The British Flute Society

President William Bennett OBE Honorary patrons Sir James Galway and Lady Jeanne Galway Vice-president Albert Cooper flute Chairman To be announced • flute•

The Journal of the 3 News 37 Christopher Hyde-Smith: British Flute Society A life in music (and Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson and Michael diplomacy!) Volume 30 number 2 McHale. BFS competitions. Lorna McGhee. BFS Ju ne 2011 council announcements. Arcomis Flute Event, Simon Hunt on one of the grand figures of Cardiff. Flute School, London. Theobald Böhm Editor Robert Bigio ([email protected]) British flute playing. competition. Dates for your diary. • 43 Suzuki flute Contacting the BFS

Secretary, advertising and editorial Diana Dickerson on flute teaching the Suzuki Anna Munks 27 Eskdale Gardens way. Purley, Surrey CR8 1ET Telephone and fax 020 8668 3360 Email [email protected] Membership secretary Nicola Thompson Albert Cooper 48 Wistow Road 11 Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 3LY Tributes to the great flute maker. Telephone 0845 680 1983 Email [email protected] 49 Tango like a tanguero • Editorial committee Robert Bigio Jessica Quiñones offers tips on tango Simon Hunt playing. Mike MacMahon • Copy editor Christopher Steward • Design and typesetting Robert Bigio • 21 Karen Jones Cover Flutes by Albert Cooper (from top): • Number 132. Gold with silver keys. Split E and split F sharp. Courtesy of Rainer Having it all (if you work hard enough). Schuelein. 54 Reviews • Number 139. Alto flute. Silver. Courtesy of Rainer Schuelein. 27 The Purcell School • Number 152. Gold with silver keys. CDs, books and music. C sharp trill. Courtesy of Douglas Nurturing talent in Hertfordshire. Townshend. The small print • Number 193. Silver. C sharp trill key. 70 Courtesy of Susan Milan. 31 Anton Braun’s new piccolo Photographs by Robert Bigio. to low C BFS council. AFT members. Small • advertisements. Membership information. Printed by The Russell Press Index of advertisers. 34 A morning off school • The Last Word... Views expressed by contributors are their own and do 72 not necessarily reflect the official view of the British Flute Society. All copyrights reserved. Carl Willetts remembers the 1966 Birmingham Registered charity No. 326473 Wind Competition and its winner, now known Robert Bigio has the very last word, with a little ISSN 2045–4074 rather well. help from Albert Einstein. www.bfs.org.uk

News •

BFS–RAM Premier Flautist Series, 6 March 2011: Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson and Michael McHale

By Robert Bigio a piece of music that is (let’s be honest) not of the The second of the BFS–RAM Premier Flautist Series first rank into something truly worth hearing. The brought Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, the principal flute sonatas by Jindřich Feld and Lowell Liebermann were of the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the pianist played beautifully, with perfect control, the clearest Michael McHale to the Duke’s Hall articulation and the most ravishing of the Royal Academy of Music. pianississimos imaginable. Atli Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson strikes Heimir Sveinsson’s 21 Music Minutes me as the perfect flute player: con- (of which six were performed) is trolled, sensitive and musicianly, an interesting work requiring an with a phenomenal technique, a extra performer to ring a bell to glorious range of colours and an stop each movement after exactly astonishing dynamic range. Michael sixty seconds, resulting in a quite McHale is quite simply a sensa- different performance every time. tional pianist. The recital was fol- The question and answer lowed by a one-hour session during session that followed the recital which Stefán explained to the many was chaired by Karen Jones, flute players in the audience how he professor of flute at the RAM. does it. (The answer reduces to one Stefán, in a most engaging manner, word: work.) explained his practice routines The recital comprised three and made it clear that skill is only works that could be described as developed by hard work, and being on the edges of the standard more hard work. He showed that repertoire: Paul Taffanel’s Freischütz it is not necessary to make a huge Fantaisie, the Jindřich Feld Sonata sound in order to give a successful and the Lowell Liebermann Sonata; musical performance—a beautiful and one unfamiliar work by the sound, produced quietly, has great Icelandic composer Atli Heimir expressive power. But mostly, he Sveinsson. The Taffanel work is explained, if you want to be a not often played (or at least not great flute player you have to work often played well) because of its at it. The result of Stefán’s hard extreme technical difficulty, but work was plainly evident. This was was here rattled off with a jaw- as fine a flute and piano recital as I dropping virtuosity that turned have ever heard. www.bfs.org.uk 3 flute•

• News

BFS Competitions

Left to right: Jagoda Krzeminska, Charlotte Ashton and Sunghyun Cho. Photographs by Carla Rees.

By Thomas Hancox The winner of Class A was Jagoda Krzeminska, The BFS competitions attracted an unprecedented with Matthew Higham in second place and Rebecca number of applications this year, which resulted in a Nunn in third. Further merit medals were awarded very long but rich day of playing. Divided into three to Charlotte Perkins, Beth Stone and Marie Sato. classes, each category targets a specific age cohort and Charlotte Ashton won Class B, followed in second standard, ranging from Group A (Grades 7–8) to the place by Chloe-Angharad Bradshaw and Mark Taylor BFS Young Artist competition for emerging perform- in third. Catherine Hare and Jihyun Chang were ers under the age of twenty-six. awarded merit medals. Third place for the BFS Young Atarah Ben-Tovim (former chair of the BFS and Artist prize went to Zoya Vyazovskaya, with Joshua principal flute of the RLPO), Clare Southworth Batty taking second. However it was Sunghyun Cho’s (soloist and professor of flute at the RAM), and Tony performance of Boehm’s Nel cor più that clinched the Ovenell (ABRSM examiner and former principal flute prize, entitling him to perform in the BFS convention of RLPO) formed the core of the jury and were joined in Manchester in 2012. by Simon Hunt (founder member of the BFS) for the The day’s running is a result of a lot of hard BFS Young Artist prize. work on the part of many people. Of course, thanks Clare Southworth commented that, as ever, the must go to Atarah, Clare, Tony and Simon for their standard of playing continues to rise, although it attention, wisdom and encouragement, which will is still only a special few who stand out from the hopefully inform every participant’s future work. crowd. Perhaps this is partly owing to a limited Then, dovetailing apparently effortlessly for the entire and repetitious choice of repertoire (there were no day, were accompanists Jo Sealey and Richard Shaw fewer than eight renditions of Frank Martin’s Ballade, whose sensitive and supportive playing raised the level for example), with some competitors ‘disadvantaged of music-making. And finally thanks must go to all the because of their choice of piece’. Others were also administrative helpers from the BFS, including council hindered by a lack of detail in their memorisation, members Rachel Misson, Anne Hodgson, Hugh which, although a skill to be applauded, still requires Phillips, Carole Jenner-Timms and Kate Cuzner, who a fidelity to the text. Beyond this, Clare commented were all organised by the tireless BFS secretary, Anna that there was typically not enough variety in terms Munks. We are also grateful to Just Flutes, Top Wind, of colours, dynamics and vibrato—‘Too many people All Flutes Plus and June Emerson for donating prizes play with the same wobble!’ and to the Goldsmiths’ Company for their support.

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News •

Lorna McGhee, the BFS and Pittsburgh

Lorna McGhee, who will be chamber music player. She has giving the third BFS–RAM performed as guest principal with Premier Flautist Series recital many orchestras, including the with Aleksander Szram on LSO, LPO, Academy of St-Martin- Sunday, 19 June, has just been in-the-Fields, Chamber Orchestra appointed principal flute in the of Europe and the Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 Lorna studied in her home Lorna was appointed International city of Edinburgh with the late Fellow in Flute at the RSAMD. She David Nicholson before attend- will join the Pittsburgh orchestra ing the Royal Academy of officially in January 2012 but will Music in London, where she tour Europe with the orchestra studied with William Bennett. this season. She was co-principal flute in Lorna is well known to readers the BBC Symphony Orchestra from her performances at BFS for some years before moving conventions. Her recital in the to Vancouver, Canada, where Premier Flautist Series will include she has been teaching at the University of British works by Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, Karg-Elert, Columbia while continuing her career as a soloist and Gál, Schulhoff and Wolf.

BFS–RAM Premier Flautist Series 5 pm, Sunday 19 June 2011 One-hour recital, immediately followed by Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music a one-hour question-and-answer session with the artist Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5HT Lorna McGhee Flute

Felix Mendelssohn Andante and Rondo Capriccioso Op.14 Dimitri Shostakovich Romance from ‘The Limpid Stream’ Op. 39a Sigfrid Karg-Elert Chaconne, Caprice No. 30 Hans Gál Drei Intermezzi Op. 103 Erwin Schulhoff Sonata for flute and piano Hugo Wolf Gesang Weylas (from the Mörike Lieder) Aleksander Szram Piano

Ticket information Members of the British Flute Society £15 Non-members £20 Special Student price £5 RAM Box office: 020 7873 7373 Online booking: www.ram.ac.uk www.bfs.org.uk 5 flute•

• News

BFS council announcements

BFS Annual General Meeting Sunday 19 June 2011, 3 p.m Royal Academy of Music, London

Just a reminder that all members are most welcome to attend the British Flute Society’s Annual General Meeting to be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday 19 June 2011 at Henry Wood Room, Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5HT (Nearest underground station Baker Street). The AGM will be followed at 5 p.m. by a Premier Flautist Series recital by Lorna McGhee.

BFS Editor BFS Interim Chairman

We are very sorry to announce that Robert Bigio has We would like to thank Kenneth Bell for acting as decided to step down as editor of the British Flute interim chairman. We are very grateful to him for Society’s journal, Flute, and this issue will be his last. stepping in at such short notice. Further informa- Under Robert’s editorship, the magazine has become tion about new council members and chairman will a highly respected and authoritative journal that is be announced in the September issue following the enjoyed by members world-wide. AGM on 19 June.

New editor required—BFS Journal

The BFS is now seeking to recruit a new editor for the journal. The successful candidate is likely to have had previous editorial experience and should possess a wide knowledge of and interest in the flute world. For further information about the position please contact Anna Munks, BFS secretary.

Email: [email protected] Telephone: 020 8668 3360 Please note that the closing date for applications is Thursday 16 June.

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News •

Arcomis Flute Event, Cardiff, 1–3 April 2011

By Carla Rees This was an interesting event which presented a wide fortepiano and piano. There was a sense of fun about range of high-quality performances. The opening Zoon’s playing, and his clear enjoyment of the rep- concert set the tone of the weekend, with enjoya- ertoire was infectious. Walter Auer’s recital demon- ble concerto performances by Emily and Catherine strated fine melodic style, with a programme centred Beynon, Juliette Hurel and Adam Walker. It is rare around vocal repertoire, including works by Schubert to hear three flute concertos within one concert, and and Boehm, as well as the premiere of a new solo the repertoire presented (Mozart, Nielsen and Brett work by Luna Alcalay. Dean) served to demonstrate the versatility, devel- As a music-commissioning organisation, Arcomis opment and range of the flute and its repertoire. has contemporary music is at the heart of its operations, Other highlights included Jacques Zoon’s entertain- and this was clearly reflected in the programming ing performance of works by Bach, Mozart, Geraedts of the event. A new venture, the Arcomis Flute and Fauré, performed on a range of flutes and with Album, was launched as part of the event. The album the ever-versatile Tim Carey playing harpsichord, comprises a series of six new works, including some for flute, piccolo and alto flute, which were selected following a call for scores. These works, by Louisa Jones, Liz Lane, Philip Cooke, Gareth Churchill, Joseph Hillyard and Jane Stanley, were given convincing and committed performances by emerging and established players: Joshua Batty, Pasha Mansurov, Marta Santamaria Llavall (piccolo), Catherine Handley, Clare Jefferis and Carla Rees (alto flute), ably accompanied by Steven Kings. The concert was flanked by performances by Philippa Davies, who has been a champion of new works throughout her career. Other contemporary music performances included Sharon Bezaly’s Clockwise from top left: Emily Beynon (Photograph by Hanya Chlala); Jacques Zoon recital, which included (Photograph by Joseph Molina); Ian Clarke; Juliette Hurel (Photograph by Marthe Lemelle). performances of Brett www.bfs.org.uk 7 flute•

• News

Dean’s Demons¸ an energetic and well-conceived work which was composed for Bezaly in 2004, and Kalevi Aho’s Presto from Solo III. Bezaly’s playing was full of personality and I felt her musical ideas were well communicated to the audience. Sadly I was unable to attend Ian Clarke’s recital, but I was able to make it to his inspiring workshop on new flute techniques. Ian is a natural communicator, and his teaching was humorous, engaging and inspiring. He handled the range of standard of the audience members (from young children to professional players) with ease, and demystified contemporary techniques in such a way that made them seem entirely Clockwise from top left: Adam Walker (Photograph by Hanya Chlala); Sharon Bezaly; approachable and part of Michael Cox; Walter Auer. everyday life for the twenty-first century flute player. Hurel’s focus was on communicating musicality Another contemporary music highlight was within phrases, and adapting breathing and vibrato the closing concert, by members of the London to suit the emotion of the music. Her ideas were Sinfonietta, with flute player Michael Cox. This was an well presented and all three of the performers (Alice excellent performance of some high quality repertoire. Thompson, Kalliopi Bolovinou and Nicola Crowe) Highlights for me were Roussel’s Sérénade and New Gates responded well and made clear improvements as a by Kaija Saariaho, as well as the ensemble version of result of the teaching. Bezaly’s fast-paced masterclass Jolivet’s Chant de Linos. Cox’s playing was inspiring, and dealt with Berio’s Sequenza and Dean’s Demons. The commanded attention throughout, even within the technically accomplished performers, Royal Academy more challenging areas of the repertoire. This was of Music students Joshua Batty and Harry Winstanley a world-class performance which was, for me, the were encouraged to consider the pacing of the music pinnacle of the weekend’s concerts. and the subtleties of tone colour and phrasing which The Flute Event also boasted several masterclasses, help to make this kind of repertoire come alive. which proved a fascinating insight into the working The class demonstrated Bezaly’s intensity, and her methods of some of the world’s leading flute players, attention to musical details within her own playing. as well as providing inspirational ideas of ways to Overall, this was an excellent event, which had a approach aspects of flute repertoire. I attended classes lot to offer. Congratulations to organisers Adrian Hull by Juliette Hurel (on French repertoire) and Sharon and Charles Wilson, and I look forward to hearing Bezaly (on new works), both of which were fascinating. more about future plans for the Arcomis Flute Album.

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News •

The Flute School, London Böhm competition

The Second Theobald Böhm Competition was held in in Munich in early April. Competition organ- iser Ludwig Böhm, descendant of Theobald, has announced the winners. First prize went to Martin Belič from Slovenia, second prize went to Egor Egorkin from Russia and third prize went to Chaiwon Ra from South Korea. The winners of the special prizes for alto flute were Martin Belič with Anna Švejdová from the Czech Republic. The winner of the special prize for flute with open G sharp key was Janna Hüneke and Kate Grace. Alexander Marinesku from Russia. The seven jurors were Ulrich Nicolai (president of the jury and con- By Robert Bigio ductor of the orchestra), with the flautists Philippe The Flute School, London (26–30 October 2011) was set Boucly, Łukasz Długosz, Christina Fassbender, Lorna up by two enterprising players, Janna Hüneke and Kate McGhee, Gian-Luca Petrucci and Raffaele Trevisani, Grace, following the success of the Flute Ensemble of each of whom played works by Böhm based on music London which they founded a couple of years ago as of their home countries. a flute choir for adult amateurs. ‘We realised after a few months of running the ensemble that there was a need for a non-residential flute course in London,’ says Janna. ‘We thought of making it for adults only For your diary at first, but then we decided to make it wide-ranging, and we had people aged from seven to eighty.’ The course caters for amateurs and for aspiring profession- BFS Convention, 17–20 August 2012, Royal als. Most of the participants, in fact, are adults. Northern College of Music, Manchester The flute players attending the Flute School clearly enjoy being with like-minded people. Janna Submissions are currently being accepted for the 2012 and Kate at first thought they would have beginner, Convention, which takes place on 17–20 August 2012 intermediate and advanced classes, but as they had no at the Royal Northern College of Music. Submission beginners, they set up a young people’s intermediate forms can be downloaded from www.bfs.org.uk. group, an adults’ intermediate group and an advanced Further details are available from [email protected]. group. They arranged chamber music sessions and The closing date for applications is 30 June 2011. flute choirs. ‘We kept them very, very busy,’ says Janna. ‘They left happily exhausted.’ The course this year includes an impressive collec- tion of tutors in addition to Janna and Kate: Rachel Stop press Brown, Andy Findon, Mike Mower, Camilla Hoitenga, Ian Mullin and Abigail Burrows, with Simon Gilliver, It has been announced that Jacques Zoon will give the the course accompanist. Jacqueline Vann will lead next performance in the BFS–RAM Premier Flautist Dalcroze Eurythmics sessions; Jean-Paul Wright series at the Royal Academy of Music in London on will give classes on performance enhancement; and 9 October 2011. Further details in the next issue and Alexander Murray will teach the Alexander Technique. on the BFS website: www.fluteschoollondon.co.uk. www.bfs.org.uk www.bfs.org.uk 9 flute•

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10 June 2011 flute•

Albert Cooper remembered Tributes to the great flute maker

lbert Kendall Cooper, the distinguished flute maker, passed away 25 January 2011 at the age of 86. He was known for the excellence of his craftsmanship Aand for his innovative approach to flute design, and he was revered by his fellow makers for his willingness to share his knowledge. Albert is best known for his successful attempts to develop a scale that made the flute easier to play in tune. Most flute makers around the world have since adopted the Cooper Scale, or one similar to it. For many years he was associated with Brannen Brothers, the firm of flute makers in Boston, USA. Albert was a founding member of the British Flute Society. He served on the society’s council and was for many years the vice-president. He was a familiar and much-loved figure at BFS events and at flute events around the world. Albert Cooper leaves behind countless admirers.

Bickford Brannen I first met Albert Cooper in the spring of 1974, when I was General Manager of Verne Q. Powell Flutes. They had sent me to London at the insistence of Fenwick Smith to find out about Albert’s work on flute scales and tuning. Albert and I spent several days in deep discussion about flutes, flute history, flute scales, flutemakers, and flutemakers’ shortcomings, of which he felt there were a number. He also found time to take me over to meet the folks at the Flutemakers’ Guild, which I found fascinating. Talk about a history lesson! Little did I know that from that hectic week in London would spring a friendship and collaboration and ultimately a partnership that would span more than twenty-five years. When Albert agreed to let Powell make flutes with his scales, his motivation was not financial. He hoped that by having a maker such as Powell make better-in-tune flutes, the European flute players he wasn’t able to serve himself would be able to get instruments with his scales. Upon my return to the United States we set about making prototypes and testing flutes with the new scales. They were absolutely everything Albert (and Fenwick) had said they would be, and we prepared to make them and to show them at the National Flute Association Convention in August of 1974. Albert was to join us for the unveiling. The flutes, and Albert, were an instant and enormous success. Unfortunately this led to a situation which none of us could have

Photograph: RobertPhotograph: Bigio foreseen. The flutes with the new scales were so popular that Powell’s

www.bfs.org.uk 11 flute•

waiting list jumped from four to eight years, and as a result very few if any of the new scale flutes made it to Europe in the first few years. This was very distressing to Albert. In the meantime I had left Powell in 1977 to start my own business. I was making only piccolos, most of which were sold to Powell, when in May of 1978 Albert’s new business manager showed up at my shop and asked if I could recommend another flute company, possibly Japanese, that could make flutes for Albert’s European customers. I asked if he would let us try, as my brother Bob and I had just started Brannen Brothers Flutemakers, Inc. Albert and his manager agreed. We immediately proposed that up to half of our production would go to European customers and Albert was thrilled. Since my original involvement with Albert regarding scales, he had worked almost exclusively on headjoint design. His remarkable Albert and Philomena headjoints as well as the scales made the new Brannen-Cooper flutes Cooper. an immediate success, and our partnership was off and running. Over the next twenty-plus years, Albert and his wife Philomena travelled to virtually every NFA convention in this country and to flute events all over the world. In 1982 I travelled from the US to Japan with Albert and Mena for part of their ‘Round the World’ odyssey. While in Japan we toured the Muramatsu and Yamaha factories and attended the first Japanese flute convention. My fondest ‘Albert memory’ of that trip has nothing to do with flutes. One day during our Japanese tour our guide had taken us out to lunch at a local truck stop (at our request) and as we were leaving Albert noticed some men building a new house on an adjoining lot. He was off like a shot and before long he was climbing all over the site. Our guide, Mr. Cho, was horrified that Albert might be injured, but Albert’s curiosity had gone supersonic. With Mr. Cho translating, Albert spent nearly an hour learning how the Japanese build homes, and they even let him try some of their traditional tools. It was a magical moment, and one of the few times I ever saw Albert excited about something other than flutes. Sadly, no-one had a camera to record it. Albert wore his modesty on one sleeve and his passion for flutes (and flute players) on the other. I think this is why he was so believable. It was never about ‘him’, but about what he shared with others. He made people think, but, equally importantly, they energised his creativity with their questions. I often had the feeling that he could listen to a room full of players all talking at once about their problems, and come up with a solution for every one of them. Aside from his technical ingenuity, he knew more alternative fingerings than anyone I’ve ever met. It is ironic that Albert became so well-known and loved outside of England before most of his own countrymen caught on, which they of course did in short order. In the end, he truly became the world’s flutemaker. He might not have thought of himself this way, but the rest of us did. In 1998 at the NFA convention in Phoenix, Arizona, Albert was awarded that organisation’s highest honour—the Lifetime Achievement Award. It is only fitting that he was the first non-player ever to be given this accolade. The great Danish flute player, Poul Birkelund, summed up the importance of Albert’s work thus: ‘Before Albert I would practise eight hours a day with four hours of exercises so I could play in tune. Now I play only music!’

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Albert Cooper at his Roger Charters workbench at Rudall Memories of Harry at Rudall Carte sixty years ago are clear. He was an industri- Carte’s premises in Berners ous craftsman who said little during the day. Work was his ethic and the comple- Street, London, in the 1950s. tion of the flutes he made was his driving force. It was a tradition that appren- Photograph by Roger tices were accorded nicknames when they started at Rudall Carte. One Roger was Charters. Angus, another Roger was Japonica, John was Charlie and Albert was Harry, from the time of his apprenticeship in 1938. They were known by no other name. Only the respected two older members of the workforce at the time were referred to by the prefix Mister, and they did not include the foreman, Len Hinde. Even in the late forties Harry was experimenting with open-hole keys for the right hand. Pat Eydman, one of the leading players (he played for Mantovani, Max Jaffa and several others), was to be seen frequently in the workshop asking for changes to be made to his flute as he tried to perfect the intonation and ease of playing of his instrument. At that time several light orchestras could be heard playing from six in the morning and during the day until late at night. It was not unusual for Pat to be talking to Harry in the morning, having left an early broadcast, and be heard again playing in the evening on a flute that had been altered during the day. The busy playing and rehearsal schedule of flute players and other instrumentalists was stressful as broadcasts were not recorded. This was good for business at Rudall Carte, as there were many flute players needing assistance. When sound recording www.bfs.org.uk 13 flute•

The workforce of Rudall Carte in the 1950s. Albert of broadcasts became possible and the use of records for programmes was usual Cooper is standing in the the demand for flute adjustments and refurbishment diminished. In a declining front row, wearing a white industry Harry was clear in his mind he wanted a business of his own. He became apron. Photograph by the flute innovator for which he became world-famous. It was my privilege to have Roger Charters. known him during my apprenticeship days and to have obtained his advice on many occasions—always given generously.

Eva Kingma A special person…The death of Albert brought memories of him flooding back. We first met in 1987. Of course the name Albert Cooper was well-known to me and many others. I had admired him from afar for many years due to his immeasurable contribution to the development of the flute. He was one of the most innovative flute makers since Boehm. One day I decided to write to him about the problems concerning the open-holed bass flute ordered by Robert Dick. While opening the key cups provided endless new possibilities, it brought with it intonation problems that I was unable to solve by myself. I remember well that after receiving my letter, he phoned three times to ask me if he had understood it correctly. ‘Cooper speaking,’ was always the way he announced himself. ‘An open-holed bass flute? No, that’s impossible!’ He invited me to London and offered his help. This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. He followed my progress with great interest and enthusiasm, calculated the intonation for two different bores of alto flute, and was immediately enthusiastic when I decided to build a bass flute. He also provided me with the intonation for a

14 March 2011 flute• contr’alto flute in G—a new model that he had never even worked on. I shall never forget when he flew over especially for the official introduction of the Kingma-System, together with Anne Laberge in Amsterdam. I picked him up at Schiphol and noticed that he was carrying something very heavy. The dear man had brought his mandrels (tools for drawing out head joints) with him, carefully packed in newspaper and tied up with string. He handed them to me with the words: ‘I want you to carry on with these. They are yours. I can’t manage any more.’ I was deeply moved. I took Albert to meet my great-uncle Dirk Kuiper in Nederhorst den Berg. Kuiper and Cooper sat next to one another on the sofa—a historic moment. They had known of one another by name for years but had never expected to meet in person. They had much in common; always trying to find their own way against all odds and coming up with something from nothing. It was a special meeting for both of them. Our paths crossed many times at American exhibitions; it was how he handled himself there that made me admire his unbelievable modesty. Everyone wanted to meet him, but he never really understood why. He found his immense contribution to the flute world grossly exaggerated. He became famous because of the fantastic flutes that he built. Due to his way of thinking, the so-called Cooper scale is known worldwide. Flautists everywhere sent headjoints to him with the request to fit a Cooper lip plate and Albert Cooper in his he re-tuned older instruments as well as adapting others. What didn’t he do! workshop in the wooden His openness and willingness to help other makers in an unselfish way, without shed behind his house ever passing judgement, were in themselves a lesson in life. If you thought what at 9 West Road, Clapham, you had done was in any way important he would bring you back to earth with his London. humility and modesty. As everyone worldwide knows, Albert worked in a tiny shed in his back garden where I would sit next to him on a gas cylinder, with one leg supported by a bucket and the other in a cardboard box. His work bench would be in total chaos but he knew where to find everything. I was always moved to see how happy he was in his small shed with broken windows, where it must have been impossible to work more than an hour or so during the winter months. A number of people and companies offered to build him a new workshop, but he found the idea complete nonsense. Once when I visited him, he was up a ladder painting his hall—he was already in his seventies—and had just painted his front door a vivid purple. I asked him why he did not have it done professionally, but he found that he could not possibly approach anyone else for such a job. He could be very stubborn! While he was recovering in hospital from a couple of accidents, I spent a number of days at his bedside. I saw his enormously strong hands lying on top of the bed sheets; hands that since his youth had worked hard, filing, soldering and so on. He told me then that he was sad that his life was changing, that he had wanted to do so much more. Albert was also a lonely man. If you didn’t happen to share his interest in flute-making and music in general, he had very little conversation. He was fascinated by his work well into old age, always seeking new solutions to old problems. I will never forget this man to whom I am infinitely grateful for what he meant, not only to me, but to all of us. Albert was small of stature, his house and workshop were small, and his car was small, but oh, what a great man! www.bfs.org.uk 15 flute•

Rainer Lafin I visited you for the first time in 1980 to collect a headjoint with your lip-plate. On leaving, you gave me, in your words ‘a souvenir’ of a riser. Back then, I could not have imagined that this ‘small’ gift would become the biggest and most important of my pro- fessional life. On the flight home, I pondered whether this riser could be the secret to the special ‘Cooper’ sound. I could not get this question out of my head and hence I began to make my first headjoint using your riser. After two years’ work, I returned to your workshop and it delighted and deeply touched me that you gave me permission to title my headjoints ‘Cooper style’. I would like to thank you very personally. You have passed on your expe- rience and your ability to me, which you have gathered over your lifetime. I feel honoured to have the task of continuing to make headjoints in this tradition and I am convinced that the sound of your instruments, that is your soul, will be cherished forever. Albert Cooper at Rudall Carte in the 1950s. Photograph by Ewen Susan Milan McDougall. I bought my first Albert Cooper flute in 1968 and at this time first visited Albert in Clapham, a visit which was to be the beginning of a friendship which lasted until his death in January this year. I ordered my third Cooper flute when I joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and this was the last flute Albert made. Most of my A health and safety recordings were made on this wonderful instrument and I would never part with it. inspector might have Over the years Albert came to masterclass courses and talked to pupils, entertaining been alarmed, but from them with descriptions of past eras of flute-making and answering their many ques- this cluttered shed came some beautiful flutes. tions. His lively personality and genuine passion for his craft made him immensely Photograph courtesy of popular. Albert was on the committee of the British Flute Society while I was chair- Susan Milan. man and he was a positive and often calming influence. He and his wife Philomena were terrific supporters of both the BFS and the National Flute Association in the USA, and they took a lively interest in everything pertaining to the flute, accepting invitations to concerts and conventions with enthusiasm. I shall remember Albert most of all his sitting room in Clapham, with a tray of tea brought in by Philomena, enthu- siastically discussing fingerings, keywork design, the scale and flute players past and present. He was extremely knowledge- able and his career spanned one of the most interesting periods of flute history in the UK. At all

16 March 2011 flute• times genuine, and a bright star on this world, Albert will be missed enormously by me, and many others. We are indebted to him for designing a flute which makes it so much easier to play well, and a scale which in my opinion will never be bettered.

Harry Seeley I first met Albert in 1956 when I started working at Rudall Carte. In those days he was not known as Albert—his nickname was Harry Brown (don’t ask me why). Len Hinde, the foreman, gave quite a few of the lads odd names, and it wasn’t until much later that I found out his name was Albert. I didn’t have much to do with him then as I was just a learner and he was a top man, but I do recall he seemed to run everywhere. Although he was a top maker he wasn’t averse to earning extra money by assembling cheap Regent flutes for Boosey & Hawkes. Our paths diverged when he left in 1958 to go it alone and we formed the Flutemakers Guild. We met up from time to time, usually for business reasons. He was very generous with his knowledge—he gave us his scales to use with no strings attached—and in other ways, too. When my wife and I went to the NFA Convention in New York, Albert was there to greet us at the airport and show us the ropes. On another occasion when at a flute convention in Italy, Albert took us on a guided tour round Rome, chatting away to all and sundry in Italian. My wife and I went to see him regularly in the various nursing homes. We were saddened to see his decline from the old Albert we had known, but he was well looked after by his two nieces, Jane and Annemarie.

Fenwick Smith With the passing of Albert Cooper we have lost a flute maker who improved the standards of his craft in countless ways. When I was working in the Powell shop in Boston, the first rumours of Albert’s improved scales were heard. I moved to West Berlin, in the hope of finding orchestral work. This I found, but I found also a lively industry based on the improvements developed by Albert. It seemed that all the flute players in Berlin and the UK were having their flutes tuned, rebuilt, and otherwise improved; James Galway was an early and influential convert. After some searching in my attic today, I retrieved a cache of twenty-six letters sent between Albert and myself, starting in November 1973 and ending January 1976. The bulk of them were typed; I don’t know whether his wife might have served as secretary? But reading them brought Albert vividly to life, with his clear, judicious prose. I transcribe a short letter in full: 1st January 1974 Dear Mr. Smith, Regarding the gold tube on order. Owing to the oil crisis (oil is used for metal refining) and the various strikes we have, railways and coal mining etc. in addition to which most industries are only doing a three day week, the delivery date for the gold will probably now be March or April. Albert Cooper’s flute I am sorry about this but rest assured that I will be chasing it up and number 152 (detail). Courtesy will let you know as soon as I get it. of Douglas Townshend. Best wishes, A. Cooper Photograph by Robert Bigio. www.bfs.org.uk 17 flute•

Part of Albert Cooper’s 1965 price list. The prices were astonishingly low, even for the 1960s. Albert Cooper’s former employers, Rudall Carte, by then a much-reduced firm producing low-grade instruments, charged £10 more for flutes with drawn toneholes. A note at the end of this price list (not reproduced) states, ‘It is regretted that until further notice no more names can be accepted for new instruments.’ (Robert Bigio collection.)

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Douglas Townshend Such was my respect for Albert that I spent the first forty years of our fifty-year acquaintanceship addressing him as Mr. Cooper. I first met him when he was living in Hetherington Road and remember how delighted he was when he moved to his more famous address of 9, West Road, Clapham, London because the windows didn’t ‘go up and down on strings’. At the time, I was the principal flute of the Hallé Orchestra and both the second flute, Janet Bannerman, and the piccolo player, Elizabeth Peerless, played Cooper flutes. Mr. Cooper was excited by the possibility of the Hallé being the first orchestra to be equipped with his flutes and was keen for me to buy one. I did not purchase the first flute he sent me as it was a closed-hole model but when he offered me an open-holed flute, I caught an aeroplane from Manchester to London and bought his instrument immediately. One small anecdote might illustrate Mr Cooper’s expertise. I had tried to make a minor adjustment to my flute and had found it extremely difficult to unthread the keywork, which Albert Cooper showing a flute while wearing a British incorporated various gadgets. When I called at his house in despair, he opened the Flute Society sweatshirt. door with one hand and—using only a small screwdriver—removed half the keywork He was a proud member with the other, while at the same time offering me tea and biscuits. Needless to say, of the BFS and was vice- when I left, the flute was working perfectly. president for many years. Like so many others, I shall miss the unfailing advice and friendship of this remarkable English gentleman.

John Wion I first heard Albert Cooper speak at the second NFA convention in Pittsburgh where he spoke about what had gone into the understanding of flute scales—how after changing the positions of tone holes in the flutes of William Bennett and others he finally realised that he had just built a slightly smaller flute, and how it had come about that flutes sold as being pitched at A=440 were in fact intended to be played at a lower pitch. I was a total neophyte and came away from this my first convention overwhelmed. Over the following decade I found Albert to be a perfect host, whether for tea in his home or for a bite at his neighbourhood pub. He was totally unassuming. I am reminded of the way he showed around his combination gold and silver headjoint—gold in front and silver in back where the audience wouldn’t see it. I was told, not by him, that this was actually quite a feat to create. Later on he made me a curved headjoint to experiment with. When I found the downward tilt of this to be unstable he cut it in two and added a sleeve so the headjoint could be twisted to any angle. I found that angled straight out was a most comfortable way to play the flute. He was also a generous man and made many contributions of his headjoints as competition prizes. We owe him so much and are indeed fortunate to have had him in our community. www.bfs.org.uk 19 flute•

Trevor Wye At Easter, 1938, when Albert Cooper signed his apprenticeship papers with Rudall Carte, the earliest date that he could do so, he began work by sweeping floors, clean- ing parts and observing the fine craftsmen working there. After a time, he began filing metal flute and fife parts, and eventually making keywork for the others. He left to join the army in 1942, returning in 1945, to continue where he left off, except there were far fewer men working there and very few orders for flutes. It was part of the tradition at the works that everyone had a nickname, and Albert was always known as Harry Brown, or Harry for short. Just before he left for the war, he was given an old file and was told it was one used by the great flute makers in the late nineteenth century. He was advised to polish it and sharpen the edge as it would prove to be very useful. Albert did just that and as he declared later, this was the tool he used the most. When he needed to remove a burr, burnish a slight scratch, take away a small solder mark, use it for turning on the lathe, or many other tasks in the course of making a fine flute, this tool was the one always to hand. Albert remembered, ‘A worker got used to using a particular tool that he had made, and it became a personal item which may be useless to anyone else. During his working life, the worker would devise and form his own personal tools to save himself time and effort and to be more efficient, especially as we were on piece- work, and time was money. It may even be a tool which other workers could not find a use for, but for that craftsman, it did a particular job more easily than would otherwise have been the case’. The wooden grip shows signs of many years of wear with cracks, digs and cuts in the mahogany handle and with a scruffy brass ferrule. It could tell many stories. •

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Karen Jones: Having it all (if you work hard enough)

By Robert Bigio

aren Jones has had a career that anyone would call glittering: BBC Young Musician of the Year woodwind finalist in 1982; gold medallist at the Shell- KLSO Scholarship in 1985; first flute in the European Community Youth Orchestra; Fulbright Scholarship and Harkness Fellowship to study in New York; first flute in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the age of twenty-two; and she is now one of the leading freelance players in London and a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, and all this at the same time as having a successful marriage and bringing up two children. And she’s lovely with it. You might almost be tempted to say it’s unfair. Karen comes from a long line of successful musicians. Her great-grandmother was the harpist Winifred Cockerill, one of the first women to play in any of the London symphony orchestras, and who was herself the daughter of a musician. Her grandfather, Tom Jones, was a violinist in the Palm Court Orchestra, Eastbourne, and later in the LPO and the RPO. Her father, Martyn Jones, was co-leader of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra before moving to London to play in the Philharmonia, of which he became the chairman, and her mother Barbara Murray was the accompanist at the Yehudi Menuhin School and has just retired as the accompanist at Wells Cathedral School. Her uncle Michael Jones played in the Amici String Quartet after playing in the Philharmonia and leading the Northern Sinfonia. Hers is a very musical family. Karen lived in Bournemouth from the age of seven until she was ten. She took up the flute and was taught by Alan Melly—such is her regard for him she insists that I call him the wonderful Alan Melly—before moving to London where she had lessons for a short time with Trevor Wye. She was then sent to St. Paul’s Girls’ School where her teacher was Alexa Turpin, before going on to Peter Lloyd.

Photograph: RobertPhotograph: Bigio It was as a student of Peter Lloyd that she had her

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first success in the BBC competition, and she went on to the Guildhall School of Music to continue her studies with him. ‘Peter made me well aware of the fact that my embouchure was a disaster. It was so off-to-one-side. My dream was always to play principal flute in an orchestra—I didn’t want to play concertos and be a soloist—and he knew there was a control I was going to need in the pianissimos and he suspected I wasn’t going to manage it in the way I was working. He wanted me to take however many months, or even a year—he couldn’t tell me how long—in order to fix it. Peter’s top priority was tone, colour and control. I still think those are the most important. I wanted to be a sweet-sounding principal flute, with a beautiful sound soaring over the orchestral textures.’ At the end of her time at the Guildhall, Peter Lloyd suggested to Karen that she stretch her wings and study abroad. ‘Go somewhere where they don’t play the flute like us,’ he said. Karen had been to Vienna with the ECYO and had loved it—she had been caught up in the romance of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, so after spending the summer at the Banff summer school in the Canadian Rockies, where she studied with Thomas Nyfenger, she set off for Vienna to study with Wolfgang Schulz. Thomas Nyfenger. ‘Tom Vienna was not a success: Wolfgang Schulz was busy and often would harmonise on the sent a deputy to do his teaching, and, besides, Karen missed the boyfriend she had piano to illustrate why certain notes warranted met in Banff. After half a year she changed her scholarships and moved to New certain colours and certain York, where the boyfriend was waiting for her, and where she studied with Thomas cadences warranted Nyfenger for a year and a half. ‘Tom was magic,’ she says. ‘Whatever you played in shaping in certain ways.’ Tom’s lessons, from Stravinsky orchestral excerpts to Jeanjean études and all the rest Photograph courtesy of of it, Tom would harmonise on the piano to illustrate why certain notes warranted Paul Nyfenger. Thomas certain colours and certain cadences warranted shaping in certain ways. I had never Nyfenger’s books Beyond the Notes: Musical Thoughts come across anything like that—it was the sheer intelligence of it. Also, I loved his and Analyses and Music and approach: he told his students everything just once. If they took no notice, well, the Flute and his CD The tough, he wasn’t going to tell them again. It was up to us to do with it as we will.’ Flutistry of Thomas Nyfenger While studying in New York Karen was twice invited to participate in the are available from Tanglewood Festival where Leonard Bernstein heard her play. After one performance http://nyfenger.com. with him of Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler, the Boston Globe headlined its review ‘Bernstein falls in love with English girl’s flute-playing’. One of Karen’s fellow students in New York was Marco Granados. ‘When we weren’t practising we were busting our guts playing flute duets and as a duo we attracted much work entertaining people such as Mayor Koch.’ Then, while Karen was still aged twenty-two, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra invited her for a trial for the first flute job. She flew over and started at the deep end. ‘My very first notes on trial were the opening solo in Delius’s Brigg Fair, in a recording session with the late Richard Hickox conducting.’ The orchestra offered her the job, but she turned them down. ‘How arrogant was that?’ she asks, in amazement at her youthful folly. She returned to New York for a further year’s study, at the end of which the BSO job was still available to her, so she decided to take the job after all. ‘It was the right thing,’ she says, ‘because when I was there I met my

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With Leonard Bernstein and another student at the Tanglewood Festival. The The Bournemouth Boston Globe ran a headline reading ‘Bernstein falls in love with English girl’s Symphony Ochestra flute flute-playing’. section in a publicity photograph for the husband, Andrew Barclay.’ She had five years in the orchestra before deciding to orchestra’s 1989 American pursue her already growing freelance career in London. Andy, her husband, took a tour: Barbara Brown, job in the LPO, and they moved to London. They have been there fifteen years, and Karen Jones and Jill Carter. Karen says she is busier than ever. (Photograph by John How do family pressures affect her career? ‘It comes at a price,’ says Karen. ‘At St. Gilbride, courtesy of the Bournemouth Symphony Paul’s Girls’ School it was impressed on us that you can have it all if you work hard Orchestra.) enough. I still want it all, and I do have it all, but I’m exhausted!’ She and Andy are lucky to have a wonderful lady to look after their two children. She has been with them for fifteen years and is the children’s third parent. In an attempt to balance family and career, Karen gave up touring for a long time, and if she thought she was working too hard she would give up working at weekends. ‘Not everyone is so lucky,’ she says. How has Karen’s career developed? ‘I now regularly play as guest first flute in all the London orchestras,’ she says, ‘and I am doing a lot of film sessions as well as being principal flute in the City of London Sinfonia and the London Chamber Orchestra.’ The sessions fit well with my family life as they are usually during the day and always in London, and don’t require touring. Does she enjoy this commercial work? ‘I adore sight-reading on the red light,’ she says. ‘There’s no time to get screwed up— you just get it right.’ Among many other films, Karen has played on all but one of the Harry Potter soundtracks. She is the one who played the virtuoso solo in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (It seems odd to think that of all the work she has done that is the piece that will have had the biggest audience.) www.bfs.org.uk 23 flute•

Karen Jones being presented to the Queen at the Royal Albert Hall in 1984. To the left of the picture are the actress Felicity Kendal and the dancer and choreographer Wayne Sleep.

More recently she has been doing a lot of playing in the London Sinfonietta, which, of course, specialises in newer music. ‘I love it,’ she says. ‘It takes me out of The Flute Album, which my comfort zone and keeps me on my toes.’ includes a recording As a teacher, Karen started at Trinity College of Music in London, then took a job of Henri Dutilleux’s Sonatine. Dutilleux wrote at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. ‘They were very accommo- to Karen, ‘I have been dating,’ she says. ‘I taught for two days every two weeks, but I gave it up because I completely seduced by couldn’t bear to be away from the children even for one night a fortnight.’ She then your interpretation of my became a consultant at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff and at the Sonatine, the beauty of your Birmingham Conservatoire. She is now professor of flute at the Royal Academy of sound, the transcendence Music, where she teaches four or five hours a week. ‘I think students need a lesson of your technique, the quality of your phrasing.’ every week,’ she says. The teaching at the Academy is sometimes collaborative: she has shared students with William Bennett and Michael Cox. This, she says, works wonderfully well because although they each have their own methods, the results they are after are along the same lines. ‘However, I love being given a first-year student, knowing it’s my sole responsibility to teach them for four years and equip them for life as a flute player,’ she says. ‘I’m a pretty tough teacher. I cannot tolerate students who don’t work. I believe that every student has to adopt a methodical approach for part or all of his or her studies.’ Is she still learning? ‘Oh, yes, certainly!’ she says. ‘For some reason about three years ago I realised that the same things which were weak about my flute playing when I was back at the Guildhall were still weak now. I won- dered if that meant I would go to my deathbed having given my heart and

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Paul Edmund-Davies, Karen Jones, Pierre Boulez and Martin Parry following a performance as soloists in Boulez’s Éxplosante-fixe with the LSO at Carnegie Hall in New York. soul to my flute playing with these areas never up to it, really. I had always wondered why grown-up flute players don’t have flute lessons any more. A couple of colleagues said if they were going to have lessons they would go to Robert Winn, so that’s what I did. I went for one lesson and he blew the lid off everything I had ever thought.’ Is Robert Winn’s approach similar to Tom Nyfenger’s? ‘Tom didn’t talk technically or analytically, but Robert is like an X-ray machine—he really is able to look and listen to what is going on. My first lesson with him was a revelation. He had a completely different approach to tone production and breathing than I had ever thought of before.’ I told Karen that few professional players ever think they could do their jobs better than they already do. What makes her different? ‘It’s not fake. I do want to be able to do it all better. I get frustrated at my own inadequacies, whether it’s playing bigger, or smaller, or with greater ease, or to be able to breathe better—you name it. Robert Winn has done me an enormous favour. I used to feel so categorically black and white about my approach to flute technique. For the first time I am now really thinking a lot harder about what is best for each student. This is work in progress. I am now thinking about it, whereas in the past I was just reproducing what I was taught. That’s not good enough, is it?’ Is she happy being a freelance? ‘I am proud of where I am and so excited by my diary and the diversity of it. I do feel that I have the pick of the crop.’ Since the beginning of the year, for example, Karen’s work has included playing all the Brandenburgs in Colombia as well as projects with Sting, Thomas Adès and Madonna, and she enjoyed playing at the recent Royal Wedding. • www.bfs.org.uk 25 flute•

The Purcell School: Nurturing talent

By Robert Bigio

alent alone is never enough. People become great at what they do by working, and usually by working very hard. The Purcell School sets itself a difficult task Tin making talented young people develop their abilities while remaining, well, agreeably normal—just kids being kids. That’s until they start to play some music. Then, everything changes. The Purcell School is a small establishment, with just 175 pupils. It was founded in 1962 in London as the Central Tutorial School for Young Musicians, at first in Conway Hall, then at Morley College, then in Hampstead and Harrow on the Hill, before moving in 1997 to its present location in Bushey, near Watford, Hertfordshire, within easy reach of central London. The original name was changed to The Purcell School in 1973. The school has produced a remarkable number of top- ranked musicians including, most recently, two of the three concerto finalists in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition in 2010: the flautist Emma Halnan and the pianist Lara Ömeroğlu, who won the competition. The atmosphere in The Purcell School is intimate and seems anything but intimidating. It accepts pupils from the age of nine, either as boarders or as day pupils—just under three-quarters live in the school, and some of those board during the week and go home at weekends. Pupils get two or three hours of individual tuition a week and can expect to practise between three and six hours a day, assisted by practice supervisors. Most of the pupils study classical instruments, but there is a jazz department, too. The director of music, Quentin Poole, is aware of the pressures and the problems of nurturing talent. Would he be happy to have children of his own come to this school? ‘Yes, absolutely. The school encourages individuality—not selfishness, individuality. There are a number of unusual personalities in the school. The good thing is that as there are so many that people don’t get vilified for being themselves. There is a wide range of characters, and they

Photographs: Robert Bigio are appreciated.’

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The older flute pupils (left How does he help a child to settle in? Pretend I’m a kid, I say to him, away to right): Emma Halnan, from home for the first time, awkward, uncomfortable, and I’ve probably been Katie MacDonald, Charlotte bullied at the school I came from. What will you do to bring out my potential? ‘The Ashton and Yulia Mun. first answer,’ he says, ‘is the fact that you’ve arrived because very often we have conversations in our audition chat about the fact that someone has been isolated, or teased for being a bit peculiar and liking classical music. As soon as they are in the door they understand that they are in an environment where it’s normal for One of the youngest flute everyone to be enthusiastic about music and to talk about anything to do with it, players, Matthew Higham. freely at any time of day or night. They will have encountered that on the audition day—they come into an atmosphere where everyone is on their wavelength and understands what they’re on about. I think that immediately helps them to settle.’ As to boarding, says Quentin, it is actually unusual for a student not to have been on a residential course or to have done something to have a taste of being away from home. The school does establish whether or not the child will be able to cope. ‘They have a lot of time one-to-one with their instrumental teacher, who is going to be a hugely influential person in their lives,’ says Quentin. Kevin Hathway describes himself as the head of everything except strings, piano and guitar: woodwind, brass, percussion, harp and even voice. (‘My qualification for that is that I sing in the bath,’ he says.) He was a percussionist in the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1979 to 2008 and head of percussion at the Royal College of Music from 1986 to 2008. He was involved in the

28 June 2011 flute• outreach programme with the Philharmonia. ‘One thing I have always wanted is The younger pupils (left to get across the very simple message that classical music doesn’t always have to to right): Laura Davies, be tail-coated and at times rather boring. I took it upon myself early on that I was Calla Randall and Davinya Cooper. going to change things, not by dumbing it down, but by making it more user- friendly according to the age that was listening.’ Kevin sees part of his job at the Purcell School as being encouraging and keeping the kids’ morale high. ‘We have many boarders, and I am aware that we, the teaching staff, our contact hours with them, are just the tip of the iceberg—most of what’s going on in their musical lives is taking place underneath the water. I’m trying to instil inner discipline so that when they’re not with their adult mentor, they are guided very carefully into what they should be doing and how they should be doing it. This can be problematic, obviously, when you’re only aged nine, to understand exactly what you should be doing. We can’t be with them all the time.’ The school has a mentoring system, with practice supervisors. This lasts an hour from 7.20, before breakfast. Practice schedules are interspersed into their normal school lessons and are also supervised. The supervisors, aged in their mid-twenties, just keep an eye on them. ‘I see that as one of the most important aspects of the school—the fact that the practice time is also being watched, not just the lesson,’ says Kevin. ‘When you think about it, the teacher only comes in for two hours a week, which leaves many hours free.’ There are two flute teachers at the Purcell School: Clare Southworth and Anna Pope, both of whom also teach at London music colleges, Clare at the Royal Academy of Music and Anna at Trinity. Anna also teaches at the junior department of the RAM. www.bfs.org.uk 29 flute•

Left to right: director of Clare Southworth enjoys what she sees as the relaxed, happy atmosphere at The music Quentin Poole; head of wind and brass Kevin Purcell School. ‘I’m sure a great deal of the school’s success is due to the ethos Hathway; flute teachers here, led from the top by Quentin Poole,’ she says. ‘This is a place for serious work, Clare Southworth and but without the huge pressure that comes sometimes within specialist schools. Anna Pope. The students always seem to be happy and well adjusted.’ Does she handle these younger students in a different way? ‘My style of teaching for the older students here isn’t so different from the method I use at the Royal Academy. They have so much enthusiasm and energy for learning and are receptive to advanced concepts beyond their years. It is a privilege to be able to teach such gifted students,’ she says. Anna Pope also considers herself fortunate to be working with such talented pupils. She has had great success as a teacher—in addition to guiding Emma Halnan to her BBC success she has had at least one student in the National Youth Orchestra every year for seventeen years. She is aware that the high standards of playing and the work required by her pupils to achieve them can become a burden. ‘A great deal is demanded of these young people and they need to be fit and in a positive frame of mind,’ she says. As in any school, of course, the standard subjects must be studied. Although there is no academic test for entry into The Purcell School, the pupils’ examination results are very good and the school is usually at the top of league tables. ‘In general, musically-talented students are good at studying, good at concentrating,’ says Quentin Poole. About a third of the pupils are from abroad. There is a great mix of national backgrounds, but the differences seem to fade because everyone has music in common. The pupils are not cloistered—one of the advantages of being close to London is that many go to junior departments of the music colleges on Saturdays, and many go to concerts. Most of the pupils will go to music colleges and some to university music departments. The school tries to keep track of its former pupils. Most, says Quentin Poole, are still in the music business as performers, teachers, arts administrators, and so on. One has even become a composer of music for computer games. Walking around the school I saw what appeared to be a bunch of kids doing normal kid-like things: playing, kicking footballs, running about and generally acting like kids anywhere else. When they started to play, of course, everything changed. If I had heard anyone play like the present flute students at The Purcell School when I was their age I would probably have given up the flute immediately. I am simply astonished at the standard of playing of these young people. • The new Anton Braun piccolo to low C By Klaus Dapper

ntil now the range of the piccolo has not usually extended below D. While the range of old-style nineteenth-century flutes was extended down to UC, and later to B (sometimes lower), old-style piccolos did not go below D. However, there were already a small number of piccolos that went down to C (or lower). Since this time a number of works have been written that require an extended lower register in the piccolo. The following is a brief, incomplete overview of orchestral works with this requirement.

Low C is needed in: Giuseppe Verdi: Il Trovatore, Act IV (1853) Giuseppe Verdi: ‘Lux Aeterna’ from the Requiem (1874) Gustav Mahler: First and second symphonies (1888 and 1894) Ottorino Respighi: Symphonic poem The Fountains of Rome (1916) Arnold Schoenberg: Wind quintet Op. 26, second movement (1924) Benjamin Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1946) Benjamin Britten: Billy Budd (1951) Low C-sharp is needed in: Giuseppe Verdi: Sicilian Vespers, overture (1855) Gustav Mahler: Third symphony (1895) Richard Strauss: Daphne (1938)

The invention of the Boehm flute revolutionised the development of flute playing, but strangely the acceptance of the Boehm piccolo was slower than that of the concert flute. Theobald Boehm was not particularly interested in the piccolo. He suggested to Thomas Mollenhauer, who had worked in his workshop from 1863 to 1864, that he work on improving the Boehm piccolo, as he was not totally satisfied with the instrument’s playing qualities. In France too, where in the second half of the nineteenth century top-quality Boehm flutes were made, the Boehm piccolo lagged behind the concert flute. Maybe it was the scant availability of good Boehm piccolos or maybe their high price, but in any case, around 1900 a number of flautists played on old-system five- or six‑keyed piccolos alongside their Boehm concert flutes. Most of them had after all learnt to play on old-system flutes, so they were still familiar with the fingerings. But then there was the problem regarding the above‑mentioned repertoire, so Boehm flute players needed Boehm piccolos with a downward extension in range. www.bfs.org.uk 31 flute•

Piccolo to C, anonymous, probably German, probably late nineteenth century, cocuswood, ivory headjoint, nickel silver keys. Dayton C. Miller Collection, Library of Congress, Washington.

It is not known how many flute makers made Boehm piccolos down to low C. At any rate, because of the large tone holes in Boehm piccolos, downward extension of the range was problematic. This may well have been why only very few such instruments came up for sale. An early Boehm piccolo down to low C was made by William S. Haynes in the USA. It dates from the 1890s, before W.S. Haynes went independent and set up his own company. In the mid-20th century Rudall Carte Anton Braun with his & Co. Ltd. in London made some (cylindrical) low-C metal Boehm piccolos (see daughter Antonia in their workshop. illustration). Albert Cooper, who in his time at Rudall Carte was entrusted with making the low-C piccolo, made four or five low‑C piccolos shortly before retiring from flute-making. Three (conical) low‑C wooden piccolos by Hans Reiner (GDR) were made, and two of them survive. Flute players seem to agree that the problem with all low-C piccolos made so far (both conical and cylindrical) is that they are not suitable for daily use. They provide the sought-after bottom two notes, but restrictions have had to be taken into account. In the first octave there are often tonal problems, especially with conical piccolos. In the difficult third octave there are problems of intonation and response, as well as unstable notes, and with cylindrical piccolos there are also tonal problems. Many orchestral flautists are still put in an embarrassing position when one of the works requiring a low C or C sharp is programmed. With ‘impossible’ notes one can sometimes ‘cheat’, by playing the passages an octave higher, or switching to the flute, or swapping notes with a colleague in the flute section, but these tactics are not always possible. Billy Budd includes a passage in which the piccolo and a singer perform as an exposed duo over a delicate string underlay. In this passage the composer calls for low C and C-sharp, and as this section showcases the piccolo there is no alternative. When such a piece is programmed the piccolo player will scour the international flute-playing community well in advance for one of the very few players who own such an exotic instrument and are prepared to loan them out. In the Piccolo Practice Book, Trevor Wye and Patricia Morris recommend playing the passage on the flute in (high) G, which is equally hard to get hold of and is usually imperfect, saying that ‘the conductor just might not notice!’. The German piccolo specialist Anton Braun has for several years been addressing Further information: this issue. His goal was to make a low-C piccolo which, apart from extending the www.braunflutes.com range down to C, was in no respect inferior to low-D piccolos. In 2009 Billy Budd

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Cylindrical piccolo to C by Rudall, Carte & Co. Ltd., London, early 1960s, silver. Private collection. was staged at the Frankfurt Opera. Because of the passage in question a Rudall Carte low-C piccolo had been loaned from England. The flautist Rolf Bissinger, who was entrusted with this part, is an old friend of Anton Braun—indeed, the Braun flute came into being through collaboration with him. He asked Anton Braun to make him a low-C piccolo that worked as well as his trusty Braun piccolo as soon as possible. In March 2010 Billy Budd was again on the programme, and the instrument was to be ready by then at the latest. The commissioned instrument was born through months of intensive cooperation between flautist and flute maker, and it was completed to schedule. At the end of the 2010 Billy Budd run the conductor commented positively on the tonal qualities of the newly developed instrument. The new piccolo was from Klaus Dapper lives in Duisburg. then on successfully used for several weeks in the daily operatic schedule, during He plays the flute (all sizes from which time the orchestral musicians were very positive in their evaluation of the piccolo to bass) as well as the instrument. clarinet and saxophone and has In order to also test the instrument’s viability in a symphony orchestra a second played in ensembles from jazz bands to symphony orchestras. low-C piccolo was sent to Michael Hasel, who played it in Berlin Philharmonic He has written tutors for the flute concerts. The final modifications were undertaken in collaboration with Michael and the saxophone which are Hasel. It was also a commission from Michael Hasel and this help in the design hugely successful in Germany. process that led to the first Braun low-D piccolo − an instrument he has now been Klaus is a frequent contributor to playing for over twenty-five years. German woodwind publications. By October 2010 everyone involved was finally completely satisfied. The low-C piccolo was a finished product and the target had been achieved, so the time had come for the instrument to be officially presented to the flute world. Two short concert clips of Michael Hasel playing his low-C piccolo can be seen on Anton Braun’s website: www.braunflutes.com/piccolo.htm. The second video clip demonstrates the impressive tonal match when the line is passed back and forth between flute and piccolo. The original remit was to extend the range down to low C without renouncing any of the customary playing qualities. What had not been foreseen, however, was the fact that the extension of the tube created additional positive qualities. Anton Braun’s low-C piccolo makes a bigger sound than the low‑D piccolo—a sound closer to that of the concert flute, and its differing overtone structure gives it an extremely attractive third octave. A further special feature of the low-C piccolo is the fact that, as with most other woodwind instruments, the change in register from first to second octave no longer takes place at the end of the tube, thus moderating the register break and giving the new low-C piccolo a particularly balanced sound. An additional bonus with this little octave flute is the fact that the extension of the range down to C now gives piccolo players unrestricted access to the entire recorder and flute repertoires. • www.bfs.org.uk 33 flute•

A morning off school: The 1966 Birmingham Wind Competition

By Carl Willetts

o how does an eighteen-year-old A-level science student in Birmingham While earning a living as a wangle a morning off school? We scientists, considered to be culturally below polymer chemist in the paper the waterline, were encouraged to do ‘arty’ things occasionally, so when I saw industry, Carl Willetts spent S his spare time exploring the local symphony orchestra was hosting an international wind competition, with unfashionable musical heats during the daytime, I requested, and miraculously was granted, a morning off byways including repertoire school to listen. for renaissance flutes and This was May 1966. There were to be heats for bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe and British baroque flute works. horn arranged in four stages. All competitors would play a newly-composed Fantasy for For several years he helped each solo instrument by Malcolm Arnold. Next, each competitor had to choose from to compile the Early Music Yearbook and its predecessor two major twentieth-century concertos to be accompanied, unusually, not by a piano The Register of Early Music. reduction but by full orchestra, directed by either the CBSO’s principal conductor Recently the alto flute Hugo Rignold or their associate conductor Harold Gray. Five of each instrument were has claimed his attention, to be selected for round three: a Mozart concerto, again with full orchestra. The including the commissioning winners of each instrument would then play off in a grand finale, again Mozart. of new work. Carl plays with The jury was impressive. Sir Adrian Boult chaired, with John Manduell, Nadia The Canterbury Waits, The Early Flute Consort and The Boulanger, John Cruft (from the Arts Council) William Glock (BBC Controller of Musick Cabinet. Music), Anthony Lewis (of the University of Birmingham) and Georgy Antonovich http://themusickcabinet.co.uk Orvid (professor of trumpet at the Moscow Conservatoire). For the individual instrumental heats they were to be supplemented by very starry pairs of players: Richard Adeney and Geoffrey Gilbert, flute; Leon Goossens and Terence MacDonagh, oboe; Jack Brymer and Gervase de Peyer, clarinet; Gwydion Brooke and Archie Camden, bassoon; and Alan Civil and Douglas Moore, horn. Ninety-one brave souls of ages eighteen to twenty-nine had put their names on entry forms. How international was it? There were representatives from France, Britain, Germany, Czechoslovakia, The Netherlands, USA, Romania, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa and Uruguay. By the start day several competitors had dropped out. Were they engaged on bookings that would not release them or did the Arnold Fantasies put them off? The Arnold Fantasies were not exactly easy. The general manager, Beresford King- Smith, recently related to me how he was faced one morning by a deputation of oboe competitors all complaining that their Fantasy was impossible—things in it were just unplayable on the oboe. Beresford replied that it was too late to make changes (the pieces had been fully published by Faber) and of course the oboe judges would fully appreciate what the difficulties were. The competitors should simply do the best they could to get around them. All very well till the first oboist came on stage: Maurice Bourgue played it note-perfect as printed with no apparent difficulties at all, and

34 June 2011 flute• moreover with great musicality, resulting in dropped jaws and probably much soul- searching among the other oboists. The heat I attended on my Thursday morning off was for clarinets. I heard five consecutive renderings of the Hindemith 1947 concerto, and I got to know the work by the end. I scribbled some notes on my programme and reading them now I see I was pre-occupied with players’ tone quality: ‘mellow; forces it; breathy, loud’. For only one of the five did I note ‘Plays music’. That was Aurelian-Octav Popa, the Romanian who went on to win the clarinet section. Sadly I had to go back to school in the afternoon so I missed the flutes playing the Arnold Fantasy. There were eighteen in the field. My teacher, Henry Scheuer, who was then second flute in the CBSO, later told me that one competitor (Number 37) had played the Fantasy, not just note perfect, but with such musicality as if he had lived and breathed it all his life—as if he really wanted to communicate its beauties and meaning to the audience. I went back to Birmingham Town Hall in the evening. Two clarinettists played the Seiber concerto (I wish that was programmed more often) followed by five consecutive performances of the Nielsen Flute concerto. Hugo Rignold wielded the baton. The Nielsen was new to me so this was a real treat. The first two flute players were good, giving enjoyable performances. However, I noticed that they, and the preceding clarinets, experienced some intonation difficulties. One competitor needed to pull out the head joint between movements. Then on came competitor Number 37, a slightly rotund chap with a round clean- shaven face sporting a pair of heavy black-framed spectacles. The orchestral oboist gave him an A. He tested it, turned round, played a higher A and signalled for the entire orchestra to re-tune to himself. Gosh, what nerve, I thought. How would the judges take that? I looked across to the centre of the circle at a row of judges calculated to test the resolve of any competitor. No clues from their faces. This chap had better be good, I thought. Was he good? Yes, until near the end of the first movement, when his tone went from good to exquisite to ravishing. My knees melted. Not before, or since, have I heard such a flute sound. The next day would see more concerto performances: five of the Nielsen and eight of the Lennox Berkeley, but I had to be in school. Would my new hero, Number 37, make it to the next round? Competition was stiff. You will get some idea from the list of those who were not selected to go forward: (in order of performing) Per Øien, Charles-Joseph Bopp, Fukiko Sakai, Susan Milan, André Descos, Evelyn Frank, Sebastian Bell, Gabriel Fumet, Francis Gabin, Atarah Ben-Tovim, Edward Beckett, Christian Cheret and Jean-Pierre Lebocq. Monday evening, the next flute round brought five performances of the Mozart G major flute concerto. The judges had opted for distinctively different performers: David Haslam’s special qualities on a wooden flute, Petr Kotik from Czechoslovakia evidencing an eastern European tone and approach, Paul Dunkel of the USA giving a very assured, reliable, fine performance, and Silvia Navarro from Uruguay who had a radiant stage presence and nice soaring silvery tone. And Number 37. OK, so the Mozart G major has many bars that are straight scales. For exams we are taught to play them evenly—tone, tonguing, note length, volume, attack, stressing the same throughout. Not so Number 37. Each scale was rendered as if www.bfs.org.uk 35 flute•

it were the most profound musical statement ever made. The phrasing was quite different from anything I had heard, better even than on my well-worn LP of Julius Baker. Tone colour was deliberately inflected—rich to liquid to silvery to golden, vibrato on, vibrato off—all within two bars of scales. Paul Dunkel was awarded second place in the flute section, with Number 37 winning and going forward to the grand finale the next evening. The bassoon jury had found it difficult to come to a firm choice so part of the finale was a play-off between the bassoonists Jindrien Svárovský and Amaury Wallez. Here again we had Mozart: Mr. Popa on clarinet, André Gantez on horn, plus Maurice Bourgue on oboe. Mr. Bourgue played the Mozart oboe concerto. Particularly impressive was the way he effortlessly slid and melted, without a trill, from the final cadenza into the tutti. The last movement danced and was joyous. Really uplifting and exciting. To prove it was no fluke, Number 37 repeated his miraculous performance of the previous evening. After a short but agonising break came Sir Adrian’s speech. He commented that the only juror who had the stamina to listen to every single individual performance (about one hundred and eighty) was Prof. Orvid (who took a bow). I consider it brave and far-sighted of the CBSO organisers to have invited a USSR musician during the cold war. Sir Adrian, who had been a former chief conductor of the CBSO and knew the place well, voiced his criticism of the poor facilities and acoustics of the Birmingham Town Hall. He said a new hall was needed. We had to wait another twenty-five years until 1991 for Symphony Hall to be inaugurated and a few more for the Town Hall, and its magnificent organ, to be re-furbished. But who had won? Sir Adrian said that everyone agreed that there had been three memorable performances that evening. However, it is one matter to choose from among eighteen flute players but quite another from five different instruments playing different works. It has to be settled on pure musicianship and projection of the music to the audience. The jury, like their bassoon colleagues previously, could not decide. Second place went to Mr. Popa. First place was shared, equally remunerated with second, by Maurice Bourgue and Number 37. And just who was this Number 37? James Galway, of course. Number 37, a few years on. Despite its delights and high standards of both organisation and artistry, the eight- day competition entirely failed to capture the Birmingham public’s imagination. Audience attendance was pitifully poor. I bought my programme on the morning of day three; it was number 30. The CBSO must have made a thumping financial loss despite various charitable support grants. That summer was to see another international competition rather better attended, but sadly not musical. Thus the event was never repeated. Nowadays, with the public glued to competitions on TV and radio—Leeds Piano, Cardiff Singer, BBC Young Musician—one might hope that the CBSO may venture another event on the fiftieth anniversary in 2016. Perhaps to celebrate twenty-five years of Symphony Hall? Overall impressions? What counted in the end was not dexterity and technical ability but how such was applied in the service of the music. How performances reached out to and engaged the audience. As for me, there was now the anticipation of hearing Mr. Galway play the Nielsen again at the CBSO summer proms. But what had I learned from my morning off school? Two things. First, don’t give up the day job as you will never be good enough. Second, even as an amateur, play the music, not the notes. •

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Christopher Hyde-Smith: A life in music (and diplomacy!) By Simon Hunt

hristopher Hyde-Smith has had a long and successful career as a flute player and Cteacher, and was the first chairman of the British Flute Society in 1983. Christopher was born in 1935 in Egypt, where his father, an army officer, had been stationed. ‘It was a wonderful posting,’ he remembers. ‘There was almost no work to be done, so they played polo all the time!’ He came from a military family. His grandfather was a general who had served in three wars, the Boer War and the First and Second World Wars. His father was in the army until the end of the Second World War, when he transferred to the Foreign Office and was posted to Germany. ‘I was passionate about the flute from an early age,’ remembers Christopher. ‘I wanted to get one of my own, just after the war, and we went into Hamburg where my father found one, a sim- ple-system flute which was OK for me at the time. It was bought for forty Player’s cigarettes!’ Christopher was sent to school in England and used to go to Germany for the holidays. He was at a boarding preparatory school, then went to Eton. He had been playing the flute for two or three years by then. Was it quite an eccentric thing to play the flute at Eton? ‘Yes, because the school was mainly based on sport. The man who taught the flute, Bill O’Reilly, was a great enthusiast and played in the London theatres. They had a number of distinguished instrumental teachers, Neville Marriner, Harvey Phillips, and the head of music, called the precentor, was Dr. Sydney Watson, quite a musical genius. The more accomplished players were allowed to play in the Slough Philharmonic,

Photographs: Fritz Curzon which Dr. Watson conducted.’

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Christopher Hyde-Smith At the time he played an ordinary German Boehm-system flute. ‘It was not with some of the flutes in his collection. until just before I went to the Royal College of Music that I got a Rudall Carte. The standard price at the time was £75. At that time the players of the three main orchestras, the LSO, the RPO and the Philharmonia all played on Rudall Cartes: my teacher, Edward Walker in the LSO, Gerald Jackson in the RPO and Gareth Morris in the Philharmonia. It may be popular these days to decry these players, but they were extraordinarily good.’ At the RCM, Christopher studied with Eddie Walker, but then came army service, which he had to do. ‘I did my conscription in the Irish Guards and so was in and around London, with Colin Bradbury, later principal clarinet in the BBC Symphony Orchestra. It was a good way of earning some money as there were no student grants available to me, so concerts on bandstands, changing the guard and so on were welcome sources of income. Nobody told me about transposing. I’d done the audition and played the solo from William Tell, and they were suitably impressed. Then on my first date with the band, William Tell was on the stand again, and it looked as if it was the same, but it was for flute in D flat and I had to transpose the whole thing up a semitone. It was a complete nightmare, a mess! In fact it had a bad effect on the nerves. They were expecting me to be able to do it, and I couldn’t.’ Because of army service he was only a student at the RCM for five terms. At that time, orchestral positions were advertised in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday mornings. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra advertised for a first flute and he

38 June 2011 flute• asked Eddie Walker if he should apply, just for the experience. Eddie Walker said At my grandfather’s what he always said if there was a doubt, ‘I’ll ask Dad.’ So, he asked his father (a very eighty-fifth birthday distinguished flute player), who said, ‘Let him apply,’ and he did. Rudolf Schwarz, party I was invited with who was the musical director, liked his solo playing. his elderly friends and ‘The CBSO decided to expand the flute section from two players to three, so they was introduced as ‘the appointed Tony Moroney as principal (a fine player) and they appointed me third distinguished flautist’. flute and piccolo and reserve principal. There wasn’t much first playing until Tony At the end of the tea Moroney was ill for a Festival Hall concert with Andrzej Panufnik, by then the party one of the old musical director.’ ladies who lived in the He stayed in Birmingham for just over two years. ‘I wanted to come back to same village said to me, London, but there was a bit of political pressure because Panufnik wanted me to ‘Tell me, my dear, what be first flute and play for his concerts, so the best thing for me was to clear out. do you actually do to My friend Colin Bradbury told me that Bernstein’s Candide was going to be put on floors?’ in London with an all-star cast. Unfortunately it only lasted a few weeks, but we became friends with the actors and remained so for years.’ After that, he started freelancing, which was not as pressured as it is now. In 1960, he went to the Edinburgh Festival with a ballet company for three weeks and Jean-Pierre Rampal was playing all the Bach sonatas and the Mozart concertos. ‘I A flute player need not be contacted him, which I suppose was a bit cheeky, and he was absolutely marvellous. solely obsessed with music. Christopher, in his younger I went to his hotel suite and played to him about four times, and he helped me days, considered show enormously. I was still playing the wooden flute. In fact, I played the wooden flute jumping as a profession. with a gold headjoint similar to the instrument played by Richard Adeney for most Here he is shown in action of his career.’ in Germany in 1950 on Does he regret the change to a metal flute? ‘Just the other day somebody wrote what he describes as his to me about the London Mozart Players’ recordings of the late 1970s which have wonderful, courageous and faithful friend Hakim, a been transferred to CDs, saying that the flute sounded marvellous in Schubert 5 and Polish-bred, half-Arab horse. Haydn 90, and wondering what flute it was. In fact, it was the wooden flute with ‘Of course,’ says Christopher, the gold headjoint, and it makes one wonder if it was ‘he won!’ worth all the sweat of changing to a silver flute with open holes!’ The Northern Sinfonia was formed in the early 1960s with Christopher as first flute, Anthony Camden as first oboe and Henry Messent as second flute. After two seasons the Northern Sinfonia decided to appoint a full-time principal flute. ‘By this time, I was getting involved with the London Mozart Players and other things. So, I turned it down and that’s when they appointed David Haslam, a fine player who had studied with Gareth Morris.’ Did he know Gareth Morris? ‘He became a good friend. I went to Gareth for two lessons, and he was extraordinarily generous. The lesson would start at ten in the morning and go on till lunchtime. He would take very little money. He was generous and also, later, with his advice. It is worth saying that, of course, he was in the Philharmonia Orchestra then and Karajan wanted to take him to the Berlin Phil and www.bfs.org.uk 39 flute•

the Vienna Phil when he was conducting these orchestras. It is true, I heard it from Brian Chadwick, who was a great friend. ‘In the Mozart Players in the early days, the wind principals were Gervase de Peyer, then Thea King, Archie Camden, Barry Tuckwell. Later, Neil Black joined with whom I had a wonderful musical partnership. It was a wonderful period. One of the highlights was playing under Igor Stravinky in Athens in his Oedipus Rex and his Symphony in Three Movements.’ Apart from his solo and orchestral work and some session playing (he played on some Lawrence of Arabia sessions), Christopher is known for his chamber music playing and his recordings, notably those with the harpist Marisa Robles, his first wife. They started with the Debussy and Bax trios, then gave the first performance of Alan Rawsthorne’s trio for flute, viola and harp. They did as many as fifty performances a year with the trio. Later, they augmented the trio with a violin, because a number of works had been written for Gordon Walker and his Lyra Quartet, including Christopher Hyde-Smith some by William Alwyn, and extended it further to include with his wife, Jane Dodd. the Ravel Introduction and Allegro instrumentation (flute, clarinet, strings and harp). ‘Marisa and I married in 1968 and it was happy in all ways, but the pressures of the profession, which I loved so much, did spill over into the house. Various managers behaved, in my opinion, extremely badly. One of them came to the house when I was working and said to Marisa that he would like to take her and the children and put them in a flat! When I came back from whatever date it was, she was in tears. We remained married until 1982. We did an enormous amount of work.’ In addition to many performances of the Mozart flute and harp concerto, Christopher often appeared a a soloist in flute concertos. One was the C.P.E. Bach G major concerto—‘Very demanding on breath, stamina, the huge leaps,’ he remembers. (I remember Jean-Pierre Rampal telling me that this was one of the few works that made him nervous.) One day, after a live broadcast performance of the William Alwyn Divertimento for solo flute, Christopher asked Alwyn if he could go and play it to him. ‘His life was a bit low at the time and he said he was sure it would be all right. Then I had a most effusive letter from him. So, being a bit cheeky, I asked him if he would write us a piece for flute and harp, and so Naiades was born. It was first played at the Bath Festival of 1971 when Marisa was very pregnant with our number two, and she had some difficulty in getting the harp close enough to play!’ Christopher and Marisa commissioned many works. ‘Well, we were lucky in this case. Alwyn, because of the film industry (and I imagine he was doing well), made us a present of Naiades. Then William Matthias wrote the Zodiac Trio for us, with the signs of the zodiac of each member, for each movement. And imposed on this, and between each movement, is his own sign, Scorpio! He also wrote a concerto for flute, harp, strings and percussion called Melos. And the very young Welsh composer John Metcalfe wrote a piece for us which included various flutes.’

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Christopher had a distinguished teaching career at the RCM, starting in 1963. ‘I My aunt once said was very much the junior. John Francis was teaching, and Eddie Walker. I remained to me, ‘I understand until 2000. Gradually things got more structured—set repertoire for the end of the that you sometimes year, for the two post-graduate years and for entrance exams. I loved hearing all give concerts in the these players, and the number of applicants for these places then, compared with evenings, but what on when I was a student, was astounding. In one year there were 104 applicants for six earth do you do with places!’ the rest of your time?’ Christopher is concerned that, in the last twenty years or so, flute players have lost an all-round interest in former periods and styles of playing. ‘Something else which makes the flute less interesting as a soloist, is the lack of tonal variety. Obviously, we are somewhat limited in dynamic range compared with the violin, so in order to make up for the lack of dynamics, you have to have tonal variety. Orchestral playing is one thing, but if you have to entertain people for a whole evening you must have tonal variety.’ For this reason, with Albert Cooper’s help, Christopher has reinstated the flute in B flat and the flûte d’amour in A. ‘John Amadio, the great soloist of the first half of the twentieth century, used these lower flutes to play with the singers because he felt that the mellowness of the lower-pitched flutes helped to match the voice. So I have a flute in B flat and one in A.’ Later, with the pianist Jane Dodd (Christopher’s second wife) he commissioned quite a number of pieces. ‘In a way the most interesting is a piece by Edwin Roxburgh, in six movements, each one for a different flute, in C, in B flat, in A, alto flute, bass flute and piccolo.’ Then, Stephen Dodgson wrote a piece for the flûte d’amour and piano. Simon Hunt is a long-serving What of players of the old school? What was it like learning with Eddie Walker? member of the British Flute Society’s council and was present ‘Of all the players I have known, he was the most natural player I have ever come when the society was founded. across. I remember asking him about what I should be doing with the embouchure. He edited this journal for some He said, “Just pick up the flute, put it to your lips, old boy, and blow it!” Playing the years. Simon was a successful flute flute was absolutely natural to him, as though he had taken it up in the pram.’ player and teacher before setting up his thriving music publishing He finds much to commend both in the playing styles of the French players and businesses, Pan Educational Music the English ones. ‘I think that Gareth Morris earlier in his life played with vibrato and Hunt Edition. and only later got this reputation for playing without. It was certainly the case: Moyse with vibrato and Morris, in later years, without. For me, the aim is to incorporate the best of each. I know it’s sacrilege to say so, but I didn’t terribly like Moyse’s playing. He made a most beautiful sound, but I think he was artistically a bit suspect. In the Mozart flute and harp concerto he alters the tempi, which is why he fell out with some of the bigger-time people like Rudolf Serkin. His style was not modern. He used to refer to Roussel as modern! Vibrato is a way of changing the mood or atmosphere. You shouldn’t play with the same vibrato all the time, particularly in orchestral playing, where you are blending. Sometimes you hear the flute with a wide vibrato and the clarinet with a straight sound in a chord, and the result is awful.’ Christopher was elected chairman of the British Flute Society at the first meeting at Boosey & Hawkes, Edgware. ‘It was a most enjoyable time, and successful, too. I think one of the reasons why it was successful was because I had such a good team: John Francis, secretary, Tony Bingham, treasurer, Trevor Wye and Lorna Lewis, editors. I remember when Julius Baker came to play. We also had Maxence Larrieu and Richard Adeney—Jane Dodd played for him, the three Malcolm Arnold sonatas, and Malcolm came to the concert.’ I remind Christopher that he was very diplomatic. ‘That’s why I got the job—I was born to be a diplomat!’ • www.bfs.org.uk 41 flute•

Trevor James Flutes

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Trevor James PAN - September 2009.indd 1 26/06/2009 14:03:00 Flute teaching the Suzuki way

By Diana Dickerson

he picture of small violinists with their tiny violins is a well-known image. Less well known is the Suzuki Method for flute, created by Toshio Takahashi, Twhich combines the philosophy of Dr. Suzuki’s teaching method with the technique teachings of Marcel Moyse. Mr Takahashi has created an exciting and well-planned method to teach ‘tone’ and ‘expressive’ playing. As a philosophy-based Diana Dickerson has been method I find it satisfying as it focuses not only on musical values but personal ones teaching Suzuki Method flute too. The story of my pupil Eleanor and her mother Sue is a good example of the fun for ten years. After a career in and ease of learning of the Suzuki Method. media and having her children The Suzuki Method gained international attention in the 1950s. Many classical she came across Suzuki Method musicians were astonished by the standard of such young children. The Method is while looking for a teacher for often referred to as ‘Mother Tongue’ method as it is based on the way we learn to her young son. Having read the philosophy she decided this speak, gradually and from birth, usually from our parents. We do this by imitating was the path she would follow what we hear, which, as small children, is often repeated to us many times. Speaking into teaching and has achieved begins with small sounds, followed by proper words and then phrases, until finally a Diploma of the European conversation is possible. With the Suzuki Method children listen first to sounds, then Suzuki Association. She organises tone, phrases and repertoire. In the same way that children pick up the inflections national workshops and training, of a regional accent, they will pick up through recordings not only the main musical teaches in schools throughout the Bristol area and has a large elements of a piece but the nuances of the performer. They listen to recordings private teaching studio. of the repertoire, internalising them completely and learning to play the pieces not by reading but through imitation. Instrumental and music reading skills are taught together, but only when the student has complete control of the instrument in exactly the way basic language is mastered before reading text. Children who are immersed in classical music at home know what sounds good. Children who learn only from the page tend to sound a little like those who learn a foreign language only from a text book. Six-year-old Eleanor has been learning with me for nearly two years and comes every Saturday for a lesson with her mother, Sue. As Eleanor was only four when she started, lessons focused primarily on pre-instrument steps. To begin with she attended the lessons of other students who were learning elementary repertoire so that she could start to understand what an instrumental lesson involved. This taught her appropriate behaviour and allowed her to feel comfortable with me in my teaching studio.

The role of the parents. The parent, or parent substitute, is key to the success of early learning. The job of the parent begins early on as they must ensure that the child listens daily to the repertoire CD. Dr. Suzuki understood the excitement a

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parent shows when a baby utters their first word and the moti- vation that creates for a baby to repeat and say more. He clev- erly harnessed this: the parent’s involvement is an inducement to the child to learn and play. Many parents learn to play the flute themselves before the child begins. In Sue’s case she was already learning basic violin to help her older daughter and so we took the decision to teach her just the very basic flute techniques. During Eleanor’s lessons she makes notes and then takes responsibility for organising Eleanor’s practice during the week. She will guide the practice and make sure the main point of the lesson is practised each day as well as reviewing previ- ous pieces, listening and helping with anything else that has The Suzuki triangle at work. been set. This triangle of child, parent and teacher is essential Eleanor’s mother takes to the early start. Young children need help to practise and parents are very good notes. at coaxing the child to play, judging good times for practice and knowing when they have had enough. As they become more independent then rather than ‘home teacher’ the parent becomes a ‘chauffeur and cheerleader’. No teenager wants to be corrected by a parent.

Progression through repertoire. The repertoire is arranged in small, success-ori- I am mentally preparing ented steps made up, in the early stages, of mainly Baroque pieces and folk songs. myself for the five-year-old These genres have been chosen because they have clear melodic lines, simple mind. I want to come down rhythms and structure. The right hand is introduced almost straight away so as to to their physical limitations ensure that the hand is placed correctly. As a result the right hand is confident of its and up to their sense of role and the risk of poor hand positioning is minimised. wonder and awe. Each new piece of the repertoire is just part of the Suzuki teacher’s toolbox. Each Dr. Shin’ichi Suzuki piece is designed to help the child to develop a particular technique. If a piece does not have a new learning point it is used to give support to the learning point of previous pieces. After having great success with the last piece Eleanor learned, I suggested that she could start note-learning the next piece listed on the CD with her Mum. I played it to her on my flute and she said immediately, ‘Oh, I know that one already’. Sure enough she found the notes herself with little guidance. Dr. Suzuki taught ‘Children assume ability’. Eleanor may have been note-learning a new Tamzin keeps the ball in the air. piece at home and at that point there may be many points to focus on, neat fingers, articulation, breath control but a child of four or five cannot take on board all these things in one short lesson. By focusing on just one of these points it is possible to really fix it and the following lesson it can either be reinforced or a new point can be fixed. This way there is no overload of information and the parent is clear what the focus of the lesson was. Often, a review piece will help to reinforce the lesson point and this gives the opportunity to allow the student to feel confident by playing a better-known piece. Review plays a large part in the Suzuki philosophy. Just as a child will learn to say ‘Mummy’, they won’t then stop saying it as they learn the new word ‘Daddy’. In the same way children taught in the Suzuki way keep previously learned pieces at performance level,

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constantly improving and polishing them both at home and in lessons, they never consider a piece to be ‘finished’. As a result a child always has a piece ready, giving them confidence to perform whenever asked, whether it be at school, in a group lesson, at home for family, in a large prestigious venue or indeed in an examination. Suzuki students progress through a structure of graduation levels. There are no failures because the teacher decides when they are ready to graduate to the next level and each child has the opportunity to perform a graduation piece in a beautiful venue. In London, graduations take place at St. John’s, Smith Square, and parents are always stunned at how their children get up on stage and perform so well with excitement rather than Students play ‘spot the apprehension. Although the first summer Eleanor had only just started individual rhythm’. lessons with me she still participated in the concert I have at a local church. She took her place on stage just as the others did, held her flute beautifully in rest position, took a bow then returned to her seat. The smile across her face was enormous as the audience of around a hundred people clapped as hard as they had for any of the other students taking part—it may have been just a bow but it was all about having the confidence to stand in front of the audience and to have a positive experience. The common repertoire all the teachers have enables children all around the world to unite at workshops and summer schools. Last year’s summer school in the UK had teachers and students from over ten countries participating all playing the same repertoire together by heart.

Group lessons. As Eleanor grew in confidence she started to join in with group lessons. Suzuki Method is not a group method. Each student has a weekly individual lesson and a frequent group lesson with students of a similar standard and some- times mixed. This helps to: Working away from the • Consolidate the learning done in individual lessons through review flute helps clarify the • Gives scope to hear repertoire above the current standard teaching point. Esther • Gives a safe performance opportunity works on F sharp to E on a wooden clave to allow her • Encourages social growth and motivation think only of her fingers.

Most of the review gives the student a chance to learn something new about the repertoire or a connected skill. One of the Elementary Group’s favourite games is playing hide and seek. One child goes into a different room and the others hide a toy. When the ‘seeker’ returns, instead of shouting ‘hotter’ or ‘colder’ the group play a piece they can all play, louder for closer and softer for further from the toy. After the game, which they would actually play for the whole lesson given the chance, we shout ‘forte’ and whisper ‘piano’ and then we try playing through some of our repertoire using these dynamics. Often a group class will have some ‘solo’ time giving the students opportunity to play to each other providing a safe

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performance opportunity. Also, a seven-year-old is far more inspired hearing a ten-year-old play than having the teacher play. Playing an instrument can be a lonely business in the beginning until the student is proficient enough to join a band or orchestra. Group lessons allow the child to be part of something from the very beginning and this provides great motivation. Often parents will compare practice ideas while waiting for the group lesson to finish and again. This helps with home practice. Although a parent’s attendance and attention are vital to individual lessons, I actively encourage the parents not to attend group lessons as these help the child not only to develop Placing a napkin over the hands helps Ollie to feel independence but also to bond really well with the rest of the and see in a mirror when group. Additionally, group lessons often act as a strong motivator for practice. A his fingers rise too high. child will hear a piece from the repertoire which is above their current playing standard and be very keen to play it, knowing they must achieve success with their current pieces before moving on.

Every Child Can Learn. Dr. Suzuki named his method ‘Talent Education’. He fully believed that it was ‘nurture’ rather than ‘nature’ that developed ‘talent’. Many people assumed that the children he toured with were hand-picked ‘talented’ children but that was far from the truth. He would accept any student with a wish to play and indeed put more effort into those who didn’t flourish immediately. Developing the whole child rather than creating ‘prodigies’ was his wish, and as a teacher I am always the most proud of the student with the greatest struggle, just as in concerts the child who makes a slip but determinedly finishes the performance gets the biggest applause. Not only this but the structure of the method helps the children for whom things don’t come so easily.

Teacher Development. A feature of the Suzuki Method is that the repertoire is committed to memory by both teachers and students. When I began to train as a Suzuki teacher I was concerned that this would be overwhelming. However, just as the children learn in small steps this is how I started and was pleasantly surprised at how able I have become at internalising and memorising the pieces. It cannot be by chance that we refer to memorisation as ‘playing by heart’ because our ability to express the music is much better when we know it so intimately. Being able to play at a recital and leave ‘my friend the music stand’ at home is a wonderful experience If you would like to find and while I know some teachers will have performed most of their lives by memory, out more about Suzuki for me it has been life-changing. Method for flute, visit After nearly ten years of teaching the Suzuki way I still enjoy sharing ideas that we www.britishsuzuki.org. always have when together at teacher training events, summer schools and annual uk or ring 020 3176 4170, concerts. Teachers of all instruments are able to observe each other, take the best or if you are interested in ideas and use them to improve, constantly, their own teaching techniques. It also attending an introductory day contact Diana by email: gives teachers a forum to find solutions to any issues their students may be having. [email protected] I remember in the early days watching a very experienced Suzuki flute teacher playing with a group the wonderful Lullaby by Schubert. While still playing, one by

46 June 2011 flute• one, they all lay down then jumped up when they reached the ‘busy’ section in the middle. As the original theme returned, they lay down again. What a fun and memorable way of demonstrating the ‘ABA’ structure, its meaning and the composer’s intentions! Several years later I see new teachers using the same idea and others because they have seen how easy it is to learn and remember when teaching activities are fun and address the different learning needs and styles of the children. Eleanor is now six and plays more than two octaves of notes with good tone and intonation. Each lesson has an element of tone work, current piece, review, scales and reading and her concentration is fantastic. She has a group of flute friends and likes to play her flute to anyone who will listen. This overview contains the ‘core’ ideas of Suzuki Method. The strong social supports and the positive environment that help nurture good, expressive playing without the coaching of every single note and as a teacher the wide forum always available to us with the large community of teachers and parents teaching and learning this way are what make this philosophy invaluable. • Dr. Shin’ichi Suzuki.

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Tango like a Tanguero

Five little tips to help a classical flute player perform tango music

By Jessica Quiñones

any classical players first discover the beauty and allure of tango music through Astor Piazzolla’s repertoire written specifically for flute. My first experience with tango music was L’Histoire du Tango scored for flute and American flautist Jessica M Quiñones holds flute perfor- guitar. A chance encounter with it performed by a classical flute and guitarist had mance degrees from The Royal me enchanted by the way that Piazzolla uses colourful melodies, instrumental Scottish Academy of Music in drumming, and unusual rhythmic accentuation which form part of his personal Glasgow and The University Tango Nuevo style. of Denver’s Lamont School of Living in the vibrant city of Buenos Aires while doing field work for a Ph.D. in Music in the USA. Embracing tango music has led me to expand the way that I approach playing this genre. I her Latin roots, Ms. Quiñones is currently undertaking a am hoping that this miniature guide will serve to inspire you to learn more about Ph.D. in flute performance at tangueros, tango music and its unique performance style to help enhance any future the University of Huddersfield, flute performances. where she has received full funding to explore Astor Tip 1: Let’s understand the flute in tango as part of a bigger picture… Piazzolla’s tango flute music. Her As examples of tango’s spread on an international platform, the genre, including hobbies include dancing the tango, studying Expressionist its music, lyrics and dance, was added to the UNESCO Representative List as an art, Ashtanga yoga and finding ‘Intangible Cultural to the Heritage of Humanity’, and in the twenty years since Astor the perfect chocolate brownie Piazzolla’s death, his flute compositions have been recorded and released on albums recipe. by musicians worldwide. Both his 1986 Histoire Du Tango and his 1987 Six Tango-Études pour flûte seule have quickly entered the flute repertoire and have become accepted as ‘art music’ despite the associations with tango as the core of their musical style. Author’s picture The role of the flute in tango is curious and unique in that it has not found a similar course in tango history that can be compared to other instruments of the tango sound, such as the violin or the bandoneon. The transverse flute only made initial appearances in tango roughly between the years 1905 to 1920. The original tango ensemble was the orquesta típica criolla, a small trio (terceto) that was formed of a violin, flute (or clarinet) and a guitar (or bandoneÓn). Using habanera rhythms, the groups played lively tangos, milongas and valses in bordellos. Fain suggests that the flute and the violin in the original tercetos were used because three in an ensemble were inexpensive to hire. It was easy for these musicians to move quickly if the establishments in which they were playing were raided by the police. It seems these musicians were not paid very well for each gig, so they played at many venues in one night’s work. A portable instrument such as the flute was easy to transport from establishment to establishment. After the tango made an appearance in Paris in 1911, it gained popularity and

Photograph: Chris Sands Chris Photograph: acceptance from the middle and upper classes who started to claim it as ‘Argentinean’.

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The venues in which tango music was played became more reputable. The flautist (who was often employed to play melodic lines) was replaced by multiple bandoneonistas, because these musicians could play both the rhythm and melodic musical sections at one time. A string section was added because the musicians were playing in larger spaces and the flute was simply not loud enough for larger venues hosting tango dances. The flute would not enter the traditional ensembles with the same popularity of the early tercetos until Piazzolla incorporated it into the tango orchestra of his only opera Maria de Buenos Aires (1968). He added flute to Conjunto 9 (or Conjunto Electronico) for a brief period in the 1970s, but it was not until the 1980s that his flute compositions, the Six Tango-Études pour Flûte Seule and Histoire du Tango were composed. As the flute was not often included in traditional orquesta típicas after its earlier appearances, what inspired Piazzolla to compose flute pieces in the 1980s? The music he performed with his New Tango Sextet consisted Tango dancers in La Boca, of cello, double bass, piano, guitar, and two bandoneons, one of the birthplaces of so why write these flute compositions? tango. Despite recent interviews with tango musicians, and trips to Buenos Aires and to Piazzola’s birthplace, Mar de Plata, to visit archives, it is still a matter of Mural of Astor Piazzola, speculation why he composed these pieces. In an interview in 2010, arranger and Buenos Aires. An example scholar Marcelo Costas in Buenos Aires suggested that the flute pieces were written of street art specifically because Piazzolla wanted to carry on his legacy of tango to other instruments. He dedicated to famous suggested that Piazzolla knew his health was failing, so he chose flute as one of the tangueros. instruments to feature his music, as it is a popular instrument worldwide. Despite the mystery surrounding these pieces, these are among the most popular tango flute compositions of the twentieth century because they have become established in the western flute repertoire.

Tip 2: Symbolic associations are not all about fedoras, fishnets and roses Scholars disagree about the exact origins of tango, but there has always been the sentiment that the genre is a symbolic representation of many things. For western- ers, it has been a symbol for passion, sexual tension and has an erotic quality. As a westerner approaching the tango, I think that it would be useful to understand a bit about the symbolism that can be associated with the genre. My experience of doing field work in Buenos Aires has led me to ponder its affiliations with class, gender roles, Mufarse, sexual struggle, and Argentine national identity.

Tip 3: Understand how the tango style is disseminated for greater freedom of your performance Since the mid 1980s various music schools and academies in Buenos Aires have emerged with a department specifically devoted to teaching and preserving tango,

such as the Academia Nacional del Tango. Before this, orquesta típicas were the places in Gualtieri Francisco Photographs:

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which aspiring tango musicians trained. If one wanted to play, they would need to be employed by one of the orquestas and learn by ear from the other instrumentalists in the ensemble. Every orchestra had a different style of performing rhythm, harmony and melody that would become a trademark of their unique sound. Many tango singers in the past, such as Carlos Gardel, did not read music and instead sang what felt ‘right’. In a similar tradition, when playing tangos that are ‘standards of the repertoire’, that is, the great tango classics, many instrumentalists perform from memory and improvise within the standard melody. A common term associated with this style of performance is a la parilla, which literally means ‘to the grill’, literally referring to the action of having to enter the fire of playing from memory!

Tip 4: The great score debate

Photographs: Francisco Gualtieri Francisco Photographs: The first problem I encountered in my early days of performing tango was ‘where do I find scores?’ Academia Nacional del Unlike in classical music, where the text is the ‘music’ to be followed, tango scores Tango, Buenos Aires are flexible. They should be arranged to suit your instrumentation because in tango performance practice, arrangers are the ultimate ‘editors’. One example of this philosophy in the tango world was apparent when I ventured to the Piazzolla archive in Mar De Plata. I asked head archivist, ‘So who comes to visit the archive? Do you have many Argentine musicians sourcing scores here?’ His response: ‘Jessica, it is only westerners who come looking for scores. Tango Tango musicians busking in the streets. players arrange their own.’ I mention this story because it exemplifies the notion that as westerners we are often attached to a score as the ‘authentic’ way to play. In published scores for ‘export’, editors are employed by publishing houses to make, in my opinion, something ‘authentic’ for a western player to read. If you watch live performances of tangueros, very few players in tango ensembles use music scores, which leads the music to come across as more improvisatory. Outside Argentina it is harder to find arrangements. If you do, they are very expensive and not written for flute specifically. However, you still can find arrangers who are selling their scores for western players if you are more comfortable reading a pre-arranged

Photograph: Nadim Photograph: Abraham score.

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Tip 5: Tango musical techniques are very different from classical techniques Once you have a tango arrangement or score or melody that you would like to play, it might help to find a recording of that tango played by different orquesta típicas. Listening to different interpretations of one song will help you become familiar with the different range of techniques used to inspire your own playing. Various orquesta típicas to become inspired by include those of the bandleaders Di Sarli, Canaro, D’Arienzo, Pugliese, and of course, Piazzolla. Listening to tango singers throughout tango’s history is a fast way to pick up on tango improvisation and how the melody is carried in relation to the bass line. Listening will also help you understand different ways to treat the rhythmic and melodic sections in tango. Why? Because tango melodies are sung freely and each vocalist has their own unique flavour of performance style. For example, the melodic changes you might encounter when comparing the notation on a score to the actual performance of a tanguero might include the addition of:

• Pauses within the bar lines • Repeated notes • Turns • Trills and mordents • Neighbour tones • Glissandos • Articulation changes • Octave changes • Highlighting of certain notes by changing rhythms

Similarly, changes that are added by tangueros when playing rhythmic sections might include:

• Detailed accentuation patterns • Shadow effects of accented notes • Vibrato use limited to longer notes • Semi-slurred articulations added • Arrastres (‘dragging’) • Pitch bends • Glissandos

Vocalists with varying styles are Carlos Gardel, Julio Sosa, Susan Rinaldi, Rosita Quiroga, and Robert Goyenoche. In conclusion, these tips are not to serve as an all inclusive approach to the tango genre. To limit interpretation would confine the creative process and the possibilities for the many influences of this rich music. Instead, I hope a new reading of this flute music is enhanced as the genre of tango continues to be reborn worldwide.

Glossary

• A la parilla. Literally ‘to the grill’, referring to the action of having to enter the fire of playing from memory.

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• Bandoneón. A relative to the accordion, it was invented to replace the harmonium in churches as it was a less expensive instrument. It is speculated that it made its way from Germany to Buenos Aires in the late 1800s by sailors arriving in the port city. • Bandoneonista. A player of the bandoneón. • Flautista tanguero. A tango flute player. • Mufarse. Julie Taylor, an American anthropologist who lived in Argentina for many years, thinks that tango reflects the state of Mufarse, which is a national sentiment of ‘bitter introspection’. See her book listed below to learn more. • Orquesta típica. This is the name for a traditional tango ensemble, usually compris- ing a string section (with violins, viola, and cello), a bandoneón section (with three or more bandoneÓns) and a rhythmic section (with piano, and double bass). • Tango Nuevo. Tango infused with classical and jazz idioms, including the use of new instrumentation and harmonic structures, made famous by Astor Piazzolla. • Tanguero. A name given to a tango aficionado, or anyone who practises the genre.

Books and articles

I have listed some texts published in English that you might find interesting, as many are widely available through your local library. These will serve as a platform for your understanding of tango music and the other things associated with it you might not have realised. After all, isn’t the performance of any genre greatly enhanced when the reasons behind the music become more familiar? • Azzi, Maria Susana and Collier, Simon. Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla. Oxford University Press, USA, 2000. • Collier, Simon. Tango!, edited by Simon Collier, et al. London: Thames and Hudson, 1995. • Ferris-Thompson, Robert. Tango: The Art History of Love. New York City: Pantheon, 2005. • Gorin, Natalio. Astor Piazzolla: A Memoir. Portland: Amadeus Press, 2001. • Kutnowski, Martin. ‘Instrumental Rubato and Phrase Structure in Astor Piazzolla’s Music’, Latin American Music Review, 23 (1), 106–13, 2002. • Savigliano, Marta E. Tango and the Political Economy of Passion. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1995. • Taylor, Julie. Paper Tangos. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1998.

Playing manuals

If you can’t venture to Buenos Aires for tango music lessons, I would recommend the only two performance manuals published in English as a starting point: • Fain, Paulina. Método de la Flauta en El Tango, Ricordi Publishing, 2010. • Salgan, Horacio. Tango Course, second edition. Translated by Will Genz and Marisa Hurtado. Buenos Aires, (privately published), 2001.

Internet resources

www.jqflute.com/flute-music-links.html

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• Reviews sonatas, in E major, E minor and C major, with simple, unobtrusive accompaniments. Marina Piccinini performs the solo Partita in A minor with a tasteful rhythmic flexibility. She plays opening Allemande with such variations in colour that CDs the structure of the piece is made clear; she plays the Sarabande as the dance it was intended to be (rather than as the dirge that many players give us); and she plays the Corrente and Bourrée anglaise with an easy virtuosity. While checking this review before publication, some weeks after writing it, I played through these performances again. I am smitten. This is truly beautiful music-making. Robert Bigio

Bach Flute Sonatas. Marina Piccinini, flute; Brasil Guitar Duo (João Luiz and Douglas Lora). Avie AV2196 (2 CDs).

This is must-have recording. Bach sonatas accompa- nied by a guitar duo, you say? Surely this is a gimmick? Put aside any prejudices—these are just wonderful Inward. Richard Craig, flutes; Karin Hellqvist, performances, and the works sound so good that they violin; Pontus Langendorf, percussion. Métier might almost have been written for this combination. MSV28517 - 2011 Marina Piccinini combines musical subtlety and ele- gance with fluid virtuosity and a gorgeous sound, and As flautists we are familiar with the ‘extended tech- her two excellent guitar colleagues complement her niques’ which are called for in contemporary works, in every way. The balance makes the playing seem but despite their having been part of the stock-in- easy: there is no forcing on the part of the flute player, trade of composers and imaginative performers for who is free to play as softly as she likes (and she pro- over fifty years they still all too often feel like ‘exten- duces the most ravishing pianissimos). sions’, rather than being integrated convincingly The sonatas with obbligato harpsichord parts, the into the stuff of the performance. This recording is, ones in B minor, E flat major, A major and G minor among other things, an important marker of how (let us leave aside the theories that some of these things can and should be: a committed and sensuous were not really by Bach) work beautifully with the riposte to the detractors of the (technically and musi- guitar duo, and it is a delight to hear the continuo cally) difficult contemporary repertoire. www.bfs.org.uk 55 flute•

• Reviews

Dominik Karski’s Streamforms for solo bass flute and erotic ‘tails’ of activity of varying detail and opens the CD, and its relatively continuous threads of behaviour, entrancing; and the CD’s third ‘classic’, activity—key-clicks, tongue-slaps, breath sounds and and on the evidence of this performance the one with extraordinarily rapid flutter-tonguing—lead the ear the most longevity, Richard Barrett’s inward. Whereas on a relatively intuitive and comprehensible journey. the Croft’s sensuousness indulges us throughout, the Flautist Richard Craig inhabits the piece skilfully and Barrett work, for flute and percussion, tempers its thoughtfully. Brian Ferneyhough’s daunting solo flute eroticism and tactility with references to the more classic Unity Capsule, taken here markedly faster than I alienated language of the Ferneyhough piece. have ever heard before, but with no loss of detail nor All of the works are superbly, even sumptuously, any apparent haste, follows. Craig has simply become recorded. Richard Craig is a wonderfully authoritative so familiar with the density and tissue of the material and articulate performer, and the works here, classics or that he gives a truly virtuosic performance. This newly commissioned, are all important contributions doesn’t mean it is easy to listen to: as the CD liner’s to the flute repertoire. Anyone interested in the well-written notes put it, this is ‘dizzying, alienating flute’s capacities, technical and (more particularly) and painfully human’ music. musical, with respect to the contemporary end of that Evan Johnson’s L’art de toucher le clavecin wraps repertoire should buy this CD immediately. It too will Craig’s piccolo in Sciarrino-like upper-register violin become a classic. Simon Waters elaborations in a foretaste of the second of three classic works on the CD, Sciarrino’s own Venere che le grazie la fioriscono, in which the solo flute teeters ‘on the brink of audibility’ in a world of beautifully- inflected whistle tones and key clicks. The Johnson is a beautifully-woven piece, effortlessly holding its own with classics on this recording. The Sciarrino is preceded by a solo alto flute work, Alpha Waves, by Malin Bång which shares some language with the Karski piece, but is, for me, marginally less successful. The recording ends with perhaps the two most impressive works: John Croft’s simply beautiful …ne l’aura che trema for alto flute and live electronics, in which the former excites the latter into complex Travelling Man. Acoustic Earth (Andy Findon, flutes and whistles; Pete Walton, guitars; James Turner, percussion). www.acousticearth.com Flute reviews policy Andy Findon needs no introduction as one of the 1. A review is published for the benefit most versatile flute players in Britain today. This new album showcases his playing in the context of of the reader, not simply to give an an acoustic trio—Andy plays a mixture of flutes and artist some publicity. whistles accompanied by guitar and sparingly but 2. We do not guarantee to publish a effectively used tuned and untuned percussion. This review of every item sent to us. is Acoustic Earth’s first album and it is the result of 3. The editorial team will choose the three years’ research and planning. All the music is reviewer. Unsolicited reviews will not either composed or arranged by guitarist Pete Walton, be accepted. the arrangements being of tunes by the early eight- 4. The reviewer may not like the work. A eenth-century itinerant Irish harpist and composer good review is not guaranteed. Turlough O’Carolan (the Travelling Man of the CD’s title) and the original pieces inspired by him. As

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Reviews • you would expect, there is a strong Irish traditional is to be congratulated on his achievement; perhaps he influence throughout, but jazz and rock stylistic ele- may be prevailed upon to give us some less familiar ments add interesting melodic and harmonic twists, repertoire on his next CD. Christopher Steward although the overall musical character is relaxed and lyrical. Lorna Want is the guest vocalist on two tracks, one of which (King of Sorrow) is an atmospheric tribute to O’Carolan, who was blinded by smallpox at an early age. This is an unusual and interesting CD which demonstrates some great musicianship. Kenneth Bell

European Recital. Sonatines by Walter Gieseking and Alexandre Tansman, and Sonatas by Theodor Blumer and Ottorino Respighi. Jürgen Franz, flute; Henning Lucius, piano. Spektral SRL4-11090.

This somewhat prosaically-titled CD presents unfa- miliar works that have been a pleasure to hear. Fantaisie. Fantasies by Fauré, Gaubert, Hüe, Although the Gieseking Sonatine has been recorded Doppler, Taffanel and Borne. Mathieu Dufour, before it cannot be deemed mainstream repertoire. flute; Kuang-Hao Huang, piano. Çedille CDR It has a French sensitivity that is very engaging. The 90000 121. Sonata by Blumer is more traditionally German in style, and the well-written booklet notes refer to an affinity This CD is comprised entirely of nineteenth-century with the music of Reger—in particular in its use of fantasies, mostly French; all of them start slowly tonality. Tansman was a Pole who moved to Paris and and finish quickly—sometimes very quickly—so a was influenced by contact with French composers, degree of sameness might be expected. It is a disc to including some of ‘Les Six’; his music reflects their be dipped into rather than played as a programme. neo-classical style, though his Sonatine is an individual Mathieu Dufour was appointed to his first principal work with a variety of flavours in its five movements, flute post at the age of 20, and is currently holder of one of which is a foxtrot. The Sonata by Respighi is that position in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; his talent makes him eminently suited to present these AKIYAMA HANDMADE FLUTES pieces. His tone is light and velvety, and is effectively Tokyo, Japan modulated. The slow sections are played expressively www.akiyamaflute.com and with freedom; although the line is never lost, I would have preferred a more straightforward flow in places. The fast sections are crisply articulated and finger technique is immaculately clean. Listen to the filigree decoration in Taffanel’s Der Freischütz Fantasy, for example: the delicacy and effortlessness are Available from remarkable. And the virtuosity in the Borne Carmen Top Wind Fantasy is elegant rather than barnstorming. M. Dufour Telephone 020 7401 8787 www.topwind.com www.bfs.org.uk 57 flute•

• Reviews

not an original work for flute; it has been arranged by to favour loud, strong playing, mostly in the bottom the flute-player here from the Violin Sonata, and very two octaves. When I listen to Irish music I do occa- effectively. It is a large-scale work with correspond- sionally long for a key change. Calum Stewart is ingly broad, sweeping gestures. one of a new breed of folk flute players who have Jürgen Franz has a rich tone that is particularly moved beyond the occasionally narrow traditions impressive in the low register: strong and full where of the genre, away from D and G major, and has needed, but not forced. His use of vibrato is subtle, added variations in colour and dynamic that, to my and this helps to maintain a sustained expressive line classically-trained ears, provide a whole new layer without exaggeration. It is good to hear flute-playing of expressiveness. He plays on an unusual cylindri- of individuality and fine musicianship promoting cal, simple-system (eight-keyed) flute by Rudall Carte such valuable repertoire. Christopher Steward that gives him the flexibility of the standard conical flute commonly used in folk music, but with great power and improved intonation, and he uses the full range of the instrument. This is playing of subtlety and great beauty. Calum Stewart is a Scot who now lives in Brittany, where he has formed a duo with the excellent Heikke Bourgault. This recording was done honestly, in one take, giving it the spontaneity of a live performance. Highly recommended for lovers of folk music and for music lovers generally. Robert Bigio

Calum Stewart & Heikki Bourgault. Calum Stewart, flute; Heikki Bourgault, guitar; with Jacky Molard, violin and viola. www.calumheikki.com.

I love a session of Irish music—I love the energy, I love the camaraderie, I love the sheer joy of the music-making, I love the fact that performers and audience are often the same people. Players of Irish music like to play on simple-system flutes on which they often do not use the keys, since they mostly play in D and G major. The tradition has developed Bazaar. Original works and transcriptions for flute quartet. Arcadie Quartet (Judith Konter, Susanne Schrage, Thomas Brinkmann and Matthias Handmade Flutes Schmidt, flutes). VKJK 1118. in Silver, Gold © and Mokumeum . Piano works by Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Hoevenstraat 8 Debussy have been transcribed very effectively to 5712 GW Someren The Netherlands the flute quartet medium, using different-sized . flutes, and likewise Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte info@eloyfl utes.com www.eloyfl utes.com and the lovely Quartet in E minor by Telemann. They . rub shoulders with three original works. Wolfgang t: +31 (0)493 471290 Bartsch’s Schritte consists of three well-contrasted movements, with some jazz influence and some

58 June 2011 Adv. Convention Programflute 03• B/W/Greyscale.indd 1 5/15/08 11:40:56 AM

Reviews • distinctly intriguing sonorities from the lower flutes. the phases that the composer’s work passed through. The music of Mike Mower will be familiar to many The earliest of his compositions were written under readers: his Here we go again swings engagingly. The the pseudonym Chico Bororó, and are classified in title of the CD is derived from the title of the final the booklet as popular music; their Brazilian char- piece on the CD by Heike Beckmann. The bazaar is acter is most attractive. That character is maintained clearly an oriental one, and is evoked with consider- in the nationalistic music, which includes tran- able imagination. Written for four sizes of flute, not scriptions for various combinations, amongst them including the concert flute, it also uses the voice at wind quartet. With the move to neo-classical music times, and it proved an engrossing experience. Mignone’s voice becomes more cosmopolitan, and The members of the Arcadie Quartet swap perhaps less distinctive; the atonal music is consid- positions within the group, and play flutes down erably tougher, including the serial Sonata which I to the contrabass. Their playing is generally well- believe will repay further listening. Towards the end matched, although one of them has the unfortunate of his life Mignone reverted to tonal music, and some mannerism of bulging just after the beginning of of the characteristic Brazilian flavour returns, too. each articulated note, which I found very distracting. Sérgio Barrenechea’s playing is always competent, The dynamic range seemed generally rather limited although intonation around the break between (I wondered whether the recording was perhaps a the bottom two octaves is not always stable. I have little close); and some of the accompanying figuration somewhat mixed feelings about the musical impact; was a little too much to the fore. There is much to at times he plays with great charm and understanding, enjoy here, nevertheless, and the programme is well but at others flair seems to be lacking. There is no chosen and interesting. Christopher Steward doubt about his dedication to the cause of propagating Mignone’s music, for which we may be grateful.

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The Flute Music of Francisco Mignone. Works for flute and piano, and for other chamber combinations. Duo Barrenechea: Sérgio Germany Barrenechea, flute; Lúcia Barrenechea, piano; and mancke.com various supporting artists. JC012010. U.K. exclusive representative It is always interesting, and often a pleasure, to be introduced to the music of a hitherto unfamiliar Jonathan Myall Music composer. To be presented with a three-CD survey of www.justflutes.com the flute music of Francisco Mignone (1897–1986) is a +44 (0)20 8662 8400 positive luxury; particularly so since it demonstrates www.bfs.org.uk 59 flute•

• Reviews

of forty years. Extended techniques are used to a fairly limited extent; certainly the sonatas do not sound like catalogues of effects, which can be the case. The pieces are clearly rooted in traditional music, but developed into a thoroughly contem- porary and vital language. The overall impression is of energy: the cumulative intensity and passion are almost overwhelming at times, and they serve to highlight the moments of repose. There is a number of interesting effects: in the fifth sonata the performer walks intermittently on stage while playing—with extremely heavy boots, apparently. A composer—an interpreter. Dan Voiceulescu: The eighth sonata requires the player to alternate Nine Sonatas for solo flute. Ion Bogdan between flute and piccolo, linking the episodes Ştefanescu, flute. UCMR—Antologia Muzicii with surprisingly short moans. Româneşti CD 29. The pieces would be nothing without commitment and skill from the player. Ion Bogdan Ştefanescu has Encountering this CD made me realise how little technique to spare, including remarkably flexible I know of modern Romanian music or perform- embouchure work across the registers, and his ers. This proved to be a good place to start to complete engagement with the music results in learn. Though entitled sonatas, these pieces are performances that are truly engrossing. He has made each continuous, though incorporating many a number of CDs which are well worth hunting down. varied elements; they were written over a period Christopher Steward

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Reviews • Books

­ Robert Bigio. Rudall, Rose & Carte: The Art of the Flute in Britain. Published by Tony Bingham, London.

For the better part of a century, aspiring British flautists looked forward to owning a Rudall Carte. This was a period when virtually all British profes- sionals played these flutes, hand-made in London usually in cocuswood but also in ebonite, silver, gold, and even platinum. But fashion and playing styles moved on, and after the company ceased making its own flutes in the late 1950s a general view took hold that Rudall Cartes were outmoded and stuffy. Thirty years later, while their French contemporaries were increasing in value, Rudall Cartes were regarded by some insurers as hardly worth including in renewal policies. Yet a regard for them never quite died out. Some diehards The first impression is that this is a book worthy of held onto their Rudall Cartes—and why not since by its subject. From the hundreds of superb photographs then they were next to worthless? A few even had the it is clear that Rudall, Rose & Carte—later, after Rose’s temerity to play them in public. death, simply Rudall Carte—were the Rolls-Royce Then, gradually, partly because an increasing of flutemakers. The book opens with biographies of interest in authenticity argued against the automatic George Rudall and John Mitchell Rose, later joined by discounting of old instruments, and perhaps also Richard Carte. We follow them as they come together because the growth of traditional music brought a from different backgrounds to exploit the flute craze fresh demand for both simple and Boehm-system of the mid-nineteenth century, competing against wooden flutes, musicians began to appreciate them other makers for market share. Their great coup was anew for their unique qualities. Delegates to the BFS to persuade Theobald Boehm to trust them with his Convention in 2008 heard a recital full of subtlety and designs. Yet even while manufacturing the latest key beauty played on a thinned wooden Rudall Carte by systems they were canny enough to continue produc- Daniel Pailthorpe, co-principal of the BBC Symphony ing those simple-system flutes that Boehm’s develop- Orchestra. Two years later there was standing room ments were meant to supersede. only for a celebration of these flutes by Trevor Wye, As the story opens out to include the context in which William Bennett, and Carla Rees. At that convention their success took place, this already fascinating book Robert Bigio gave a pair of talks based on his research becomes indispensable. The chapters on the history into the company’s history. Now with the publication of the development of the modern flute are concise of his work the re-establishment of Rudall Carte’s and definitive. The author has toured museums and reputation is complete. private collections to inspect important instruments

www.bfs.org.uk 61 flute•

• Reviews at first hand, and much of the research reaches back to primary sources. Flutes that proved popular are described alongside those with different systems that failed. Here Bigio is keen to stress the extent to which economics in that near-perfect market determined the Music outcome of the contest and left us with today’s flute. Once Rudall Carte had perfected a Boehm-system design the company hardly changed it over the next eighty years. Photographs of the workshop show flutemakers— among them some of the greatest who have ever lived— Methods struggling into the 1950s with ancient lathes and gas burners. Thus the final chapter tells British manufactur- Paulina Fain. La Flauta en el Tango: A Fundamental ing’s familiar tale of a lack of investment and disinterest Method for Playing Tango Music. Ricordi. in development accompanying a slow demise. Unlike competitors abroad which operated a division While the flute has had a curious presence in tango of labour, each Rudall Carte was made almost entirely by history, the resurgence of interest in the genre one man. While the author rightly criticises this as ineffi- coupled with Argentina’s 2010 bicentennial celebra- cient and bound to produce an inconsistent product, today tions has seen a host of new books published for ironically the fact that no two of their flutes are the same aspiring tango musicians in the past few years. This has become part of the allure. Their best flutes, made by publication is part of Ricordi’s Método De Tango series the best makers, remain peerless. It is only sobering to that includes similar studies for piano, bandoneon, realise that the tradition and knowledge that sustained violin, bass and guitar. As Astor Piazzolla’s reper- the company are now all but lost. toire for flute is frequently recorded and performed, There probably is no writer better qualified than Paulina Fain’s La Flauta en El Tango is a welcome addi- Robert Bigio to give us this history. His was one of the tion to understanding the world of tango perfor- voices calling for a reappraisal of Rudall Carte flutes when mance practice. they were out of fashion, and he brings to bear an unri- Fain, who is one of Argentina’s celebrated tango valled knowledge of the subject together with the insights flautistas, offers a bilingual method for musical of a flute maker and the experience of a professional interpretation that dives beyond the notation of a player and teacher. His approach is scholarly without traditional tango score. Fain uses popular tango songs, being academic, his style articulate and fluent. Devotees such as Malena and Naranjo en Flor, as a foundational of Rudall, Rose & Carte will want a copy for their shelves. melody, and then suggests tango techniques to But the author’s broader purpose in describing The Art of enhance the music for a more ‘authentic’ approach the Flute in Britain makes this essential reading for any to interpretation. Many of the most common tango flautist curious to know how the instrument they play has techniques happen to be very similar to ones used in come to exist in its current form. Arthur Haswell jazz and folk styles and are easily accessible for Grade 6 players and above. The book comes with two audio CDs that provide extensive audio examples of the author demonstrating the numerous possibilities for Altoflutes Bassflutes musical expression as well as backing tracks for solo experimentation. Topics for study include the arrastre, accents, ornamentation, semi-slurred tonguing, and harmonics. Kingma-System Flutes Contrabasses Two notable compositions that will surely be crowd pleasers are included within the book and Hoofdstraat 10 ~ 9444 PB Grolloo ~ The Netherlands are written by Fain: Microcentro, which mimics the Tel.& Fax: +31 592-501659 ~ [email protected]~ www.kingmaflutes.com sound imagery of Buenos Aires street-life through

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Reviews • exciting percussive effects, and La Embrujada, a tango one for the cellist or other bass instrument player) waltz which includes quirky tango idioms and pitch with fold-out pages to avoid awkward turns, plus a bends. Many tango players learn the genre’s style realisation of the figured bass by Terence Charlton, by mimicking older orchestral recordings and Fain plus facsimiles of the original manuscripts, all with discusses popular orchestral styles and tango artists practical and scholarly performance notes. The for future study. As the learning of tango performance music is clear and easy to read, and the realisations is usually one of an aural and oral tradition, Fain’s are simple and unfussy. It is a delight to have an comprehensive book brings the flute in tango back edition that has been thought through so carefully, to centre stage for players of all musical backgrounds. for the ease of the performers and for the most fas- Jessica Quiñones tidious authenticist. Most important, there is some delicious music here that many of us did not know about. This is a remarkable publication project. Flute and continuo Robert Bigio

Flute and piano

Éric Arnal. Mélodies D’Intervalles. Editions Alphonse Leduc HA 9 721.

These twelve pieces, which can be played as flute or oboe and piano duos, are beautifully crafted miniatures encompassing many different moods and styles. They work perfectly as concert reper- toire, but they were primarily written as studies in smoothness and good intonation across all intervals. The first piece, Ballade, uses the interval of the minor second throughout, while the final piece, Les Colonnes d’Octavius, features the interval of an octave. In between, every other interval within the octave is addressed. All work well, but I particularly like Air de Triton, Fils de Neptune, for the augmented fourth, and La septième idylle de Siegfried, for the minor seventh. Brenda Dykes

Maurice Bardin. Sonatine Champêtre for flute and Quantz. Flute Sonatas volumes 1 and 2. Edited piano. Éditions Combre (United Music Publishers). with performance notes by Rachel Brown, with realisation of the figured bass by Terence This is a real find. Although expensive (at the Charlton. Uppernote Publications. proposed price of £25.99), it is very well pro- www.rachelbrownflute.com. duced. It consists of three well-defined, character- ful movements, not easy in places (mostly post- Rachel Brown has combined her superlative playing Grade 8), but well worth the effort. If I suggest ability and peerless scholarship to produce the ideal that they recall the very best works of Mouquet edition of Quantz sonatas. Each volume is a sub- and Kœchlin, you will understand their appeal. stantial folder containing two copies of the flute Composed in 2010, this is a very welcome addi- and figured bass parts (one for the flute player and tion to the flute repertoire. Ian Denley www.bfs.org.uk 63 flute•

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Reviews •

Publisher focus: Edition Dohr. Eve Barsham. Two Little Pieces for flute and piano. Emerson Edition.

This small German publishing house based in Two contrasting pieces, lasting around two minutes Cologne has recently signed an agreement with each: the first, Dotty is a perky little thing in G major, Universal Edition to distribute its publications in with a more homely middle section in E flat major. the UK. It is pleasing to find that there is some The opening indication Cheekily, says it all about this very interesting material for the flute. Among the movement. The second, Wistful Thinking, is more gen- duets for two flutes, we have the Duo in D major tly-paced; although in G minor, it has some surpris- Op. 3 No. 2 by Devienne (ED 20762) and Rondo by ing key shifts and dissonances, but is very effective in Devienne’s contemporary, Gottlieb Köhler (ED establishing the mood it sets out to convey. Ian Denley 22889). The latter manages to be an attractive and really enjoyable piece to play, while consisting of eight-bar phrases in every major and minor key. Rob Buckland and Andy Scott. Eight Pieces for This is going to be an invaluable help in teaching flute and piano. Astute Music. keys. There are more modern works for several flutes, too, including Fünf Stücke for three flutes This is a collection of tunes in various styles, ranging and Drei Sätze for four flutes alternating with pic- from jazz to rock to dreamy crooning. You can find colos, alto and bass flutes by Manfred Niehaus recordings of most of them on the Astute Music (ED26353 and ED 95279). The trios are pleasing little website (www.astute-music.com). They undoubtedly pieces. They are written without time-signatures, provide a reasonably approachable introduction to but are actually quite easy to put together, and the these styles, but I must say that I found most of them quartets explore many different sounds and tone- a bit dreary and repetitive, and certainly, in the faster- colours in short pieces, especially from the varying moving items, considerable time would have to be combination of instruments. There is also a really spent in creating a coherent ensemble between flute lovely set of miniatures called Seis Bagatelas for and piano. Having tried them all, Never the Same and flute trio by the Argentinian composer Juan-Maria Best Left Unsaid seemed the most appealing. Ian Denley Solare (ED96307). As I have a duo with an organ- ist, I am always looking for original works for this Gordon Carr. Autumn’s Wind is Pure for flute and medium, so I was particularly interested in Sonate piano. Éditions Armiane. in F by Bernard Wayne Sanders (ED 20754). I was not to be disappointed, as this is a major four- This is quite a substantial three-movement work, ded- movement composition, which works amazingly well for the combination of instruments. Finally I icated to erstwhile BFS editor Judy Fitton. Publisher would like to mention the works of Spohr. Many Armiane was not a name known to me, and the flautists will know the Sonata in E flat for flute and work’s typesetting is not the most sophisticated, but harp or piano, but most will probably not be aware it is reasonably clear, and is printed on a substantial that this was not the original key. Apparently there thickness of paper. was some confusion over the tuning of the harp at THE LOPATIN FLUTE COMPANY the time Spohr’s wife was playing and it now tran- Explore the difference between round and square tone holes! spires that the work should have been in D major. It is now published in that key (ED 99689) and it Handcrafted flutes, piccolos is transformed. I thoroughly recommend it—it and headjoints. Specializing really is a great addition to the repertoire. There in the SquareONE family is also another sonata, Sonate in G (ED 99690), and of flutes. this is just as exciting. It is also for flute and harp, 122 Riverside Drive, Studio C Asheville, NC 28801 USA but it works very well for flute and piano. This is a Phone/Fax: 828-350-7762 publisher to watch, as all their output seems worth Leonard E. Lopatin & his investigating. Brenda Dykes SquareONE #1 www.lopatinflutes.com www.bfs.org.uk 65 flute•

• Reviews

The piece calls for a good level of virtuosity from Pascal Proust. Plaza Real, for Flute and Piano. both instruments. The first movement, Moderato, has Editions Billaudot GB 8792 something of an improvisatory feel at times, but the key scheme also calls for some imaginative colouring. A gentle and evocative piece lasting only four and The second movement is an attractive, perky and a half minutes, but in four sections, the dominant rather tricky little scherzo. In 6/8 time, the metronome key C minor. A bizarre little cadenza sits between marking of crotchet equals 80 is ambiguous; dotted the opening andante and slow waltz. The third section minim equals 80 is probably intended. The finale is a is a catchy allegro before the piece concludes with a brooding, haunting lento, again with an improvisatory coda based on the opening andante. The cadenza aside feel. Overall, well worth investigation as a possible (which is not really that difficult), I would put it at recital piece. Ian Denley around Grade 5. Ian Denley

David Earl. The Fairy Garden for flute and piano. James Rae: Flute Debut. Universal Edition UE www.davidearl-pianist.net 21528 (for the flute part + CD) and UE 21529 (for the piano accompaniment. David Earl has composed this attractive suite of five pieces which successfully explore many musical char- This book is designed for players of about Grade 1 acteristics, albeit with varying degrees of technical dif- standard, especially those learning in groups. While ficulty. The Rose Fairy, around Grade 1–2, with its irreg- there are a few pieces for one flute and piano, I feel ular phrase lengths, features a gentle legato melody that those for two flutes and piano are the ones that shared between flute and piano. The Carnation Fairy will be found the most useful. Like most of James explores some tricky rhythm and articulation, but is Rae’s compositions, the pieces all have imagina- no higher than Grade 2–3. The Madonna Lily Fairy again tive titles and the book is very attractively produced. has the flute and piano sharing the main and sub- sidiary themes, albeit within a slightly more complex rhythmic framework. The standard overall is around King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls Grade 3. It is difficult to characterize the Watergrass Flute Teaching Position Fairy: in E flat major with extensive modulation, the Salary approximately £25.15 per hour tone control required here is quite sophisticated, as is the skill needed to dovetail both flute and piano parts We wish to appoint a flute teacher, from September coherently. Of the two parts, the piano is the more 2011, for 14 hours per week and this will also challenging. The final Cherry Blossom Fairy places quite include South Birmingham Area Flute Ensemble. a mobile, colourful flute line against an almost per- We are looking for an inspirational teacher to manent, undulating triplet accompaniment. There are continue our tradition of excellence. Interviews are to be held in June/July 2011. some very effective modulations here, the harmonic and rhythmic writing appealingly idiosyncratic. The Further details and an application form are standard is around Grade 5–6. Ian Denley available from the School:

Richard Lane. Song for Rachel, for Flute and Piano. King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls Editions Bim FL18 Vicarage Road Kings Heath Birmingham, B14 7QJ Song for Rachel is one of those appealing little pieces Tel: 0121 444 2150 in A–B–A form that a Grade 3 pupil could happily Fax: 0121 444 5123 include in a festival or school concert. In A minor e-mail: [email protected] with a brief but manageable modulation, it requires careful breath control, but technically is no higher Closing Date for applications: Thursday 27th May than Grade 3. Well worth a look. Ian Denley

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Reviews •

There are many different styles and moods, but I par- Flute and harp ticularly like the fact that in most of the pieces both flute parts have exactly the same rhythm. This means Andy Scott. Paquito, for flute and harp. Astute that they are easy to put together, giving compara- Music. tive beginners the enjoyable experience of ensemble playing. Brenda Dykes Originally written for clarinet ensemble, this arrange- ment was written in 2010 for Clare Southworth and Mark Tanner. Himalayan Suite. Spartan Press Lauren Scott. Basically a quick salsa, it does challenge Music Publications Ltd. SP1111. the fingers considerably in the third octave but the test, at this driving tempo, is maintaining an immac- Mark Tanner was inspired to write this suite of five ulate ensemble. When this works, the effect is very movements while he was on a recent examining tour impressive and lots of fun! The flute part contains in Northern India. They range in standard from about two oddly-notated trills, which are actually minor Grade 5 to Grade 7 and, with titles such as Dusty Road to third tremolos. The pedal indications in the harp Darjeeling and Lingey Ping at Kalimpong, the pieces are sure part have been very carefully edited. Ian Denley to catch the imagination of prospective performers. Mark Tanner says at the start that ‘traces of exoticism Andy Scott. And Everything Is Still for flute and find their way into the writing’, but there are many harp. Astute Music. other influences, notably ragtime and Latin rhythms. The pieces are very varied in mood and the pupils Originally for flute and piano, then arranged for flute to whom I have introduced them have all liked them and harp (for Clare Southworth and Lauren Scott), enormously. One chose to include Sherpa in her A-level the flute part here is gentle and evocative at the start recital. The Suite is a fitting birthday gift for Atarah and finish, but becoming more excitable and florid Ben-Tovim, to whom it is dedicated. Brenda Dykes as the piece progresses. The harp part, essentially in an accompanying rôle, features what Andy Scott Linda Verrier. Ribbons for flute ensemble. calls ‘delicate harmonic statements’, and recalls to an extent the accompaniment to Kennan’s Night Soliloquy. Ribbons was composed for the postponed BFS Mini It’s a sweet little thing, and would be ideal as a less Festival in Manchester and the first performance ostentatious encore. The pedalling in the harp part will be rescheduled soon. This is an interesting is unedited, but certainly would need some careful work of moderate difficulty for flute ensemble (and frequent) annotation. Ian Denley comprising tutti and solo C flutes. Verrier uses a range of evocative amplified sounds, from bird calls to projected whispers, to create a rich and Flute ensembles constantly evolving texture. Many of the now fre- quently-used contemporary flute techniques are J.S. Bach. Sleepers Wake, arranged by Martin used, including air sounds, percussive articula- Melicharek, Falls House Press. tion, singing and playing and timbral trills. The solo lines often play independently of each other, There have been so many arrangements of this aria and the piece requires a conductor to give cues from Cantata 140 that I was rather sceptical about the to the soloists. There’s a sense of fun within the need for another, especially given how good the Bill music, and the compositional language is based in Holcombe transcription is, but this version, while tonality without feeling derivative or unadventur- being possible on two flutes and bass flute, is actually ous. There are subtle references to various aspects intended to be a trio for two alto flutes and bass flute. of flute repertoire, which emerge throughout the I have tried it for this combination and it works really texture. This is a piece with much to offer listeners well. The colours of the instruments perfectly suit and performers alike. Carla Rees the music. Brenda Dykes www.bfs.org.uk 67 flute•

• Reviews

Jay Mackie. Tropical Tango and Sunshine Samba for ensemble. I can envisage these pieces becoming very four flutes. Deben Music. popular with teachers who have groups of pupils of about Grade 5 standard and they could be very useful These two short pieces demonstrate once again how as GCSE ensemble pieces. I find the two numbers in Deben Music is contributing greatly to the publish- the second volume pleasant, but less interesting. ing of accessible and comparatively simple but inter- Brenda Dykes esting music for various flute ensembles. Both of Jay Mackie’s pieces could be managed quite well by Yuko Uebayashi. Suite for flute and cello. Leduc. players of Grade 5 standard, but they are imagina- tive and rhythmically vital, with enough interest in Born in Japan, Yuko Uebayashi has lived and worked all four parts to make them desirable repertoire for in Paris for several years and has written several works more advanced players, too. Brenda Dykes for flute which have been enthusiastically endorsed by flautist Jean Farrandis, one of the two dedicatees Thomas Peter-Horas. Peanuts Books 1 and 2 for of this Suite. In the composer’s biographical notes three flutes and piano. Editions mf. Ferrandis speaks of her musical style as ‘a world of vivacity, dreams [and] tenderness’ but also of con- The first volume consists of three pieces. The first two trasting moments of ‘melancholy and sorrow’—an are very attractive and have sufficient interest even assessment which this skilfully written and charac- in the easier third flute part to make them enjoy- terful work bears out. able for all the players. Although the rhythms tend Thanks to my cellist daughter I was able to spend to be the same in all three parts for quite a lot of the some time working on the Suite and to get an expert’s time, there are many off-beat rhythms, which need opinion on the cello part as well as the flute part. considerable care in order to produce a really tight Uebayashi’s musical language is very much rooted

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Reviews • in the mid-twentieth century French tradition— in the Adagio the flautist often needs to shape phrases rhythmic and melodic ideas bring to mind composers to match the technical requirements of the cello part. such as Françaix and Jolivet (and even Ravel in the My only criticism is that the page turns are impossible Berceuse movement), but the voice is very much her and several fold-out pages would have made this piece own and there is a wonderful feeling of spontaneity much easier to perform; as it stands, photocopies and throughout the work in both the fast and slow sellotape are a necessity! Also, at eighteen minutes long, movements. There are six movements in all, the the work, for all its fine qualities, could be difficult to first and last being the most virtuosic and technically incorporate into a recital (but well suited to a mixed demanding for both players. I particularly liked the chamber music concert). Kenneth Bell haunting Adagio second movement in which the melodic lines have echoes of the composer’s Japanese heritage, and spread chords and double stops in the Scores cello part effectively complement the calm simplicity of the flute line. A rhythmically vivacious scherzo Mercadante. Concertos in G major and E minor. follows this adagio and a simple Menuet and a Berceuse Edizioni Suvini Zerboni. take the technical pressure off the performers before they launch into the demanding finale. The flute The scores of these two Concertos by Mercadante writing at its most demanding is challenging but are beautifully produced and contain extremely always playable and the cello writing is as much in detailed annotations. Anyone intending to perform the tenor and treble clefs as it is in the bass. either of them would benefit greatly from being Very well presented and printed, this publication able to refer to the score. However, there is no sep- consists of two scores in order that both players are arate flute part, so it is not a substitute for a flute PUB PAN:PUB PAN 2-11-2010 16:56 Pagina 1 aware of ensemble subtleties at all times—for example, and piano version. Brenda Dykes

Sigfrid Karg-Elert Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 30 Caprices op.107 for solo flute 6 Sonatas for flute and piano KV 301-306 (edited by Rien de Reede) Vol. I + Vol. II (edited by Konrad Hünteler) Sigfrid Karg-Elert Carl Frühling Sonata Appassionata op.140 for solo flute Fantasie op. 55 for flute and piano (edited by Rien de Reede) (edited by Emily Beynon)

Viotti Gianella Mercadante Marco Buongiorno Nardelli 3 duetti italiani for two flutes Gradus at Linos (edited by Rien de Reede) Technical exercises on Chant de Linos Johann Joachim Quantz Nardini Dôthel Giordani Mancinelli 6 sonatas for two flutes op. 5 4 duetti italiani for two flutes (edited by Rien de Reede) (edited by Rien de Reede)

Francesco Santucci Francesco Santucci Difficile ma possibile for flute and piano Serenata e Tango for flute and piano (bass and drums ad libitum) Honorable Mention at NFA 2010 Winner of NFA 2010 Newly Published Music Newly Published Music Competition Competition

ORDERS AT topwind.com justflutes.com

www.riverberisonori.it tel/fax + 39 06 44 70 32 90 www.bfs.org.uk 69 flute•

The British Flute Society Council Chairman to be announced • Kate Cuzner Area Representative Co-ordinator • Anne Hodgson • Carole Jenner-Timms • Karen Jones • Alastair Learmont • Matthew Lynch • Rachel Misson Treasurer • Tony Ovenell • Hugh Phillips AFT Representative • Nicola Thompson Membership Secretary Officers Robert Bigio Editor • Alastair Learmont Legal Representative • Anna Munks Secretary and Advertising Manager Kenneth Bell Archivist

Contact details for all council members and officers are available from the BFS website (www.bfs.org.uk) or from the secretary, Anna Munks, 27 Eskdale Gardens, Purley, Surrey CR8 1ET. 020 8668 3360. [email protected] Area representatives Avon & Somerset Carole Jenner-Timms 01761 233982 • Birmingham Margaret Lowe 0121 474 3549 • Cheshire Dawn Savell 01925 416647 • Cumbria Suzanne de Lozey 01539 560054 • Devon (West) and Cornwall (East) Kym Burton 01837 861138 • East Sussex Anne Hodgson 01273 812580 • Hertfordshire Wendy Walshe 01707 261573 • Hertfordshire (Hitchin) Liz Childs 07711 080275 • Isle of Wight Louis Henry 01983 531868 • Kent Pat Daniels 01732 770141 • Lancashire Mark Parkinson 01257 410856 • Lancashire (Preston) Jane Pembleton-Smyth 01772 864587 • Leicestershire Elizabeth Rowan 0116 251 4595 • London (East) and Essex Kate Cuzner 01787 273628 • London (South East) Susan-Mary Whittaker • London (South West) Julie Wright 020 8241 7572 • Norfolk Elaine Smith 01508 538215 • Northamptonshire Marion Titmuss 01933 353721 • Scotland Marysia Williamson 01501 762510 • Suffolk Sylvia Fairley 01394 386876 • Surrey Jackie Cox 020 8773 0436 • Swansea Hugh Phillips 01792 865825 • West Sussex Lindy Thwaites 01243 553623 • West Yorkshire Tracey Smurthwaite 01924 211538 International Representative Julie Wright 020 8241 7572 • France Atarah Ben-Tovim +33 5574 74428 • Australia (Melbourne) Paula Rae +61(0)418502664 • Qatar Pat Smith +974 4678121 • Muscat, Oman Nick Foster +968 95203966

The Association of Flute Traders

ABRSM 24 Portland Place, London W1B 1LU 020 7636 5400 www.abrsm.org Alfred Verhoef Kennemerstraatwag 116, 1851 LD Alkmaar, Netherlands +31 725110879 www.verhoef-flutes All Flutes Plus 60–61 Warren Street, London W1T 5NZ 020 7388 8438 www.allflutesplus.co.uk Bärenreiter Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex CM20 2HX 01279 828930 www.barenreiter.co.uk Bill Lewington Unit 8, Hornsby Square, Southfields Industrial Park, Laindon, Essex SS15 6SD 01268 413366 www.bill-lewington.com Burkart Flutes & Piccolos 2 Shaker Road, #D107, Shirley MA 01467 USA +1 978 425 4500 www.burkart.com Dawkes Music Reform Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 8BT 01628 630800 www.dawkes.co.uk Eloy Flutes BV Hoevenstraat 8, 5712 GW Someren, Netherlands +31 493 471290 www.eloyflutes.com Emanuel Flutes 1001 Great Pond Road, North Andover MA 01845 USA +1 978 686 6009 www.emanuelflutes.com William S. Haynes Company 12 Piedmont Street, Boston MA 02116 USA +1 617 482 7456 www.wmshaynes.com Jupiter/Di Medici c/o Korg UK Ltd. 9 Newmarket Court, Kingston, Milton Keynes MK10 0AU 01980 857100 www.korguk.com Eva Kingma Flutes Hoofdstraat 10, 9444 PB Grolloo, The Netherlands +31 592501659 www.kingmaflutes.com Lopatin Flute Company 122 Riverside Dr., Studio C, Asheville, North Carolina 28801 USA +1 828 350 7762 www.lopatinflutes.com Mancke Flutes Dürsitter 1, D-54597 Lünebach, Germany +49 6556 900858 www.mancke-flutes.com Jonathan Myall/Just Flutes 46 South End, Croydon CR0 1DP 020 8662 8400 www.justflutes.com Ormiston Flutes 82 Crosswood Terrace, Tarbrax, West Calder, West Lothian EH55 8XE 01501 785416 www.ormistonflutes.co.uk Pearl Music Europe c/o Gareth McLearnon, 32 Bynes Road, Purley Oaks, South Croydon CR2 0PR 07771 880462 www.pearlflute.com Schott Music Ltd. 48 Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7BB 020 7534 0710 www.schott-music.co.uk Top Wind 2 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RJ 020 7401 8787 www.topwind.com Trevor J. James Worldwind House, Ashmill Park, Ashford Road, Lenham, Kent ME17 2GQ 01622 859590 www.trevorjames.com Trinity Guildhall 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP 020 7820 4745 www.trinitycollege.co.uk Universal Edition (London) Ltd. 48 Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7BB 020 7439 6678 www.universaledition.com/london Windstruments 1 Ryshworth Bridge, Crossflats, Bingley, Bradford BD16 2DX 01274 510050 www.windstruments.co.uk Wood, Wind & Reed 106 Russell Street, Cambridge CB1 1HU 01223 500442 www.wwr.co.uk Worldwind Music Ltd. Worldwind House, Ashmill Park, Lenham, Kent ME17 2GQ 01622 859590 www.worldwind.co.uk Yamaha Music Europe Sherbourne Drive, Tilbrook, Milton Keynes MK7 8BL 01908 366700 www.yamaha-music.co.uk

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Membership of the BFS Small advertisements UK Armstrong Piccolo manufactured 1974–5. Solid silver Individual £28 head with wooden body. Repadded with black pads and hardly used since then—very good condition for Two members at the same address £35 age and sweet tone. OIRO £495. Contact Rachel Williams Student (under 26), OAP and disabled £18 07713 477861 or [email protected]. Schools and flute clubs £28 • Europe 14K Red gold Yamaha, open hole keys, inline, C foot, Individual £35 Harry Gosse headjoint, very good condition, price on Student (under 26), OAP and disabled £24 request. [email protected] Schools and flute clubs £35 • Worldwide COOPER FLUTE NO 146, solid silver, maintained solely by Individual (air mail) £40 Albert Cooper, £12000.00 or over. Owned first by Brian Student (under 26), OAP and disabled £28 Warren then by Clarissa Melville since 1984. Schools and flute clubs £40 RUDALL CARTE WOODEN PICCOLO NO.8019, silver keys, £1000.00 ono owned by Clarissa Melville since 1956. Life membership Contact [email protected] UK individual £420 • UK joint £600 Do you need a light-hearted teacher? Come along for Europe individual £525 a truly helpful and friendly consultation with Nicholas Europe joint £660 Vallis-Davies (EMI solo artist, former LSO Principal, pub- World individual £600 lished Music Sales USA etc). A consultation will offer World joint £750 you positive change and improvement at every level. Membership Secretary Nicola Thompson Contact Hannah Phillips, Administrator, Open Academy: 48 Wistow Road, Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 3LY [email protected] Telephone 0845 680 1983 Email [email protected]

Index of advertisers

Abel Flutes 60 Luxembourg International Forum 68 Akiyama Flutes 57 Mancke Flutes 59 A-Listers 10 Miyazawa Flutes 54 All Flutes Plus IBC New Moon Insurance 68 Allianz Cornhill 64 National Flute Association (USA) 48 BFS Premier Flautist Concert 5 Pearl Flutes OBC Brannen Brothers 60 The Purcell School 26 Eloy Flutes 58 Royal Society of Musicians 48 Flautissimo 69 Suzuki Method for Flute 47 Flute Kitchen (Windstruments) 64 Top Wind 2 Just Flutes IFC Trevor James Flutes 42 King Edward VI School 66 Stephen Wessel Flutes 10 Eva Kingma Flutes 62 Woldingham (Just Flutes) 10 Lopatin Flutes 65 www.bfs.org.uk 71 flute•

The Last Word…by Robert Bigio, with a little help from Albert Einstein

All good things must come to an end. I have had a great time editing this journal, but after five years, I’m calling it a day. In my second issue in September 2006 I dropped the editor’s comment page and printed a small item entitled An editor’s comment on editors’ comments in which I explained that it would be better for readers henceforth to be spared my blather. But as this is my very last issue I hope you will forgive me for taking the opportunity to reprint the front covers to remind you of the things the journal has covered, and to present some statistics of the journals I have produced: Issues 21 Pages 1556 Authors 212 Articles 173 News items 191 Reviews 570 Images 1582 Word count 680,114

So, if I have enjoyed it so much, why am I quitting? Let me leave the very last word to Albert Einstein, who said this in The Observer on 15 January 1950: ‘If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.’

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