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4-1-2012 Jean-François Beaudin: Borrowing from the Old World and the New Wendell B. Dobbs Marshall University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Dobbs, Wendell., “Jean-François Beaudin: Borrowing from the old world and the new,” Traverso, Vol. 23, no. 2: 5-8.

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Research by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TRTR AVERSO AVERSO Volume 23 ❖ Number 2 HistoricalFluteNewsletter

❖ Published Quarterly ❖ ISSN 1041-7494 ❖ Editor: Linda Pereksta ❖ Founding Editor: Ardal Powell ❖

Jean-François Beaudin: Borrowing from the Old World and the New Wendell Dobbs

he modern flute world is full of innovation. Every year brings a new assortment of changes intend- eded to improve the design or functioning of the Tmodern flute—a new headjoint or a new material, a design innovation such as the vertical flute or a new contrabass flute. Much more subtle are changes to the design of 18th- century style flutes. Generally, modern makers of these instruments take careful measurements of particular antique flutes that are recognized for ease of playing and copy them. The innovations are most likely subtle—a new wood, gentle tweaking of the embouchure or a tone hole, or cosmetic refinements. Such is not the case with Jean-François Beaudin’s new world – old world flute, that is, his new style of 18th century, one-key flute—as he calls it, his “modern traverso.” With his new design he has thrown away the rulebook developing a one-key flute with more power and easier intonation. Jean-François grew up in the French-speaking com- munity of Montreal. His father was a photographer who loved jazz and his mother was a painter and wove tapestries. She also played recorder and introduced Jean-François to the recorder and its music when he was ten. “We were four children at home and very close in age and we took recorder lessons with my mother. Then she asked a teacher to come and we were all together taking lessons.” He enrolled in music courses during the two school years that preceded college and then when it came time to start making career choices he continued his path with early music. “I found beauty and harmony in that music and I wanted to keep that beauty in my life.” In the mid 1970’s he began studying with Jean-Pierre Pinson, a well-regarded recorder player and musicologist from Bourges, France who had immigrated to Montreal. Soon after, Pinson invited him to teach at a summer acad- emy in Poitiers. Jean-François continued his studies with him for the next two years at the University of Montreal (1976-77). In 1978 Jean-François was admitted to the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in Holland where he studied recorder with Brazilian Ricardo Kanji. After a semester he Jean-François Beaudin with technical drawings (photo: Wendell Dobbs)

Page 5 TRAVERSO added the flute class of Bartold Kuijken and work as a draftsman and craftsman mea- He spent six months studying with a flutist flute studies started to supplant his interest suring, drawing and making flutes. Flutes in Madras. Their flute or venu is made of in recorder. “Early music at that time was a by Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773) bamboo and had great power and projec- sort of modern musical adventure because became his specialty, and Beaudin mea- tion. Here was the genesis of Jean-François’ there was a lot to discover. It was exciting like sured and made drawings of Quantz flutes new one-key flute design. “The start of my archeology. In French we say, ‘like finding in Washington, D.C., Berlin, Köpenick and project was not the Boehm flute, but the beneath the dust the jewelry box of Cleopa- Paris. Though Quantz never put his personal south Indian bamboo flute.” tra.’” stamp on his instruments he did number In 1994 Jean-François received another Where his instruments were concerned them chronologically. By comparing differ- grant from the Canadian government to Jean-François was happy with his recorder ent instruments Jean-François was able to work for one year on his new design. Part of but was very dissatisfied with his flute. In draw certain conclusions about the evolution the grant proposal was a return to Madras for the Conservatory at The Hague there was a of Quantz’s flute making. In particular, he one month to collect instruments for study. small woodworking shop with a lathe and discovered that later instruments had subtle “I wrote to my flute teacher to contact his a few tools used mostly by the students of innovations such as a weighted footjoint to flute maker to bring me a bunch of flutes and oboist Bruce Haynes. Luckily, Australian compensate for the imbalance caused by I chose 15 of them, all sizes, and there was instrument maker Frederick Morgan was the added weight of Quantz’s tuning slide a long one as well. I measured all of them.” living nearby in Amsterdam (1978-80) in the headjoint. He also discovered a subtle Though the measuring was difficult, the at the request of Frans Brüggen where he swell in the middle of Quantz’s headjoints irregular nature of bamboo posing a great was making and drawing recorders. There (often obscured by the tuning slide). The challenge, Beaudin was able to draw valuable began Jean-François’ serious work as a flute feature improved intonation. Curiously, conclusions on bore size and tone hole size maker. He met Morgan while accompanying he discovered the same innovation in the and placement. He then revisited Boehm’s his teacher Ricardo Kanji on a visit to the Rottenburgh flute that dates from a later research regarding the headjoint bore profile. Morgan workshop. Later, on one of his occa- era. Jean-François’ drawings of the Quantz Indeed, the final design is similar to that sional visits to The Hague to teach classes in flute at the Library of Congress can be seen of Boehm’s—a conical headjoint bore that instrument making, Jean-François brought at http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query becomes smaller at the embouchure, and a Morgan several pieces of ebony. Morgan (search for “Quantz” and click on the pho- cylindrical body. “So, I started my research reamed them with his Stanesby Junior design tograph). in 1994 and I was still discovering new things reamers that he had patterned after Frans Jean-François became sought after for this last year. Now, I consider it perfect.” Brüggen’s ebony original. Jean-François then his draftsmanship and received a number Jean-François Beaudin’s flute comes completed the flute, turning the outside on of commissions from museums and institu- in three pitch levels A-392 (one whole step the lathe and even adding real ivory rings. tions to measure and draw the instruments below modern pitch), A-415 (one half step He played that flute for the rest of his studies in their collections. “With a Canadian below modern pitch) and A-440 (modern at The Hague. government assistance, Beaudin went on pitch). Unlike conventional 18th-century During his second year at The Hague to study a series of ninety-six historic flutes flutes the pitch cannot be changed by replac- a secondary skill emerged. Jean-François by 1992.”2 His Quantz flute reproduction ing one middle joint with alternate corps de began making schematic drawings of flutes. became a favorite among the growing com- rechange. Instead, you must have three dif- Measuring antique flutes and making munity of baroque flutists. In particular, ferent instruments to address the three pitch accurate drawings is an essential part of Quantz scholar Mary Oleskiewicz produced levels. The headjoints are not interchange- the instrument maker’s craft. Kuijken rec- recordings of Quantz’s flute sonatas and able. He does anticipate several innovations ognized his potential and lent him his G.A. duets (Jean-François Beaudin performing as in the near future. First, a metal tuning slide Rottenburgh flute for four days to measure second flute) on Beaudin’s Quantz reproduc- will permit subtle changes in pitch. Second, and complete a technical drawing. “It was tion.3 a more rectangular embouchure hole will and still is the most famous baroque flute In 1983 Jean-François returned to add even greater reinforcement of the tone. in the world.” According to Ardal Powell, Europe for a year, performing with many A third innovation will be a piccolo in all “Jean-François Beaudin . . . helped establish great musicians in the emerging early music three pitch levels and a fourth will be a flute Kuijken’s Rottenburgh as an ad hoc stan- community there. He continued his flute pitched at A-430, a popular pitch for classical dard ‘baroque’ flute by freely distributing making in Paris, using the shop of a friend, era music. a detailed measured drawing of the instru- Olivier Cottet. Upon returning home his The design is reminiscent of the Hotte- ment (1979) for other budding makers to frustration with the softness of the 18th terre design flute with the long cap on the replicate.”1 century flute became acute, and he set aside end of the headjoint, a thick barrel joint, a Upon returning to Montreal in 1980 he his flute making around 1988 and became one-piece body and a thick footjoint. Jean- established recorder classes at McGill and enchanted with the modality of music François maintains that the thickness of Concordia Universities and a pre-college from India, especially the Carnatic system, three elements—cap, barrel and foot—are class as well. In addition, he continued his practiced in the southern city of Madras. essential to tone resonance. Early versions

Page 6 TRAVERSO retained the two-key design of the Quantz Notes: flute. However, more recent research on 1Ardal Powell, The Flute (New Haven: proper venting of the highest F natural has Yale University Press, 2002), 257. made the technically demanding two-key 2Powell, 257-8. design inessential. The new venting permits 3Mary Oleskiewicz, David Schulenberg, its replacement with a single key. He makes Stephanie Vial, Jean-François Beaudin, his flutes of grenadilla (African Blackwood) Quantz: Flute Sonatas (Naxos, 2003). though he has explored other woods such as mopane for the barrel, cap and foot provid- ing a distinctive contrast. Wendell Dobbs has completed his 27th year Jean François’ goal in developing his as Professor of Flute at Marshall University flute was simple, “I wanted to make a flute in Huntington, West Virginia www.marshall. with more power, more projection, and one edu/cofa/music. He founded the John Mar- which required less correction for intona- shall Fife and Drum Corps and serves as the tion. How can you express yourself [for Principal Flutist of the Huntington Symphony instance] with a low G sharp like that [found Orchestra and The Ohio Valley Symphony. on the traditional 18th century flute]?” Born He performs with his colleague guitarist Júlio out of this practicality Beaudin’s flute is sure Alves in the Violauta Duo. to meet with resistance from those who might object to the instrument’s unusual ______appearance or who adhere to a particular aesthetic of sonority. Indeed, at question is the notion of whether the 18th century rom Early Music America: Maria Cold- flute—sound and design—should evolve or Fwell, Executive Director of EMA will step remain locked in time. Challenges to the down in September 2012, after 10 years of latter concept are posed by an increasing leadership. José Verstappen, Artistic Direc- number of modern compositions for the tra- tor of Early Music Vancouver, will receive verso and by its application in popular folk EMA’s Howard Mayer Brown Award for life- genres, developments that scholars inter- time achievement in the field of early music; ested in reviving authentic performances of Arthur Haas will receive the Thomas Binkley 18th century music would not have foreseen Award for outstanding achievement in per- or perhaps understood just a few decades formance and scholarship by the director of ago. a university or college early music ensemble; Though a bold departure, Jean-François and Chatham Baroque is the recipient of Beaudin’s one-key flute is finding its way into the Laurette Goldberg Award for lifetime the mainstream. Japanese flutist Masahira achievement in early music outreach. These Arita and French flutist Philippe Allain- awards will be presented at the EMA Annual Dupré have regularly played the Beaudin Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Berke- flute (Arita since 2004). In recordings, ley Festival on June 9, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. in the Mindy Rosenfeld uses her A-392 Beaudin Drawing Room of the Berkeley City Club, flute in her multi-ethnic work with the 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA. Baltimore Consort while Norbert Roden- kirchen, flutist of the Sequensia Ensemble he 14th annual Baroque Flute Boot in Cologne, Germany performs both ancient TCamp will be held from July 29 through and modern music on his Beaudin flute August 4 in Seattle, Washington. This year’s at A-440. Baroque flutist from the United camp will be led by Flute Faculty Janet See States Colin St. Martin has been particularly and Kathie Stewart, while Director and pleased with the increased resonance, “Often Founder Kim Pineda takes a one-year hiatus early music orchestras will be over staffed in from the camp. www.baroquenorthwest. strings. Beaudin’s flute’s tone is more com- com/nfbfbc.html manding and indistinguishable from the traditional baroque flute in such situations. In effect, the audience likes it more because “The Beaudin Flute” (photo: Wendell Dobbs) they can hear it better.”

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