| Performance
Guide to Flutewise Project Book 1
This
is the first in a series of articles in which I will present performance
guides for the pieces of music in the Flutewise Project Books. These
books were designed to be used at Flutewise events, and some of
you have played music from these books already. If you have not
yet attended a Flutewise event and developed the pieces in the Project
Books, I recommend that you try it. Flutewise events are a great
way to improve your flute playing, expand your musical experiences,
and have fun making music with others.
In
the following Performance Guide, I have selected one piece from
each of the three levels of difficulty Project Book 1, so that players
of all levels can benefit. I will provide tips on technique and
historical background to help your execution and interpretation
of the pieces. Please send me an email to let me know how you're
doing or if you have questions.
General
tips
When you develop a piece of music, listen to a recording to familiarize
yourself with the piece in its entirety. Use your metronome and
tuner to assist you with rhythm and intonation respectively. In
addition to mastering the technical difficulties of a piece, it
is important to play expressively. Try to capture the distinct character
and mood of each piece.
Tambourin
by Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) [Level 1]
Jean-Philippe Rameau is one of the most famous composers of the
French Baroque period, along with François Couperin. He lived
and wrote music around the time of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg
Friedrich Handel, and Georg Philip Telemann, all composers who wrote
masterpieces for the flute.
The
tambourin was a rural Provençal dance in a quick 2/4 meter.
One musician playing two instruments provided the accompaniment,
playing the pipe, a recorder-like melody instrument with the left
hand, and the tabor, a small drum, with the right hand. Sometimes
the dance was accompanied by the tambourine, an instrument still
used today. Rameau frequently incorporated tambourins in his operas.
Before
you play a piece of music, look for words that indicate the tempo
and expression at the beginning of the piece. This Tambourin is
marked Animato, which means "animated" and "spirited"
in Italian. Play this piece with spirit and a strong sense of rhythm,
in keeping with its origins as a dance. The piece is in common time,
meaning that there are four quarter-note beats to the bar. It should
be counted in two beats per bar, not four.
Can
you tell what key this piece is in? It is in A minor, the relative
minor of C Major. There are no sharps or flats in the key signature,
but watch for the G# accidentals. The trills in measures 10-15 should
be between F and G. In music of the Baroque period, trills were
started from the upper note. Start the trills in this piece on G,
then alternate between F and G.
Notice
the word Fine in measure 9 and the phrase D. C. al Fine in 17, the
final measure. Fine means end in Italian. D. C. is short for Da
Capo, which means "from the top." D. C. al Fine is an
indication to return to the beginning of the piece and play until
the Fine. Play the piece from beginning to end, return to the beginning
at the D. C. al Fine sign, then stop at the Fine. Keep an eye out
for these popular terms in other pieces you play, especially if
they are from the Baroque and Classical periods.Suggested metronome
marking: 104 = minim
The
Swan by Camille Saint-Säens (1835-1921) [Level 2]
Camille
Saint-Säens is a composer of the French romantic style. He
is known for his organ Symphony, piano concertos, chamber music,
and opera Samson and Delilah. The Swan is a movement from Saint-Säens's
Carnival of the Animals, a beloved piece for children written in
1886 in which the instruments of the orchestra are made to represent
animals. Originally written for cello, The Swan has been arranged
for almost every instrument.
The
Swan is in the key of G Major, with some accidentals which make
the music modulate, or move into other keys. The tempo marking is
Adagio, which means slow and at ease. While you play The Swan, imagine
a swan swimming in a lake. Make your playing reflect the graceful
movements and elegant bearing of this bird. (You don't have to grow
feathers!) Pay close attention to the last notes of phrases, such
as in measures 3, 5, 7, 9 and similar places. Be careful not to
clip these last notes, but rather to taper them off with a slight
diminuendo, to increase the graceful lyricism of the piece.
Throughout
the piece, use strong breath support to achieve a beautifully clear,
singing tone. Pay close attention to dynamics in the piece, because
expressive use of dynamics makes your interpretation musical and
unique. The opening dynamic is p, and the loudest marked dynamic
is mf. The dim e rall in measure 24 is short for diminuendo, which
means get softer, and rallentando, which means slow down slightly.
The lento e espressivo in bar 25 means slow and expressive. Observe
these markings to produce a gradual effect of getting softer and
slower until you reach the final G in measure 26 in pp, like a gently
gliding swan. Suggested metronome marking: 63-72 = crotchet
Dance
of the Blessed Spirits by Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)
[Level 3]
Christoph Willibald Gluck, a German composer who lived and worked
for many years in Paris, is famous for his operas. The Dance of
the Blessed Spirits is one of the most familiar flute pieces ever
written. It comes from Gluck's 1762 opera Orpheus and Eurydice,
which tells the story from the Greek myth in which the musician
Orpheus falls in love with the beautiful Eurydice. His grief at
her death is such that the sad music of his lyre makes all nature
grieve with him. Orpheus is allowed to go to Hades, the underworld,
to bring Eurydice back to life, but only on the condition that he
not look back at her as he leads her back to Earth. He turns to
look at her and is forced to return to Earth alone. The Dance of
the Blessed Spirits is one of the most plaintive and sorrowful pieces
of music ever written.
Play
the Minuet simply, observing the Andante, or moderate tempo indication,
and the marking of dolce, which means sweet, for your tone. The
Dance of the Blessed Spirits starts at measure 29 at the Lento,
which means slow. Start out with a soft F, marked p, and play expressively
according to the marking espressivo. The quick notes, such as the
demisemi-quavers in measures 32, 34, and the scale in 36 should
not be rushed. They should sound melodic and lyrical. Let the simplicity
of the F Major Andante contrast with the D minor Lento, with its
restrained sadness and passion. At the close in measure 64, remember
that the Andante D. C. al Fine directs you back to the beginning.
Play the Andante straight through with no repeats and end with the
Fine in measure 28. Suggested metronome markings: 72 = crotchet
(Minuet), 40-52 = crotchet (Dance) |
