, especially with the beautiful flute solo in the Andante. While the flute part in the second movement is substantial, Gounod gave many of the nine players the chance to shine.
   Some people believe that Gounod wrote the oboe II part with Auguste Sautet in mind. Sautet was the only member of the ensemble who did not receive a Premier Prix, and some believe that he was a valued benefactor, but an inadequate performer. A quick perusal of the score reveals that the oboe II part is considerably less substantial than any of the other eight parts.

A free score of this work may be downloaded at:
 
References
Blakeman, Edward. Taffanel: Genius of the Flute. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Harding, James. Gounod. New York: Stein and Day, 1973.
Mari, Pierrette. “Gounod (1818-1893): Analyse de ‘La Petite Symphonie.’” L’éducation musicale 48 (June/July 1993): 5-7.
University of North Florida Chamber Winds Program Notes. http://www.unf.edu/coas/music/wind/chamber/
chwindsnotes.pdf. Accessed (29 January 2008).
Wedin, Jan-Olav (conductor). Classics for Chamber Orchestra, Vol. 2. BIS-CD-186. Accessed on Naxos, February 11, 2008.

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   Rachel Brown is one of the busiest flutists around today. Frederick the Great could well have had her in mind when he said, “Every day is 24 hours too short.” She performs and records with such orchestras as the Academy of Ancient Music, the Hanover Band, the Kings Consort, Collegium Musicum 90, Ex Cathedra, and the Brandenburg Consort. She is also involved in several publishing ventures, and is currently professor of Baroque flute at the Royal College of Music in London.

Historic Practices on Modern Instruments
   In the 1960s when players discovered treatises by Quantz and C.P.E. Bach there was growing interest in Baroque performance practices. Brown comments, “Many more of these treatises are available now, although a few have gone out of print already. The Quantz book went out of print briefly, and I wrote to the publisher to suggest that they reissue it, as there was a special Quantz year coming up. They initially said they had no plans to reprint it, but did a year later.
   “I would go so far as to say that if you can read only one 18th-century treatise, you should read Klavierschule by Daniel Gottlob Turk. I found it in the Guildhall Library when I was teaching there. It’s not about the flute, and it is actually from the time of Mozart, but he had read Quantz and C.P.E. Bach. He had some interesting comments about what they said, how time has moved on, and what he would favor in the 1780s. It is clearly written and it is much easier to find information in Turk’s book than it is to plow through pages and pages of text in the Quantz. Unfortunately the English translation is out of print.”
   When asked how much of the early music style, including vibrato and articulation, can be applied to silver flute, she answers, “it is not whether you play with vibrato or not because there are millions of types of vibrato. If you put a whole line of people up across a stage and ask them to play, their vibratos will all be different. There are so many different types of vibrato and ways to change it. Sometimes someone will say, ‘This is how the flute sounds without vibrato.’ They then play the flute so straight and lifeless. In fact vibrato is less important if there are shapes within the phrases. Then when you add vibrato, it provides some direction.
   “On the Baroque flute, vibrato is a bit different. I think of vibrato on Baroque flute as highlighting a particular note rather than enriching the general tone. On a modern instrument we generally use a bigger sound, fuller and more even, that can carry throughout the instrument. On the Baroque flute you have to vary the way you blow. Some notes you blow much, much slower, and others you feed more air. Because of the cut of the Baroque flute’s embouchure hole, the player may be required to vary the angle of air more frequently than on a modern instrument. So to apply vibrato in the same way on both instruments is not usually a good idea.”
   Brown teaches at the Royal College of Music, but has resisted being pigeon-holed on any instrument. She is very enthusiastic about her pre-school program. “I run a children’s music group called Hummingbirds; some of the participants are as young as 18 months and two years old. The oldest are four. It is amazing what they can do, including singing and playing lots of percussion. The last few years I have focused on rhythm. I wrote a couple of stories and plays, and the children made the scenery. They recognize rhythms according to characters they are playing. My hope is that when they start an instrument, music will not look like strange hieroglyphics to them. The groups are very small, and I do not teach them for the money. It is just nice to do something different, and I love working with children.”

Other Projects
   Brown has just published two volumes of previously unpublished Quantz Sonatas. “About 14-15 years ago, I did a research project in Berlin at the Staatsbibliothek. I kept thinking that the G Major Concerto is pretty good, so why couldn’t 20 or 50 or 200 of his other works be pretty good too? I suspected that the G Major was just the tip of the iceberg.” She came home with lots of music that had not been published before. “Everyone knows the Quantz G Major Concerto, but there are 300 sonatas and 300 concertos that nobody knows.”
   The new edition of these Quantz sonatas includes “a copy of the facsimile, so that people can look at it and make their own choices about what to do, a clean edition representing the facsimile, with the flute and bass part together, as they would have been in a single book. Because the flute player can see the bass line and the figures, they can tell what the harmonies are. Of the 300 concertos in Berlin, every single one shows the bass part under the flute line in the slow second movement. That is unusual, because of the 300, only 3 are written in score form at all. The slow movements are written sometimes rather plainly, so that the player has the freedom to ornament. With the bass line under the flute part, the flutist is given a map and knows what chords to use for the ornamentation. In the new sonatas edition, I have also included some of my thoughts on how to apply things from the Quantz book including his articulation recommendations.”
   “I have so many half-started projects, that I do not know how to get through them in one lifetime. I am planning to write a book on articulation and ornamentation – a sort of practice book for the Baroque flute. I want to write something about trills and ornaments for children, so that people coming into the art do not have to read a big, long book.”

Recordings
   Brown has an extensive discography on a wide range of historical flutes. One of the most challenging projects was her disc of virtuosic music by Schubert and Boehm, on three different 19th-century flutes with three radically different fingering systems. Sadly that is now out of print, but Chandos Records indicates it can be downloaded from their website. The C.P.E. Bach Concertos and Quantz Sonatas and Concertos discs were exciting voyages into new territory, using wide-bored copies of Quantz-style flutes. She has recorded many chamber works by Handel and Telemann including a collection of sumptuous Handel arias arranged in the 18th-century for flute. These she found in the British Library and reinstated the original string accompaniments. More recently she launched her own label with a recording of the complete Telemann Fantasias, and her next plan is to make a tribute to Bach. Many of her recordings are available through her website, where you can also read many of her published articles on Handel, Mozart, Quantz, and Telemann.   

Tips for Playing Baroque Music

By Rachel Brown

1. Develop a flexible embouchure so you can lip out-of-tune notes up or down and use this flexibility to shape your phrases.
2. Cultivate a wide variety of soft, more pronounced articulations and combinations such as ti-ri and di-d’l and use these meaningfully.
3. Play slow melodies – chorales, folk songs and vocal arias – with special attention to the phrasing and emphasis of the words.
4. Play dance music to develop a sense of strong and light beats and incorporate this into everything you play.
5. Practise trills in different ways – short/long, fast/slow/accelerating, and with and without termination.
6. Incorporate ornamentation (both from sources and improvised) into your daily practice.
7. Play from manuscripts, facsimile or Urtext editions wherever possible and notice what they tell us.
8. Learn to recognize what the figured bass means and its implications for the hierarchy of chords and stresses within a phrase.
9. Seek out new and interesting repertoire – there is still so much to dig up!
10. Set up a Baroque chamber group (the best is flute, violin, cello and harpsichord) and immerse yourself in some of the best music ever written for our instrument.        

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