TRAVERSO Volume 14 .:. Num ber 2

Published Quarterly·:· ISSN 1041-7494 .:. Editor: Ardal Powell .:. Publisher: Folkers & Powell, Makers of Historical Flutes

from , the first opera produced by violin II. The flute has played only six notes The flute in Handel's the new Royal Academy of Music in 1720, in a seven-measure phrase, but its contri­ vocal works there are direct references to "suffering" and bution to the effect (or even affect) is im­ "pain:' The flute doubling violin II fills in measurable. [See Example 2 overleaf) David Lasocki rests in the vocal part with two-note figures Another ofgriefand despair, the brief suggesting sobbing. In the entire aria the "Morte, vieni, ma in van ti chiamo, oh instrument has only 66 notes, but the effect morte" from Riccardo I (1727), features a ·N HIS VOCAL WORKS-OPERAS, is spellbinding. [See Example 1) In "traversa bassa:' apparently only a flute in C cantatas, oratorios, and other sacred Cleopatra's aria"Pianger6la sorte mia" from rather than the customary D, perhaps em­ I music-Handel wrote about eighty one of Handel's most critically acclaimed ployed for its special tone color. Lia Levin, and other movements that included operas, (1724), the flute dou­ who believes that the instrument was the flute. This treasure trove is largely un­ bling violin I furnishes a modified echo of pitched in Bb, suggests that it"was employed known to flutists today. I in order to avoid the technical difficulties Handel's opera orchestras LarKO that the tonality of the movement [F mi­

always included oboists-at :-.:.. I, II nor) would have caused on the standard first two, and after 1720 flute:'3 But another aria with flute obbligato four-who were occasion­ written the same year, "Luci care, addio, posate!" ally called upon to double from (1727), is in the same key. Violin I on recorder or flute. 2 The Levin has observed that "Ten songs deal

flutes and oboes generally Violin II with the subject of love, but with a view of do not play together, al­ its difficult aspects, or bemoaning the cru­ though the aria "Will the Viola 1~&-==:3"""j~ijlF elty of a beloved:'4 In the aria "Caro amor" Sun Forget to Streak" from from Il Pastor Fido (1712), the shepherd (1749) is scored Mirtillo sings "Dear love, onlyfor moments with "Oboe solo. Traversi­ p is my soul left in peace." Flute lIviolin I and eri tutti" on the top line to , fl ute 2/violin II (the violins both piano) play suggest an Oriental dawn. a beautiful pastoral canon over a drone, end­ FI. r'?hfr~r-c ft-=--=-:~¥4 ~~ ] --- ' - ';; -- -:-C-lc'f,'-~'C:t With a few notable excep­ ing with some sighing figures in thirds and - ­+c=t=:.. . - +"'+-+-. ' ...... -.-,'-, '.­'-" =.11 tions later in life, Handel Voice ~~ . '--__~~"--~.,-'--.' =A:. J .L7 · -- ~.~..•-. ''iJ ', c~.., ': c.. :'-,':~ : ~'i J;;:-:~-- ' -" ' 'B sixths before the voice comes in with some did not give the flute virtuoso similar material. An aria ofmixed emotions, music, and on paper it can Vln. I ~--r-=------rriiffl "Par che mi nasca in send' from appear dull. But consider (1724), is a pastoral siciliana in 12/8, with the context: the orchestral VIn. 1I some striking syncopations in the opening sound was predominantly and closing phrases played by the flute with strings, often doubled by VIL ItJI§:It'­- :: unison violins, perhaps representing love, as oboes and bassoons. For well as some contrasting dotted figures, ini­ one or more special arias tiallypresented as echoes, perhaps represent­ depicting certain affects or ing pain. In the bright "Nobil core che ben situations, the oboists pulled out their flutes her cry "I will lament my fate." Over a ama" from (1730), the flute first and created a haunting tone color, alone or chaconne-like descending line, she sings doubles violin I then the voice, in lively doubling the violins. Magic! G#-B-B,flute/violin I play F#-B-B; she con­ violinistic broken-chord figuration. The ref­ The main association ofthe flute is grief, tinues down the scale with E-B-B balanced erences to "noble heart" and "fidelity" are bereavement, and pain (especially that of by the answering low B-B in violin II; then both intended ironically. parting from a loved one). Handel often sets she cadences on low E, overlappingwith the Three times the flute is associated with the mood through the simplest of means. three-note motive with an octave leap (low eternity. In an aria from the 1713 Te Deum, In "Troppo sofferse gia questo mio petto" E-E-E) in flute/violin I, answered at once in "We Believe That Thou Shalt Come to be

PageS T'R.A. VERSC)

Our Judge;' against steady eighth notes in TnwCl1l8 bass have the obbli­ the upper strings the flute is given an open­ gato in the preced­ ing phrase reminiscent ofthat in the B mi­ ing "Blessed is the nor sonata, and a truncated version of the CI~~ PI~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Man that has a Vir­ phrase ends the aria. In between, the flute tuous Wife.!) Per­ plays some disjointed, angular phrases. The haps the switch in text of the aria includes references to VWlmII~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:I~~~~~~~ gender was simply "saints," "ever lasting;' "heritage," and "for because the flute ever:' In another setting ofthe same aria in V~I~l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ parts were origi­ the Te Deum in A major (1724), the voices nally written for the are accompanied largely by a duet for flute /I recorder in the pas­ and bassoon in many arch-shaped phrases, toral "Through the presumably representing heaven. In an aria Land, So Lovely from the Te Deum in D major (1714) the Blooming" from violins open with jerky figuration, perhaps (1733) and c tan - to ri - a, fin-ehe n - ta in pet -t08 vro; referring to "the sharpness of death," over Handel was not sure which the flute plays a smooth, ascending which "flutes" melody, immediately afterwards given to would be available. the opening vocal line, "When Thou When he used the Lookest Upon Thee to Deliver Man." These material again for roles are generally maintained through­ the bird song "Nel out the aria, with the notable exception of spiegar sua voce al the ending, where the flute and bass in phrase in the high register. The celebrated canto" in II parnasso in Jesta (1734), he parallel motion exchange dotted figures chorus "See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes" marked the top lines for "flauto ou trav." with the violins. from (1748), in which flutes play the (recorder or flute). The plain word "flute" in England still top line in the dense orchestration, is im­ Handel wrote four depictions of meant the recorder during Handel's lifetime. mediately preceded by the Chorus of Vir­ birdsong for the recorder between 1711 and Yet when he set the word in three late arias gins singing the same music set to the words 1734: "Augelletti, che cantate, zefiretti" from he chose the transverse flute to depict the "See, the godlike youth advance!" This is (1711), "Hush, Ye Pretty Warbling instrument. In the first instance, the choice scored for only two flutes and organ with Quire!" from Acis and Galatea (1718), "II is understandable. "The Soft, Complaining the two sopranos, in deference to the phrase volo cosl fido al dolce amato nido" from Flute" in Dryden's Ode for St Cecilia's Day, «breathe the flute." Both choruses found Riccardo 1. (1727), and "Nel spiegar sua voce From Harmony, from Heav'nly Harmony their way into the 1750 revival of Judas al canto" from II parnasso in Jesta (1734). (HWV 76, 1739), with its references to "dy­ Maccabaeus (first performed in 1747). Before and after that period, he used the ing notes," "woes;' "hopeless lovers,"" dirge," In two arias the flute is associated with flute. In the first aria he ever wrote with flute and "whispered;' brings to mind the char­ the masculine principle. "Caro padre, a me obbligato, "Cosi la tortorella" in La acterization of the instrument by the no dei" from (1732) is about Fulvia's resurrezione (Rome, 1708), the first section Frenchman Raguenet in 1702: "the flute, fears for the life of her "dear father:' "This is a siciliana in G minor scored for flute and which so many of our great Artists have Manly Youth's Exalted Mind" in The Choice viola dagamba (accompanied bytheorbo). taught to groan after so moving a manner ofHercules (1751) draws on material from While they are exchanging cooing motives in our moanful airs, and sigh so amorously another aria with flute obbligato, "Gentle for the turtledove who may "weep and la­ in those that are tender:'5 Handel allows the Morpheus" from the incidental music to ment, believing that her mate has been flute to emerge from the muted violins Akeste (HWV 45,1749-50), where the static snatched from the nest by a fierce bird of mezzo piano, accompanied only by a lute phrases represent Morpheus's weariness. prey," they are interrupted with rapid (later with organ added). He does not give Perhaps drawing on the military associations descending scales by "tutti bassi, e violini the word "warbling" to the flute, as he would ofits cousin, the fife, Handel scored for the all'ottava" to represent the imagined have done to the recorder, but rather to the flute in the marches from (1739)-re­ intruder. lute. The complaints and whispers are ren­ used in (1743) and Joseph and his The most spectacular aria with flute dered by the flute's distinctive figuration of Brethren (1744)-and Judas Maccabaeus obbligato also depicts birdsong, "Sweet Bird, slides and trills. In (1752), however, (1747). That Shun'st the Noise of Folly" from there is no lute, only Iphis's injunction to On the other hand, in an aria from the L'Allegro, it Penseroso ed il Moderato (1740). «Tune the soft melodious lute;' and the wedding anthem This is the Day Which the On the choice ofinstrument Levin remarks, "warbling flute" is one of the other instru­ Lord Hath Made (HWV 262,1734), the flute "The key association may well be 'melan­ ments to be tuned to "sounds of rapt'rous symbolizes the female principle in "A Good choly; evoked best by the flute; also 'evening' joy;' playing an answering three-measure Wife is a Good Portion;' while the cello and suggests a quiet mood which would be

Page 6 R A V E R ,')' () disturbed by the shrill little sopranino In "Celestial Virgin! Godlike Youth" from Jo­ Notes [recorder] or flageolet:'6 Over a tonic pedal seph and his Brethren (1744), the flutes imi­ 1. Handel's use of the flute in his vocal music is dis­ in D major the first flute plays a cadenza tate little vocal phrases with references to cussed comprehensively in Lia Starer Levin. "The Re­ (marked "ad libitum") ofvirtuoso trills and "celestial:' "godlike," and "heaven." The corder in the Music of Purcell and Handel" (Ph.D. dis­ thirty-second -note arpeggios reminiscent of "zephyrs" in the chorus "May No Rash In­ sertation. International Colege, Los Angeles, 1981); and the one that interrupts the first ritornello truder Disturb their Soft Hours" from Amy Cornsweet. "Handers Use of Flute and Recorder in Antonio Vivaldi's flute concerto in the Solomon (1749) waft their way over the in Operaand Oratorio" (MM. thesis. The University of same key, Op. 10, No.3 (RV 428, "II nuptual bed of Solomon and his Queen by en ce qui regarde Ia musique et les opera (Paris, 1702). gardellino"). Handel could well have known means ofa little triadic canon between flute 18-19; English translation attributed to Johann Ernst the Vivaldi concerto, which had been lIviolin 1 and flute 2/violin 2. The pastoral Galliard as A Comparison Between the French and Ital­ published in Amsterdam twelve years scene in "Oh Lovely Peace, with Plenty ian Musick and Opera's (London. 1709), 10. earlier. Here the 2. On the size of Handel's orchestras, see Donald flute continues its Burrows, "Handel's London Theatre Orchestra." Early cadenza over a Music 13, no. 3 (August 1985): 349-57. dominant pedal 3. pp. 180-82. then, after a quick 4. p. 378. shift to the relative 5. «& les flutes que tant d'illustres scavent wre gemir minor, plays unac­ d'une maniere si touchante dans nos airs plaintifs, & companied until , ~~ ~. .~ soupirer si amoureusement dans nos airs tendres."L'abbe just before the ca­ Fran'rois Raguenet, Paralele des italiens et des francois, dence. Its final en ce qui regarde Ia musique et res opera (Paris. 1702). flourish of fast ~u;!:~~~=ve: 18-19; English translation attributed to Johann Ernst turning-figures is Galliard as A Comparison Between the French and Ital­ taken up by the ian Musick and Opera's (London, 1709), 10. second flute and 6.p.254. strings. [See Ex­ ample 3] After the voice enters with A nne Smith and Liane Ehlich are orga­ the call "Sweet .l\..nizing a Renaissance Flute weekend in bird," the first flute September at the Schola Cantorum responds to each Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland. Events will phrase in turn include performances by consorts and en­ with complex an­ sembles, short papers concerning instru­ swering figures, ments and perfonnance-related questions, some new, some 6 4> readings of multiple choir works, renais­ ~ 2 based on the ma­ sance dancing, and an instrument-makers' terial heard previously, alternating with Crown'd" from Judas Maccabaeus (1747) is forum. See Bulletin Board for dates more rapid figuration from the orchestra. rendered by a kind of musette with flutes and further information. Presumably it is no accident that the flute and violins moving homophonically over is absent from the B section of the da capo static bass lines. Purely instrumental mu­ arthold Kuijken, famous Belgian expo­ aria, "Or missing thee, I walk unseen:' The settes for the flute occur in Il pastor fido Bnent of the baroque and classical flute, difficulty ofthis flute part and others from (1734) and (1735). Finally, in will appear in Indianapolis in November 1740 onwards suggests that Handel now had "Hark, Hark, Hark! He Strikes the Golden under the sponsorship of the Indianapolis a real virtuoso at his disposal. In Achsah's Lyre,'" a richly orchestrated aria from Baroque Orchestra and the University ofIn­ air "Hark, Hark! 'Tis the Linnet and the (1748) that includes parts dianapolis. Mr. Kuijken will play an unac­ Thrush" from Joshua (1748), the linnet is for the harp and mandolin, the references companied flute recital on November 12 represented by a solo violin and the thrush to "hark," "echoes:' and "sweet" call forth using a one -keyed flute, a keyed flute, and by a solo flute. Although the flute part, again some virtuoso passagework for the two a Boehm flute. 1Wo days of master classes in D major, is not as virtuosic or extended flutes involving sequences ofturned trills. will follow, for which performers will be as in "Sweet Bird,'" the instrument is given a chosen by taped audition.Mr. Kuijken ap­ good assortment of again rather Vivaldian pears in concert with the Indianapolis Ba­ arpeggios and returning-figures. roque Orchestra on November 18 playing In 1732 Handel began giving to the flute David Lasocki is Head ofReference Services at flute concertos by Vivaldi and Benda, as well not only bird arias but other situations that Indiana University's Music Library, and apro­ as works by Corelli and Bach. See Bulle­ would earlier have called for the recorder. lific writer on historicalwoodwind instruments. t in Board for further information.

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