FLUTE

Flute- a wind musical instrument from the group of wooden ones (since these instruments were originally made of wood). Unlike other wind instruments, the flute produces sounds by cutting the air stream against an edge, instead of using a reed. A musician who plays the flute is usually called a flutist.

D
the oldest form of flute seems to be whistle. Gradually, finger holes began to be cut into the whistle tubes, turning a simple whistle into a whistle flute, on which musical works could be performed.

Longitudinal flute was known in Egypt five thousand years ago, and it remains the main wind instrument throughout the Middle East. A longitudinal flute, which has 5-6 finger holes and is capable of octave blowing, provides a complete musical scale, individual intervals within which can change, forming different modes by crossing the fingers, closing the holes halfway, as well as changing the direction and force of breathing.

Transverse flute(often just a flute; Italian flauto from Latin flatus - “wind, blow”; French flûte, English flute, German Flöte) - a woodwind musical instrument of the soprano register with 5-6 finger holes was known in China at least at least 3 thousand years ago, and in India and Japan - more than two thousand years ago. In Europe during the Middle Ages, mainly simple whistle-type instruments (predecessors of the recorder and flageolet) were common, as well as the transverse flute, which penetrated into Central Europe from the East through the Balkans, where it still remains the most widespread folk instrument. The pitch of the sound on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing the holes with valves. In Greek mythology, Ardalus, the son of Hephaestus, is considered the inventor of the flute. The oldest form of flute appears to be the whistle. Gradually, finger holes began to be cut into the whistle tubes, turning a simple whistle into a whistle flute, on which musical works could be performed. The earliest depiction of a transverse flute was found on an Etruscan relief that dates back to one hundred or two hundred years BC. At that time, the transverse flute was held to the left; only an illustration to a poem from the 11th century AD first depicts the manner of holding the instrument to the right. The first archaeological finds of Occidental transverse flutes date back to the 12th-14th centuries AD. One of the earliest images from this time is contained in the encyclopedia Hortus Deliciarum. Apart from the one above-mentioned 11th-century illustration, all medieval European and Asian images show performers holding the transverse flute to the left, while ancient European images show flute players holding the instrument to the right. Therefore, it is assumed that the transverse flute temporarily fell out of use in Europe, and then returned there from Asia through the Byzantine Empire. In the Middle Ages, the transverse flute consisted of one part, sometimes two for “bass” flutes. The tool was cylindrical in shape and had 6 holes of the same diameter.

As for the longitudinal or simply flute, the syringa and aulos were also common among wind instruments of Ancient Greece.

Avlos- An ancient Greek reed wind instrument. It was a pair of separate cylindrical or conical tubes made of reed, wood, bone, later made of metal with 3-5 (later more) finger holes.

The length of the aulos varies, usually about 50 cm. It was used by professional performers to accompany solo and choral singing, dancing, during funeral and wedding ceremonies, religious, military and other rituals, as well as in the theater. The right aulos made high sounds, and the left made low sounds. This instrument was equipped with a mouthpiece and vaguely resembled an oboe. It was not easy to play, because both aulos had to be blown at the same time. The aulos was considered an instrument whose sound and viscous melody excite a person more than others and arouse passionate feelings in him. Various types of aulos (bombix, borim, kalam, gingr, niglar, elim), syringa (one-, two- and multi-tubular) and pipes (salpinga, keras and others) are known.

Syringa or syrinx (Greek συριγξ) has two meanings - the general name of the ancient Greek wind instruments (reed, wooden, flute type (longitudinal), as well as the ancient Greek shepherd's multi-barreled flute or Pan flute.

F leita pan- This is a multi-barrel flute. The instrument consists of a set of reed, bamboo and other tubes of different lengths, open at the upper end, fastened with reed strips and a rope. Each tube produces 1 main sound, the pitch of which depends on its length and diameter. consisting of several (3 or more) bamboo, reed, bone or metal. Pipes range in length from 10 to 120 cm. Large panflutes, as well as double-row ones, are played by two people. The name of the Pan Flute comes from the name of the ancient Greek god Pan, the patron saint of shepherds, who is usually depicted playing a multi-barrel flute. Pan is known for his passion for wine and fun. He is full of passionate love and pursues nymphs. One day, the goat-footed Pan fell in love with a nymph named Syringa (literally “pipe”).

Pan chased after her in order to take possession of her,

Arthur Wardle Pan Flute A maybe just confess his love. The nymph Syringa fled in fear of Pan and rushed to the Ladon River. Syringa turned to her father, the river god, with a request to save her from encroachment, and her father turned her into a reed, which made a plaintive sound when the wind blew. Pan cut that reed and made himself a pipe from it, which bore the name of the nymph, and the instrument was later called a flute. Pan is a connoisseur and judge of shepherds' competitions in playing the pipe. Pan even challenged Apollo to a competition, but was defeated by him, and King Midas, the judge of this competition, who did not appreciate Apollo, grew donkey ears as punishment. True, Apollo’s rival, according to another legend, had a different name. There is also a legend about Marcia, a satyr who picked up a flute invented and abandoned by Athena. Marsyas achieved extraordinary skill in playing the flute and, becoming proud, challenged Apollo himself to a competition. The daring rivalry ended with Apollo, playing the cithara, not only defeating Marsyas, but also skinning the unfortunate man.

R There are many types of panflute: samponya (samponyo, also known as samponi, Indian flute - single-row or double-row); Moldavian ney (nay, muskal); Russian kugikly (from “kuga” - reed), they are also kuvikly, kuvichki; Georgian larchemi (soinari); Lithuanian miss you; chipsan and polyanyas of the Komi people, in Great Britain - panpipes or pan-flute, etc. Some call the Pan flute a pipe. The popularization of the Pan flute in modern European musical culture was contributed mainly by Romanian musicians - especially those who toured widely since the mid-1970s. Gheorghe Zamfir.

Kuvikly(kugikly)- Russian version of the “Pan flute”. The Russians were the first to draw attention to the flute of Pan Gasri, who gave a very inaccurate description of it under the name flute or svirelka. Dmitryukov wrote about kuvikla in the Moscow Telegraph magazine in 1831. Throughout the 19th century. In the literature, from time to time there is evidence of playing the kuvikla, especially in the territory of the Kursk province. The area of ​​distribution of kuvikl in Rus' is located within the modern Bryansk, Kursk and Kaluga regions. Cuvikles are a set of 3-5 hollow tubes of various lengths (from 100 to 160 mm) and diameters with an open upper end and a closed lower end. This tool was usually made from the stems of kugi (reeds), reeds, bamboo, etc., with the stem knot serving as the bottom. In Russian kuvikla, each pipe has its own name. In the Kursk region, the pipes, starting from the large one, are called “guden”, “podguden”, “medium”, “pyatushka” and the smallest “pyatushka”; in other regions the names may differ. Such names allow performers to exchange remarks during the playing process, telling them how to play.

The repertoire is usually limited to dance tunes. When playing, someone sings from time to time, or more often pronounces the text. Kugikly are good when combined with other folk instruments: zhaleika, pipe, folk violin. Pan flutes are constructed differently among different peoples. Most often, the individual flute tubes are firmly attached to each other. But with samponyo they are simply connected in two rows, and any tube that fails can be easily replaced.

Earliest depiction of a transverse flute was found on an Etruscan relief that dates back to one hundred or two hundred years BC. At that time, the transverse flute was held to the left; only an illustration to a poem from the 11th century AD first depicts the manner of holding the instrument to the right. The first archaeological finds of Occidental transverse flutes date back to the 12th-14th centuries AD. One of the earliest images from this time is contained in the encyclopedia Hortus Deliciarum. Apart from the one above-mentioned 11th-century illustration, all medieval European and Asian images show performers holding the transverse flute to the left, while ancient European images show flute players holding the instrument to the right. Therefore, it is assumed that the transverse flute temporarily fell out of use in Europe, and then returned there from Asia through the Byzantine Empire. In the Middle Ages, the transverse flute consisted of one part, sometimes two for “bass” flutes. The tool was cylindrical in shape and had 6 holes of the same diameter.

François Boucher Bacchante playing the pipe 1760

During the Renaissance, the design of the flute changed little. The instrument had a range of two and a half octaves or more, which exceeded the range of most recorders of that time by an octave. Famous original Renaissance flutes are kept in the Castel Vecchio museum in Verona.

Joseph Marie Vien. Allegory of Music.

The transverse flute was used mainly in ensemble playing - flute quartets, trios for voice, flute and lute, in consorts, ricercars and other music by composers Aurelio Virgiliano, Claudio Monteverdi, Hieronymus Pretorius and others. At the end of the 17th century, the transverse flute began to be used at the French court, mainly as part of an opera orchestra (the first use was in Lully's opera Isis in 1667), and some time passed before the transverse flute gained greater popularity. At the beginning of the 18th century, more and more performers on wind instruments appeared in Germany, England, and Italy, at first mainly oboists, then flutists. In 1718 - 1719 the famous flautist and composer Joachim Quantz complained about the paucity of the repertoire for the transverse flute. Since 1700, collections of suites and pieces for solo flute and with basso continuo accompaniment by composers Jacques Hautetter, Michel de la Barre, Michel de Monteclair and others have been published in France. Beginning in 1725, sonatas and trio sonatas and other works for flute by French composers Joseph Boismortier, Michel Blavet, Jean-Marie Leclerc and others appeared. Representatives of the Italian Baroque style of this period, such as Arcangelo Corelli, Francesco Veracini, Pietro Locatelli, Giovanni Platti, wrote sonatas where the transverse flute could be replaced by a violin or recorder. In 1728, Antonio Vivaldi became the first composer to publish concertos for transverse flute, followed by G. F. Telemann, D. Tartini, and later Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin, Michel Blavet, André Grétry, C. F. E. Bach. The first major changes to the design of the flute were made by the Otteter family at the end of the 17th century. Jacques Martin Otteter divided the instrument into three parts: the head, the body (with holes that were closed directly with the fingers) and the elbow, on which, as a rule, one or more valves were located.

Subsequently, most transverse flutes of the 18th century consisted of four parts - the body of the instrument was divided in half. Otteter also changed the drilling of the instrument to a conical one to improve intonation between octaves. Possessing a more expressive sound and high technical capabilities, the transverse flute soon replaced the longitudinal flute (recorder) and by the end of the 18th century it took a strong place in the symphony orchestra and instrumental ensembles. At the end of the 18th century, more and more valves were added to the transverse flute - usually from 4 to 6 or more. Important innovations in the design of the transverse flute of that time were made by Johann Joachim Quantz and Johann Georg Tromlitz. In Mozart's time, the single-valve transverse flute was still the most common instrument design.

Adolf von Menzel Flute Concerto performed by Frederick the Great at Sansoussi 1852

An important center for the development of the flute school of that time was Berlin, where at the court of Frederick II, who himself was a flutist and an outstanding composer, the transverse flute acquired particular importance. Thanks to the monarch's undying interest in his favorite instrument, many works for transverse flute by Joachim Quantz (court composer and teacher of Friedrich), C. F. E. Bach (court harpsichordist), Franz and his son Friedrich Benda, Karl Friedrich Fasch and other.

In the second half of the 18th century, Johann Christian Bach, Ignaz Pleyel, François Devien, Johann Stamitz, Leopold Hofmann, and Franz Hofmeister wrote for the flute in the post-Baroque and early classicism styles. The masterpieces of this period include the works of W. A. ​​Mozart, who wrote the Flute Concertos in G and D major, the Concerto for flute and harp in C major, 4 quartets and several early sonatas, as well as the Serenade for flute, violin and viola by Ludwig Beethoven.

At the beginning of the 19th century, more and more valves were added to the design of the transverse flute, as music for the instrument became more and more virtuosic and additional valves made it easier to perform difficult passages. In France, the most popular was the transverse flute with 5 valves, in England with 7 or 8 valves, in Germany, Austria and Italy there were the largest number of different systems at the same time, where the number of valves could reach 14 pieces or more, and the systems were named after their inventors: “Meyer”, “Schwedler flute”, “Ziegler system” and others.

Flutist Theobald Böhm gave the transverse flute a modern look. His innovations differed from numerous others in that he prioritized acoustic research and objective sound parameters, rather than the convenience of the performer. The flute of the Boehm system did not immediately find a response among performers - in order to switch to the new system, it was necessary to completely relearn the fingering and not everyone was ready to make such a sacrifice. Many also criticized the sound of the instrument. Between 1832 and 1847 Boehm improved the instrument, which has changed relatively little since then. He introduced the following most important innovations: 1) he arranged the large finger holes in accordance with acoustic principles, and not with ease of execution; 2) equipped the tool with a system of valves and rings that helps close all holes; 3) used the cylindrical bore of the old days, but with a parabolic head, which improved intonation and equalized the sound in different registers; 4) switched to using metal to make the instrument, which, compared to a wooden instrument, increased the brilliance of the sound. In France, the instrument gained popularity faster than other countries, mainly due to the fact that the professor of the Paris Conservatory, Louis Dorus, became a dedicated popularizer and taught it at the conservatory. In Germany and Austria, the Boehm system did not take root for a very long time. Flutists passionately defended their preferences for one system or another, and numerous discussions and disputes arose about the disadvantages and advantages.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the transverse flute repertoire was replenished with works by Karl Czerny, Johann Hummel, and Ignaz Moscheles. A special place in the repertoire of this time belongs to the numerous works of Friedrich Kuhlau, who was called the flute Beethoven.

Masterpieces of the romantic style in the flute repertoire include Variations on the Theme of Dried Flowers by Franz Schubert, Sonata Ondine by Carl Reinecke, as well as his concerto for flute and orchestra (written by the composer at the beginning of the 20th century in old age). Early works for flute by Frederic Chopin and Richard Strauss are also known.

The flute repertoire of the 19th century is dominated by virtuoso salon works of composer-flautists - Jean-Louis Thulou, Giulio Briccialdi, Wilhelm Popp, Jules Demerssmann, Franz Doppler, Cesare Ciardi, Anton Fürstenau, Theobald Böhm, Joachim Andersen, Ernesto Köhler and others - written by the authors mainly for your own performances. More and more virtuoso concertos for flute and orchestra are appearing - Vilem Blodek, Saverio Mercadante, Bernard Romberg, Franz Danzi, Bernard Molik and others.

Robert Sterl Flutist in Peterhof 1908

In the 20th century, the flute became one of the most popular instruments in music. Most flutists switched to the Boehm system, although other systems were occasionally encountered until the 1930s. Most flutes were still made from wood, but metal instruments began to become increasingly popular.

Willie Was Different

The high level of performers of the French flute school, such as Paul Taffanel, Philippe Gobert, Marcel Moise, and later Jean-Pierre Rampal, makes France a flute center and a forge of masterpieces of the flute repertoire. In the first half of the 20th century, works for the flute were written by composers, representatives of French impressionism in music and their followers - Edgard Varèse, Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, Henri Dutilleux, Albert Roussel, Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud, Jacques Ibert, Arthur Honegger, Cecile Chaminade, Lily Boulanger, Georges Yu, Eugene Bozza, Jules Mouquet, George Enescu and others.

In the second half of the 20th century, interest in transverse flutes of baroque design arose again, and many performers began to specialize in authentic performances of baroque music on original instruments.

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Posted on http://allbest.ru

Posted on http://allbest.ru

Flute family

Saint Petersburg

History of flute development

Flute- the general name of wind musical instruments in which the column of air begins to vibrate under the influence of an injected stream of air, cut by the sharp edge of the barrel wall.

In the narrow sense of the word flute- The most common representative of the flute family in modern Western music is the transverse flute. Most flutes are cylindrical tubes with a thin air channel.

Judging by the various stages of flute development that can be observed in the instruments of primitive peoples, the oldest form of flute is the whistle. Whistles of various types exist throughout the world, including toys, signaling instruments, magical implements, and primitive musical instruments.

Among the American Indians, bone, clay and wooden whistles of various shapes and sizes played an important role in religious rituals and everyday life. As civilization developed, finger holes were cut into the whistle tubes, turning a simple whistle into a whistle flute on which musical works could be performed.

Such instruments were made double or even triple, as, for example, in Tibet; in such cases the performer played two or three pipes at the same time. In the islands of the southwest Pacific and in India there are single or double nose flutes, in which the air is blown through the nose rather than the mouth; here there is a connection that arose in the mind between the flute and the soul, associated with magical nasal breathing.

The oldest type of flute attested in historical documents is the longitudinal flute. It was known in Egypt five or more millennia ago and remains the main wind instrument throughout the Middle East. A longitudinal flute, which has 5-6 finger holes and is capable of octave blowing, provides a complete musical scale, individual intervals within which can change, forming different modes by crossing the fingers, closing the holes halfway, as well as changing the direction and force of breathing.

The transverse flute, in which air is blown into a hole located a few centimeters from the end, represents a higher stage in the history of the flute. A transverse flute with 5-6 finger holes, and sometimes with a hole covered with a thin membrane, which gives the sound a certain nasal sound, was known in China at least three thousand years ago, and in India and Japan more than two thousand years ago.

The earliest depiction of a transverse flute was found on an Etruscan relief that dates back to 100 or 200 BC. At that time, the transverse flute was held to the left; only an illustration to a poem from the 11th century AD first depicts the manner of holding the instrument to the right.

The first archaeological finds of transverse flutes in Europe date back to the 12th-14th centuries AD. One of the earliest images from this time is contained in the encyclopedia Hortus Deliciarum. Apart from the one above-mentioned 11th-century illustration, all medieval European and Asian images show performers holding the transverse flute to the left, while ancient European images show flute players holding the instrument to the right.

Therefore, it is assumed that the transverse flute temporarily fell out of use in Europe, and then returned there from Asia through the Byzantine Empire. In Europe during the Middle Ages, mainly simple whistle-type instruments (predecessors of the recorder and flageolet) were common, as well as the transverse flute, which penetrated into Central Europe from the East through the Balkans, where it still remains the most widespread folk instrument. In the Middle Ages, the transverse flute consisted of one part, sometimes two for “bass” flutes in G (now the range of the alto flute). The tool had a cylindrical shape and 6 holes of the same diameter.

During the Renaissance, the design of the transverse flute changed little. The instrument had a range of two and a half octaves or more, which exceeded the range of most recorders of that time by an octave. The instrument made it possible to play all the notes of the chromatic scale, subject to good command of the fingering, which was quite complex. The middle register sounded best. Famous original transverse flutes from the Renaissance are kept in the Castel Vecchio Museum in Verona.

By the end of the 17th century. The transverse flute was improved by French makers, who increased its size, made the bore slightly tapering from the head, and added valves to the six finger holes for playing a full chromatic scale.

The first major changes to the design of the transverse flute were made by the Otteter family. Jacques Martin Ottetter divided the instrument into three parts: the head, the body (with holes that were closed directly with the fingers) and the knee (which usually had one valve, sometimes more). Subsequently, most transverse flutes of the 18th century consisted of four parts - the body of the instrument was divided in half. Otteter also changed the drilling of the instrument to a conical one to improve intonation between octaves.

Possessing a more expressive sound, more accurate intonation and high technical capabilities, the transverse flute soon replaced the longitudinal flute (recorder) and by the end of the 18th century. has taken a strong place in the symphony orchestra and instrumental ensembles.

In the last decades of the 18th century, more and more valves were added to the transverse flute - usually from 4 to 6, or more. On some instruments it becomes possible to take c 1 (up to the first octave) using an extended elbow and two additional valves.

Important innovations in the design of the transverse flute of that time were made by Johann Joachim Quantz and Johann Georg Tromlitz. Nevertheless, the instrument still had many shortcomings, and meanwhile, the technical requirements placed on it by composers grew with every decade. flute mouthpiece sound piccolo

Numerous experimenters tried to achieve stable intonation in all keys, but only the German flautist and composer Theobald Böhm (1794-1881) managed to create a modern type of flute. Between 1832 and 1847 Boehm improved the instrument, which has changed little since then, although the experiments did not end there. His innovations differed from numerous others in that he prioritized acoustic research and objective sound parameters, rather than the convenience of the performer.

He introduced the following most important innovations:

1) located the large finger holes in accordance with acoustic principles, and not the convenience of execution;

2) equipped the tool with a system of valves and rings that helps close all holes;

3) used the cylindrical bore of the old days, but with a parabolic head, which improved intonation and evened out the sound in different registers, although it deprived it of the soft timbre characteristic of the conical bore;

4) switched to using metal to make the instrument, which, compared to a wooden instrument, increased the brilliance of the sound due to its softness and intimacy.

The flute of the Boehm system did not immediately find a response among performers - in order to switch to the new system, it was necessary to completely relearn the fingering and not everyone was ready to make such a sacrifice. Many also criticized the sound of the instrument.

In France, the instrument gained popularity faster than other countries, mainly due to the fact that the professor of the Paris Conservatory, Louis Dorus, became a dedicated popularizer and taught it at the conservatory. In Germany and Austria, the Boehm system did not take root for a very long time. Flutists passionately defended their preferences for one system or another, and numerous discussions and disputes arose about the disadvantages and advantages.

At the beginning of the 20th century, most flutists switched to the Boehm system, although other systems were occasionally encountered until the 1930s. Most flutes were still made from wood, but metal instruments began to become increasingly popular.

In the second half of the 20th century, interest in transverse flutes of baroque design arose again, and many performers began to specialize in authentic performances of baroque music on original instruments.

Attempts were made to improve the Boehm system in order to create the ability to play pure quarter-tone scales and thereby expand the instrument's capabilities in the performance of modern music. 6 additional valves were added to the standard Boehm flute, and this system was named after the creator “Kingma system”. Flutists Robert Dick and Matthias Ziegler, who specialize in performing contemporary music, use such instruments.

The transverse flute is an oblong cylindrical tube with a valve system, closed at one end, near which there is a special side hole for applying lips and blowing air. The modern flute is divided into three parts: head, body and knee.

A large flute has a straight head, but there are also curved heads - on children's instruments, as well as on bass flutes, to make the instrument more comfortable to hold. The head can be made of various materials and their combinations - nickel, wood, silver, gold, platinum. The head of a modern flute, in contrast to the body of the instrument, is not cylindrical, but conical-parabolic in shape.

At the left end inside the head there is a plug, the position of which affects the overall action of the instrument and should be checked regularly (usually using the opposite end of a cleaning rod). The shape of the head bore, the shape and bend of the jaws have a great influence on the sound of the entire instrument. Often performers use sockets from a different manufacturer than the main instrument manufacturer.

The structure of the flute body can be of two types: “inline” (“in line”) - when all the valves form one line, and “offset” - when the salt valve protrudes.

There are also two types of valves - closed (without resonators) and open (with resonators). Open valves are most widespread because they have several advantages over closed ones: the flutist can feel the speed of the air stream and the resonance of the sound under his fingers; with the help of open valves, intonation can be adjusted, and when performing modern music, it is practically impossible to do without them. For children's or small hands, there are plastic plugs that, if necessary, can temporarily close all or some of the valves on the instrument.

There are two types of knee that can be used on a large flute: a C knee or a B knee. On a flute with a knee of C, the lower sound is up to the first octave, on flutes with a knee of B - B of the small octave, respectively. The B knee affects the sound of the third octave of the instrument, and also makes the instrument slightly heavier in weight. On the B knee there is a “gizmo” lever, which must additionally be used in fingerings up to the fourth octave

Many flutes have what is called an E action. The E-mechanics was invented at the beginning of the 20th century simultaneously, independently of each other, by the German master Emil von Rittershausen and the French master Jalma Julio in order to make it easier to play and improve the intonation of the E note of the third octave.

Many professional flutists do not use the E-mechanics, since good mastery of the instrument allows them to easily play this sound without its help. There are also alternatives to mi-mechanics - a plate covering half of the internal hole (the second pair) of the solenoid valve, developed by Powell, as well as a reduced-size paired solitary valve, developed by Sankyo (not widely used mainly due to aesthetic reasons). On German system flutes, the E-mechanics are not functionally required (the paired G valves are initially separated).

Varieties of flutes

The flute family includes a huge number of different types of flutes, which can be divided into two groups, differing in the way the instrument is held when playing - longitudinal (straight, held in a position close to vertical) and transverse (oblique, held horizontally).

Of the longitudinal flutes, the recorder is the most common. The head section of this flute uses an insert (block). In German, a recorder is called “Blockflote” (“flute with a block”), in French - “flute a bec” (“flute with a mouthpiece”), in Italian – “flauto dolce” (“delicate flute”), in English -- "recorder" » (from record - “to learn by heart, to learn”).

Related instruments: pipe, sopilka, whistle. The recorder differs from other similar instruments by the presence of 7 finger holes on the front side and one on the back - the so-called octave valve.

The two lower holes are often made double. 8 fingers are used to close the holes when playing. To play notes, the so-called. fork fingerings (when the holes are closed not in order, but in a complex combination).

The sound in a recorder is formed in a beak-shaped mouthpiece located at the end of the instrument. The mouthpiece contains a wooden plug (from German: Block), covering the hole for blowing air (leaving only a narrow gap).

Nowadays, recorders are made not only from wood, but also from plastic. High-quality plastic instruments have good musical capabilities. The advantage of such tools is also their low cost, durability - they are not as susceptible to cracking as wood, precision manufacturing using the hot pressing method followed by fine-tuning with high precision, hygiene (they are not afraid of moisture and tolerate “bathing” well).

However, according to most performers, wooden flutes sound best. Traditionally, boxwood or fruit trees (pear, plum) are used for production; for budget models, as a rule, maple is used, and professional instruments are often made from mahogany.

The recorder has a full chromatic scale. This allows you to play music in different keys. The recorder is usually in F or C tuning, which is the lowest sound that can be played on it. The most common types of recorder in terms of pitch are: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Sopranino is in F tuning, soprano is in C tuning, alto sounds an octave lower than sopranino, tenor is an octave lower than soprano, and bass is an octave lower than alto.

Recorders are also classified by fingering systems. There are two types of fingering systems for recorders: “Germanic” and “Baroque” (or “English”). The “Germanic” fingering system is a little easier for initial mastery, but most of the really good professional instruments are made with the “Baroque” fingering.

The recorder was popular in the Middle Ages in Europe, but by the 18th century. its popularity declined as preference began to be given to orchestral wind instruments such as the transverse flute, which had a wider range and louder sound. The recorder did not take its due place in the music of the classical and romantic eras.

To recognize the diminishing importance of the recorder, we also recall that the name Flauto - “flute” until 1750 referred to the recorder; the transverse flute was called Flauto Traverso or simply Traversa. After 1750 and until today, the name "flute" (Flauto) refers to a transverse flute.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the recorder was so rare that Stravinsky, when he saw the recorder for the first time, mistook it for a type of clarinet. It was not until the 20th century that the recorder was rediscovered primarily as an instrument for school and home music playing. The recorder is also used for authentic reproduction of ancient music.

The list of literature for the recorder grew to enormous proportions in the 20th century and, thanks to numerous new compositions, continues to grow continuously into the 21st century. The recorder is sometimes used in popular music. The recorder also occupies a certain place in folk music.

Among orchestral flutes, there are 4 main types of flute: the flute proper (or large flute), small flute (piccolo flute), alto flute and bass flute.

Also existing, but much less commonly used, are the large E-flat flute (Cuban music, Latin American jazz), the octobass flute (modern music and flute orchestra) and the hyperbass flute. Flutes of a lower range also exist as prototypes.

The large flute (or simply flute) is an instrument of the soprano register. The pitch of the sound on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing the holes with valves.

Modern flutes are usually made of metal (nickel, silver, gold, platinum). The flute is characterized by a range from the first to the fourth octave; the lower register is soft and dull, the highest sounds, on the contrary, are shrill and whistling, and the middle and partly upper registers have a timbre that is described as gentle and melodious.

The piccolo flute is the highest sounding instrument among wind instruments. It has a brilliant, fortified, shrill and whistling timbre. The small flute is half as long as an ordinary flute and sounds an octave higher, and a number of low sounds are impossible to produce on it.

Piccolo range -- from d? before c5 (D of the second octave - up to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that have the ability to take c? And cis?. For ease of reading, notes are written an octave lower. Mechanically, the small flute is constructed identically to a regular one (except for the absence of “D-flat” and “C” of the first octave) and, therefore, is characterized by generally the same performance features.

Initially, within the orchestra (starting from the second half of the 18th century), the small flute was intended to strengthen and extend upward the extreme octaves of the large flute, and it was recommended to use it in opera or ballet rather than in symphonic works. This was due to the fact that in the early stages of its existence, due to insufficient improvement, the small flute was characterized by a rather harsh and somewhat rough sound, as well as a low degree of flexibility.

It should also be noted that this type of flute goes quite well with ringing percussion instruments and drums; in addition, the small flute can be combined into an octave with the oboe, which also gives rise to an expressive sound

The alto flute is similar in structure and playing technique to a regular flute, but has a longer and wider tube and a slightly different structure of the valve system.

Breathing on the alto flute is used up faster. Most often used in G(sol in tuning), less often in F(in F tuning). Range? from g(small octave sol) to d? (D third octave). It is theoretically possible to extract higher sounds, but in practice they are almost never used.

The sound of the instrument in the lower register is bright, thicker than that of a large flute, but is only achievable in dynamics no stronger than mezzo forte. Middle register? flexible in nuance, full-voiced; upper? harsh, less timbre-colored than the flute, the highest sounds are difficult to produce on the piano. It appears in few scores, but in works by Stravinsky, such as Daphnis and Chloe and The Rite of Spring, it acquires a certain weight and significance.

The bass flute has a curved elbow, thanks to which it is possible to increase the length of the air column without significantly changing the dimensions of the instrument. It sounds an octave lower than the main instrument, but requires a significantly larger volume of air (breathing).

As for folk (or ethnic) types of flutes, there are a huge variety of them.

They can be roughly divided into longitudinal, transverse, whistle (an improved type of longitudinal flute), Pan flute, vessel-shaped, bow and compound flutes.

TO ena - used in the music of the Andean region of Latin America. Usually made from reed. Has six upper and one lower finger holes, usually made in G tuning.

Whistle(from English tin whistle, literally translated as “tin whistle, pipe”, pronunciation options (Russian): whistle, whistle, the first is more common) is a folk longitudinal flute with six holes on the front side, widely used in the folk music of Ireland, Scotland, England and some other countries.

Pipe- Russian wind instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. Sometimes it can be double-barreled, with one of the barrels usually having a length of 300-350 mm, the second 450-470 mm. At the upper end of the barrel there is a whistle device, at the lower part there are 3 side holes for changing the pitch of sounds. The trunks are tuned to a fourth and give a generally diatonic scale in the volume of a seventh.

Pyzhatka-- Russian folk musical instrument, wooden flute, traditional for the Kursk region of Russia. It is a wooden tube with a diameter of 15-25 mm and a length of 40-70 cm, into one end of which a wooden plug (“wad”) with an oblique cut is inserted, directing the blown air to the pointed edge of a small square hole (“whistle”).

The term "pyzhatka" can also be considered as a synonym for the concept sniffles- a type of longitudinal whistle flute, which is also a traditional Russian folk wind instrument, the most ancient of those in use among the Eastern Slavs.

This variety was characterized by a diatonic scale and a range of up to two octaves; by changing the strength of the air flow and using special fingerings, a chromatic scale was also achievable. It is actively used by amateur groups both as a solo and as an ensemble instrument.

Di-- an ancient Chinese wind instrument, a transverse flute with 6 playing holes. In most cases, the trunk of the di is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made of other types of wood and even stone, most often jade.

Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. The hole for injecting air is located near the closed end of the barrel; in the immediate vicinity of the latter there is another hole, which is covered with a thin film of reeds or reeds.

Bansuri-- Indian wind musical instrument, a type of transverse flute. Particularly common in Northern India. Bansuri is made from a single hollow bamboo stalk with six or seven holes. There are two types of tools: transverse and longitudinal. The longitudinal is commonly used in folk music and is played with the lips like a whistle. The transverse variety is most used in Indian classical music.

Pan Flute-- a multi-barreled flute consisting of several (2 or more) hollow tubes of various lengths. The lower ends of the tubes are closed, the upper ends are open. The name is due to the fact that in antiquity the invention of this type of flute was mythologically attributed to the deity of forests and fields, Pan. When playing, the musician directs a flow of air from one end of the tubes to the other, as a result of which the air columns contained inside begin to oscillate, and the instrument produces a whistle of a certain height; Each tube produces one basic sound, the acoustic characteristics of which depend on its length and diameter. Accordingly, the number and size of the tubes determine the range of the panflute. The instrument may have a movable or fixed plug; Depending on this, various methods of fine-tuning it are used.

Ocarina -- An ancient wind musical instrument, a vessel-shaped clay whistle flute. It is a small egg-shaped chamber with holes for fingers ranging from four to thirteen. Multi-chamber ocarinas may have more openings (depending on the number of chambers).

Usually made of ceramic, but sometimes also made of plastic, wood, glass or metal.

IN nasal flute the sound is produced by a stream of air from the nostril. Despite the fact that air comes out of the nose with less force than from the mouth, many primitive peoples of the Pacific region prefer to play this way, since they endow nasal breathing with a certain special energy. Such flutes are especially common in Polynesia, where they have become a national instrument. The most common are transverse nose flutes, but the natives of Borneo play longitudinal ones.

Compound flutes consist of several simple flutes connected together. In this case, the whistle holes can be different for each barrel, then a simple set of different flutes is obtained, or they can be connected to one common mouthpiece, in which case all these flutes sound simultaneously and harmonic intervals and even chords can be played on them.

All of the above types of flutes are only a small part of the huge flute family. They all vary greatly in appearance, timbre, and size. They are united by the method of sound production - unlike other wind instruments, the flute produces sounds as a result of cutting the air flow against the edge, instead of using a reed. The flute is one of the most ancient musical instruments in origin.

Posted on Allbest.ru

Similar documents

The history of the origin and development of musical instruments from ancient times to the present day. Consideration of the technical capabilities of brass, wood and percussion instruments. Evolution of the composition and repertoire of brass bands; their role in modern Russia.

course work, added 11/27/2013


The main classification of musical instruments according to the method of sound extraction, its source and resonator, the specifics of sound production. Types of string instruments. The working principle of the harmonica and bagpipes. Examples of plucked and sliding instruments.

presentation, added 04/21/2014


The emergence and development of the flute and its prototypes. The flute in Russia as a folk instrument. The influence of the Russian school of composition on wind performance. Structure, features and application of the modern flute. Flute in the works of composers of the 20th century.

certification work, added 06/21/2012


The use of musical toys and instruments and their role in the development of children. Types of instruments and their classification according to the method of sound production. Forms of work on teaching children to play musical instruments in preschool institutions.

presentation, added 03/22/2012


Keyboard musical instruments, physical basis of action, history of occurrence. What is sound? Characteristics of musical sound: intensity, spectral composition, duration, pitch, major scale, musical interval. Propagation of sound.

abstract, added 02/07/2009


Features and directions of the formation of musical culture in Russia during the historical period under study, the appearance and use of the organ, clavichord, flute, cello. The path of development of Russian polyphonic music in the Baroque era. Concert singing.

presentation, added 10/06/2014


Types of Chuvash folk musical instruments: strings, winds, percussion and self-sounding. Shapar - a type of bubble bagpipe, a method of playing it. Membranophone sound source. Material of self-sounding instruments. Plucked instrument - timer kupas.

presentation, added 05/03/2015


History and main stages in the formation of Russian folk instruments. General characteristics of some Russian instruments: balalaika, gusli. Musical instruments of China and Kyrgyzstan: temir-komuz, chopo-choor, banhu, guan, their origin and development.

abstract, added 11/25/2013


Study of the theoretical foundations of the resonant singing technique, the basic physical properties of the resonators of the singer’s vocal apparatus, their functions in the singing process. Characteristics of exercises to achieve sound power, depth and beauty of timbre, vocal hygiene.

thesis, added 04/30/2012


The versatility of I.S.’s creativity Bach, the role of wind instruments in the uniqueness of his works. Compositional schemes of flute sonatas. The best features of Bach's organ instrumental thinking are in the Sonata for Solo Flute in A Minor and the Sonata in E Minor.

The flute is a truly amazing wind musical instrument, indispensable in any orchestra. It has a long history dating back to ancient times. The first mention of this instrument appeared in Greek mythology, and its inventor, according to myth, is considered to be the son of Hephaestus, Ardal. Today, centuries later, it does not lose its position, and playing it is a whole art.

What types of flutes are there?

Today in the musical world there are a large number of different types of this amazing musical instrument. Moreover, many nations have their own variety, and sometimes more than one. However, if you collect and structure all the views, you can distinguish two main types - longitudinal and transverse. The first of them - longitudinal - the musician usually holds directly in front of him. Longitudinal flutes can be open or whistles. In the first case, air is blown obliquely into the open hole from above. In the second case, a whistle device is additionally installed in the inlet hole.
Perhaps more familiar to us are transverse flutes. They are used in classical orchestras. According to tradition, they belong to woodwind instruments, because they were originally made from wood. Of course, nowadays they are made primarily from metal, and in some cases from ceramics or glass. Valves, which appeared on the transverse flute as early as 1832, help control the pitch of the sound. The transverse one is also valued due to its great capabilities for virtuoso performance of even the most complex works at a fast tempo: trills, arpeggios, etc. Multifaceted playing is achieved thanks to the richness of timbre, wide range and various shades of sound.

What flutes do professionals and beginners play?

How to understand all the variety of flutes and make the right choice for yourself? It all depends on your skills and the musical style for which you will need this instrument. For example, simple and light classical music sounds great on, one of the simplest varieties of this musical instrument. Its timbre is quite simple, the range is about two. That's why it's an excellent choice for beginning performers. Orchestral flute with a range from the first to the fourth octave, the instrument is already more complex and copes well with both classical music and modern styles - rock or jazz. The sound characteristics are also affected by the material from which the instrument is made. Thus, metal modifications have a more ringing, piercing and clear sound, while models made, for example, from reed, are characterized by a more “empty” and low sound, poor in overtones.

It is also important to know how the range of a flute is determined. It primarily depends on the length and diameter of the instrument: the larger these indicators, the greater the air consumption during performance and the lower the sound produced.
Today, there are several leading flute manufacturers on the musical instrument market. Among them are BRAHNER, Maxtone, Flight, Yamaha and HOHNER. You can trust these brands and be confident in the quality of the musical instruments they produce. See more details here -

Transverse flute(often just flute; Italian flauto from Lat. flatus - “wind, blow”; fr. flûte, English. flute, German Flöte) is a woodwind musical instrument in the soprano register. The pitch of the sound on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing the holes with valves. Modern flutes are usually made of metal (nickel, silver, gold, platinum), less often of wood, and sometimes of glass, plastic and other composite materials.

The flute range is more than three octaves: from h or c 1 (B small octave or C first) to #f 4 (F-sharp fourth). Playing above “C” of the fourth octave seems difficult, but there are works that involve the notes “D” and “E”. Notes are written in treble clef according to their actual sound. The timbre is clear and transparent in the middle register, dull in the lower register and somewhat harsh in the upper register. The flute is available in a wide variety of techniques, and is often assigned orchestral solos. It is used in symphony and brass orchestras, and also, along with the clarinet, more often than other woodwinds, in chamber ensembles. A symphony orchestra uses from one to five flutes, most often two or three, and one of them (usually the last in number) can change during performance to a small or alto flute.

Encyclopedic YouTube

History of the instrument

Antiquity

In India, the oldest images of transverse flutes date back to the 1st century. BC e. (relief of the eastern gate of the Great Stupa in Sanchi).

In Europe, presumably the earliest depiction of a transverse flute was found on an Etruscan relief. II - beginning I century BC e. However, the interpretation of this image is currently in doubt.

Middle Ages

With the exception of the aforementioned Etruscan relief, all other evidence suggests that the transverse flute penetrated from Asia to the Byzantine Empire, and from there to Western Europe, during the Middle Ages. Some of the earliest European images of transverse flutes from this time are contained in the encyclopedia Hortus Deliciarum (English) Russian(end of the 12th century), manuscripts of the Kantig of Saint Mary (late 13th - 1st half of the 14th century) and the Manes Codex (14th century).

In the Middle Ages, the transverse flute consisted of one part, sometimes of two - for “bass” flutes, the tuning was G (now the alto flute). The tool had a cylindrical shape and 6 holes of the same diameter.

Apart from the miniature in the Codex Manes, all medieval European and Asian images show performers holding the transverse flute to the left.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance, the design of the transverse flute changed little. The instrument had a range of two and a half octaves or more, which exceeded the range of most recorders of that time by an octave. The instrument made it possible to play all the notes of the chromatic scale, subject to good command of the fingering, which was quite complex. The middle register sounded best. Known original transverse flutes from the Renaissance are kept in the Castel Vecchio Museum in Verona.

Baroque era

The first major changes to the design of the transverse flute were made by the Otteter family. Jacques Martin Otteter divided the instrument into three parts: the head, the body (with holes that were closed directly with the fingers) and the elbow (which usually had one valve, sometimes more). Subsequently, most transverse flutes of the 18th century consisted of four parts - the body of the instrument was divided in half. Otteter also changed the drilling of the instrument to a conical one to improve intonation between octaves.

In the last decades of the 18th century, more and more valves were added to the transverse flute - usually from 4 to 6 or more. On some instruments it becomes possible to take c 1 (up to the first octave) using an extended elbow and two additional valves. Important innovations in the design of the transverse flute of that time were made by Johann Joachim Quantz and Johann Georg Tromlitz.

In Mozart's time, the single-valve transverse flute was still the most common design of this instrument. At the beginning of the 19th century, more and more valves were added to the design of the transverse flute, as music for the instrument became more and more virtuosic and additional valves made it easier to perform difficult passages. There were a large number of valve options. In France, the most popular was the transverse flute with 5 valves, in England - with 7 or 8 valves, in Germany, Austria and Italy there were the largest number of different systems at the same time, where the number of valves could reach 14 pieces or more, and the systems were named after their inventors : “Meyer”, “Schwedler flute”, “Ziegler system” and others. There were even valve systems specifically made to facilitate a certain passage. In the first half of the 19th century, there were so-called flutes. Viennese type, up to the G sound of a small octave. In the opera La Traviata, written by Giuseppe Verdi in 1853, in the final scene the 2nd flute is assigned a phrase consisting of sounds of the lower register from C to down - B, B-flat, A, A-flat and G of the small octave. This flute is now being replaced by the alto flute

An important center for the development of the flute school of that time was Berlin, where at the court of Frederick II, who himself was a flautist and an outstanding composer, the transverse flute acquired special significance. Thanks to the monarch's undying interest in his favorite instrument, many works for transverse flute by Joachim Quantz (court composer and teacher of Friedrich), C. F. E. Bach (court harpsichordist), Franz and his son Friedrich Benda, Karl Friedrich Fasch and other.

Among the masterpieces of the Baroque repertoire are the Partita in A minor for solo flute and 7 sonatas for flute and bass by J. S. Bach (3 of which may have been written by his son C. F. E. Bach), 12 fantasies for solo flute G F. Telemann, Sonata for solo flute in A minor by C. F. E. Bach.

Classical and Romantic period

In the second half of the 18th century, in the post-Baroque and early classicism styles, Johann Christian Bach, Ignaz Pleyel, François Devien, Johann Stamitz, Leopold Hofmann, and Franz Hofmeister wrote for the flute. The masterpieces of this period include the works of W. A. ​​Mozart, who wrote the Flute Concertos in G and D major, the Concerto for flute and harp in C major, 4 quartets and several early sonatas, as well as the Serenade for flute, violin and viola by Ludwig Beethoven. At the beginning of the 19th century, the transverse flute repertoire was replenished with works by Karl Czerny, Johann Hummel, and Ignaz Moscheles. A special place in the repertoire of this time belongs to the numerous works of Friedrich Kuhlau, who was called the flute Beethoven.

There is little written for the flute in the romantic style. Major composers of this time, like Schumann or Brahms, did not write solo works for the flute, preferring the clarinet and other wind instruments. Masterpieces of the romantic style in the flute repertoire include Variations on the Theme of “Broken Flowers” ​​by Franz Schubert, Sonata “Ondine” by Karl Reinecke, as well as his concerto for flute and orchestra (written by the composer at the beginning of the 20th century in old age). There are also known early works for flute by Frederic Chopin and Richard Strauss (in both cases in the form of variations), which essentially belong more to the gallant salon style than to the romantic one. The recognized transcription made for flute during his lifetime, and possibly by the author himself, is the 6 Sonatas for Violin and Clavier by Carl Maria von Weber.

The flute repertoire of the 19th century is dominated by virtuoso salon works of composer-flautists - Jean-Louis Tulo, Giulio Briccialdi, Wilhelm Popp, Jules Demerssmann, Franz Doppler, Cesare Ciardi, Anton Furstenau, Theobald Böhm , Joachim Andersen, Ernesto Köhler and others - written by the authors in mainly for my own performances. More and more virtuoso concertos for flute and orchestra are appearing - Vilém Blodek, Saverio Mercadante, Bernard Romberg, Franz Danzi, Bernard Molik and others.

XX century

In the 20th century, the flute became one of the most popular instruments in music. The high level of performers of the French flute school, such as Paul Taffanel, Philippe Gobert, Marcel Moise, and later Jean-Pierre Rampal, makes France a flute center and a forge of masterpieces of the flute repertoire. In the first half of the 20th century, works for the flute were written by composers, representatives of French impressionism in music and their followers - Edgard Varèse, Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, Henri Dutilleux, Albert Roussel, Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud, Jacques Ibert, Arthur Honegger, Cecile Chaminade, Lily Boulanger, Georges Yu, Eugene Bozza, Jules Mouquet, George Enescu and others. The most popular and frequently performed works of this period include:

• Francis Poulenc. Sonata for flute and piano
• Henri Dutilleux. Sonatina for flute and piano
• Claude Debussy. Syrinx for solo flute
• Gabriel Fore. Fantasia for flute and piano
• Cecile Chaminade. Concertina

The flute occupies an important place in the work of André Jolivet, who wrote many works for this instrument that are firmly included in the main repertoire of flutists: Concerto for flute and orchestra, Concert Suite for flute and percussion, “Song of Linos” for flute and piano, “5 Lamentations” for solo flute and others. Numerous works for flute by Siegfried Karg-Ehlert are also interesting. By the middle of the 20th century, the flute finally won the hearts of major composers from different countries and styles, masterpieces of the flute repertoire appeared one after another: sonatas for flute and piano by Sergei Prokofiev and Paul Hindemith, concertos for flute and orchestra by Carl Nielsen and Jacques Ibert, as well as other works by composers Boguslav Martin, Franck Martin, Olivier Messiaen. Several works for flute were written by domestic composers Edison Denisov and Sofya Gubaidulina.

In the second half of the 20th century, many composers wrote works for solo flute without accompaniment, often using modern techniques for playing the instrument. Luciano Berio's Sequence is especially often performed; Etudes by Isan Yun, “The Voice” by Toru Takemitsu, “Debla” by K. Halfter, and other works for solo flute by composers Heinz Holliger, Robert Aitken, Elliott Carter, Gilbert Ami, Kazuo Fukishima, Brian are also popular a Ferneyhough , Franco Donatoni and others. A large number of works for solo flute using an expanded interpretation of the instrument were written by Salvatore Sciarrino.

Jazz and other styles

Due to its quiet sound, the flute did not immediately take root in jazz music. The development of the solo role of the flute in jazz is associated with the names of such musicians as Herbie Mann, Jeremy Stig, Hubert Laws. One of the innovators in jazz flute performance was saxophonist and flautist Roland Kirk, who actively used the techniques of blowing and playing with the voice. Saxophonists Eric Dolphy and Jozef Latif also played flute.

Points of contact between jazz and classical music include the jazz flute suites of the French jazz pianist Claude Bolling, which are performed by both academic (Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway) and jazz musicians.

In popular music

One of the famous flutists in the genre of rock and pop music is Ian Anderson from the band Jethro Tull.

Development of the flute school in Russia

Early period

The first professional flutists in Russia were mainly invited musicians of foreign origin, many of whom remained in Russia until the end of their lives. Thus, the famous blind flutist and composer Friedrich Dulon served at the court of Catherine II from 1792 to 1798. Subsequently, the soloists of the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg were famous German and Italian flutists - Heinrich Susmann (from 1822 to 1838), Ernst Wilhelm Heinemeier (from 1847 to 1859), Cesare Ciardi (from 1855). Since 1831, Joseph Guillou, a professor at the Paris Conservatory, settled in St. Petersburg. There are also early mentions of Russian flutists - for example, from 1827 to 1850, the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow was Dmitry Papkov, a serf who received his freedom.

Second half of the 19th century

The largest European flutists came to Russia on tours - in the 1880s, the Czech virtuoso flutist Adolf Tershak toured all over Russia with concerts, in 1887 and 1889. The famous French flutist Paul Taffanel visited Moscow and St. Petersburg.

XX century

The first Russian professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory became in 1905 the soloist of the Imperial Theaters Fedor Stepanov. In the first half of the 20th century, the Germans Max Berg and Karl Schwab, as well as the Czech Julius Federhans, worked as soloists of the Imperial Theaters of St. Petersburg along with domestic performers. After Stepanov’s death in 1914, his class passed to the flutist and composer Vladimir Tsybin, who made a huge contribution to the development of domestic flute performance in Russia. Vladimir Tsybin can rightfully be considered the founder of the Russian flute school.

Tsybin’s pedagogical work was continued by his students, professors of the Moscow Conservatory - Nikolai Platonov and Yuliy Yagudin. At the St. Petersburg Conservatory at the beginning of the 20th century, P. Ya. Fedotov and Robert Lambert taught, and later the latter’s students - Boris Trizno and Joseph Janus.

In the 1950s, famous Soviet flutists Alexander Korneev and Valentin Zverev won major international prizes.

In the 1960s, a significant contribution to the development of the national school of flute playing was made by a professor at the Leningrad Conservatory, a student of Boris Trizno, Gleb Nikitin, and a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, a student of Nikolai Platonov, Yuri Dolzhikov.

Among the soloists of major orchestras in Moscow and Leningrad in the 1960-1970s are Albert Hoffmann, Alexander Golyshev, Albert Ratzbaum, Eduard Shcherbachev, Alexandra Vavilina and others, and later the younger generation - Sergei Bubnov, Marina Vorozhtsova, Mikhail Kashir skiy and others .

Currently, professors and associate professors of the Moscow Conservatory are Alexander Golyshev, Oleg Khudyakov, Olga Ivusheykova, Leonid Lebedev; St. Petersburg Conservatory - Valentin Cherenkov, Alexandra Vavilina, Olga Chernyadyeva. More than 50 Russian young flutists, including Denis Lupachev, Nikolai Popov, Nikolai Mokhov, Vasily Bolsherotov, Irina Alekseeva, Alena Lomova, Yan Starkov, Denis Buryakov, Alexandra Grot, Grigory Mordashov and others, also received or are currently continuing their education abroad .

Flute body

The design of the flute valve mechanism can be of two types: “inline” (“in line”) - when all the valves form one line, and “offset” - when the salt valve protrudes. There are also two types of valves - closed (without resonators) and open (with resonators). Open valves are most widespread because they have several advantages over closed ones: the flutist can feel the speed of the air stream and the resonance of the sound under his fingers; with the help of open valves, intonation can be adjusted, and when performing modern music, it is practically impossible to do without them. For children's or small hands, there are plastic plugs that, if necessary, can temporarily close all or some of the valves on the instrument.

Knee

There are two types of knee that can be used on a large flute: a C knee or a B knee. On a flute with a knee of C, the lower sound is up to the first octave, on flutes with a knee of B - B of the small octave, respectively. The B knee affects the sound of the third octave of the instrument, and also makes the instrument slightly heavier in weight. On the B knee there is a “gizmo” lever, which must additionally be used in fingerings up to the fourth octave.

Mi-mechanics

Many flutes have what is called an E action. E-mechanics was invented at the beginning of the 20th century simultaneously, independently of each other, by the German master Emil von Rittershausen and the French master Djalma Julio in order to facilitate sound production and improve the intonation of the note E of the third octave. Many professional flutists do not use the E-mechanics, since good mastery of the instrument makes it easy to produce this sound without its help. There are also alternatives to the mi-mechanics - a plate covering half of the internal hole (the second paired) solenoid valve, developed by Powell, as well as a reduced-size double solenoid valve, developed by Sankyo (not widely used mainly due to aesthetic reasons). On German system flutes, the E-mechanics are not functionally required (the paired G valves are initially separated).

Flute acoustics

According to the method of sound production, the flute is classified as a labial instrument. The flutist blows a stream of air onto the leading edge of the embouchure hole. The air flow from the musician's lips crosses the open embouchure hole and hits its outer edge. Thus, the air stream is divided approximately in half: into the instrument and out. Some of the air that gets inside the instrument creates a sound wave (compression wave) inside the flute, spreads to the open valve and partially returns back, causing the tube to resonate. Part of the air that gets outside the instrument causes light overtones such as wind noise, which, when staged correctly, are audible only to the performer himself, but become indistinguishable at a distance of several meters. The pitch of the sound is changed by changing the speed and direction of air supply from the support (abdominal muscles) and lips, as well as fingering.

Due to its acoustic properties, the flute tends to be lower in pitch when played on the piano (especially in the lower register) and higher in pitch when played on the forte (especially in the upper register). The temperature of the room also affects intonation - lower temperatures lower the tuning of the instrument, higher temperatures, respectively, increase it.

The instrument is tuned by extending the head from the body of the instrument (the more you extend the head, the longer and, accordingly, lower the tuning of the instrument becomes). This method of tuning has its disadvantages compared to stringed or keyboard instruments - when the head is extended, the relationship between the holes of the instrument is upset and the octaves stop building with each other. When the head is extended more than a centimeter (which lowers the tuning of the instrument by almost a semitone), the sound of the flute changes timbre and becomes similar to the sound of wooden baroque instruments.

Flute playing technique

The flute is one of the most virtuosic and technically agile instruments from the wind group. Her performance is typical of scale-like passages at a fast tempo, arpeggios, and jumps at wide intervals. Less often, the flute is assigned to long cantilena episodes, since the breath on it is consumed faster than on other woodwinds. Trills sound good throughout the entire range (with the exception of a few trills at the lowest sounds)

The weak point of the instrument is its relatively small dynamic range - the difference between piano and forte in the first and second octaves is about 25 dB, in the upper register no more than 10 dB. Flutists compensate for this deficiency by changing the colors of the timbre, as well as by other means of musical expressiveness.

The range of the instrument is divided into three registers: lower, middle and upper. The lower register is relatively easy to play piano and legato, but forte and staccato require mature skill. The middle register is the least rich in overtones, often sounds dull, and therefore is rarely used for cantilena-type melodies. It is easy to play the forte in the upper register; mastering the piano in the third octave requires several years of training on the instrument. Starting from the fourth octave to sharp, quiet production of sounds becomes impossible.

The color of the timbre and the beauty of the sound on the flute depend on many factors in the performance and skill of the performer - an open throat, a sufficiently open hole in the head of the instrument (usually 2/3), the correct position of the head of the instrument in relation to the lips, the exact direction of the air stream, plays an important role. as well as skillful control of the amount and speed of air supply using the “support” (a set of abdominal muscles, part of the intercostal muscles and part of the back muscles that affect the work of the diaphragm).

The flute has a wide range of playing techniques. Double (syllables tu-ku) and triple (syllables tu-ku-tu tu-ku-tu) staccato is used throughout. Since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the frulato technique has been used for special effects - playing an instrument simultaneously with the pronunciation of a sound, such as “trr” using the tip of the tongue or throat. The frulato technique was first used by Richard Strauss in the symphonic poem Don Quixote (-). In the 20th century, many additional techniques and techniques were invented:

• Multiphonics- extracting two or more sounds simultaneously using a special fingering. There are special tables of multiphonics to help composers and performers, for example in the books of Pierre Yves Artaud or Robert Dick.
• Whistle tones- resembles a quiet whistle. It is produced with the embouchure completely relaxed and the stream directed over the place where the desired sound is usually found.
• "Tangram"- a short sound reminiscent of cotton. It is extracted when the embouchure of the instrument is completely closed with the lips using a quick movement of the tongue. It sounds a major seventh lower than the fingering used by the performer.
• "Jet whistle"- a sounding stream of air (without sound), quickly changing height from top to bottom or bottom to top, depending on the instructions of the composer. It is extracted when the embouchure of the instrument is completely closed with the lips, with a strong exhalation and pronunciation of a syllable similar to “fuit”.

There are other methods of modern techniques - knocking with valves, playing with one tenon without sound, singing at the same time as producing sound, and others.

The flute is one of the most ancient musical instruments. The oldest flute was invented approximately 35 thousand years ago. This musical instrument has gone through a certain stage of evolution, and during this time it has changed quite significantly. The look, sound, shape changed. Today, there are about 12 types of flutes, the most popular of which we will consider.

The most popular types of flutes

Today we will look at the types of the most popular flutes, which are in great demand today:

• Syringa;
• Transverse flute;
• Flute-Piccolo;
• Block flute.

Let's take a closer look at each type presented above.

Syringa is a type of flute that originates from Ancient Greece. This view is a more longitudinal view. Originating from the era of antiquity, most often shepherds and peasants were well versed in this instrument. A little later, the flute began to be used in various theatrical productions. Gradually it began to gain popularity and spread throughout the entire population.

The transverse flute is a musical instrument that was made of wood. The flute is called a transverse flute due to the fact that it is used horizontally, rather than as in the standard version. Thanks to overblowing, the pitch of sounds changes, and, of course, closing the holes with your fingers plays an important role. Today, transverse flutes are made not only from wood, but also from various metals.

Flute-Piccolo is a musical instrument of the wind type, which is made from wood. This flute is also used only horizontally. The peculiarity of the Piccolo flute is that it holds the highest note among all varieties. Also, this flute is the most melodic and piercing among all. The Piccolo flute is small in size and was most often used to enhance the octave sound of large flutes.

The recorder is one of those flutes that scientists consider one of the founders of the flute. The recorder refers to longitudinal flutes that were made of wood and looked like a whistle. The recorder not only consisted of seven valves, but also valves on the reverse side, which are called octave valves.

All of the types of flutes listed above take their original origins from ancient times, and, as a rule, more service people were able to play them.