The Baroque flute: ornamentation

and articulation 1700-1752

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Authors Tousey, Joanna

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 THE BAROQUE FLUTE:

ORNAMENTATION AND ARTICULATION

1700 -1752

by

JOANNA TOUSEY

A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the

SCHOOL OF MUSIC
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

1 9 7 9
 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

I hereby recommend that this document prepared

under my direction by JOANNA TOUSEY
entitled THE BAROQUE FLUTE: ORNAMENTATION AND
ARTICULATION, 1700 -1752
be accepted in partial fulfillment of the degree

Doctor of Musical Arts.

Signature of Major Professor '40 9

Acceptance for the School of Music:

a m yl,..,et.
Director, Graduate Studies in Music

/G/l7f

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This document would not have come into being

without the ever present support of my friends, Stewart

and Selina Carter, who insisted that I learn to play the
baroque flute. I should like to express my gratitude to
them, to Jean -Louis Kashy, whose personal concern and

seemingly limitless rehearsal time has been invaluable,

and to Dr. C. Hartsell, Chairman of Graduate Studies
in Music, who most kindly assisted with the document

itself.

iii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS v

1. INTRODUCTION 1

Historical Background 1
Eighteenth Century Flutists 2
The Baroque Flute 5
Flute Methods 6

2. ORNAMENTATION 9

Appoggiatura 16
Trill 20
Mordent 21
Grupetto 22
Flattement 22

3. ARTICULATION 24

Notes Inégales 25
Double Tonguing 27
Slurring Practice 28
4. IMPLICATIONS FOR MODERN PERFORMERS 30

APPENDIX A: ORNAMENTS AND ARTICULATIONS 32

APPENDIX B: FINGERINGS FOR A BAROQUE

FLUTE OF 1670 33

APPENDIX C: CORRETTE: FLATTEMENT

FINGERINGS: 34

APPENDIX D: FREILLON -PONCEIN:

ARTICULATIONS 36

APPENDIX E: HOTTETERRE: ARTICULATIONS 37

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 38

iv
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure Page

1. Couperin Quatrieme Concert Royal.

Prélude, mm. 1 -8 11

2. Telemann, Sonata in G Minor,

Adagio, mm. 1 -7 12

3. Vivaldi Concerto in C Major,

F. VI, No. 4. Allegro molto,
mm. 9 -25 13

4. Couperin, Quatrieme Concert Royal,

Prelude 14

5. Couperin, Quatriéme Concert Royal

Prelude, mm. 1 -2 17

6a -6b. Simple Appoggiatura 18

7. Coulé 18

8. Long Appoggiatura 19

9. Long Appoggiatura 19

10. Double Appoggiatura 19

lla. Simple Trill 20

lib. Detached Trill 20

llc. Half Trill 21

lld. Lié 21

12. Descending Resolution of Trill 21

13. Grupetto 22

14. Notes Inégales 26

15. Hard and Soft Tongue Syllables 27

16. Double Tongue 27

v
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This document explores some music of the Baroque

era. Specifically, it is concerned with eighteenth century
musical articulation, ornamentation, and the type of flute
in use at that time, which we now call the baroque flute.

The term articulation refers to the entire subject of how

a note is begun, the type of articulation syllable used, and

how notes are grouped together. In the Baroque period melo-

dies were embellished with certain standard ornaments. The

proper performance of these ornaments was the subject of
much discussion and writing. At the end of this document

the reader will find a selected bibliography which includes

some of these writings. There are many types of ornaments.

This study will be concerned with some of them: the trill,

mordent, appoggiatura, grupetto, messa di voce, and flatte-

ment. Vibrato at that time was considered to be an ornament,
and will be included as such.

Historical Background
One may commence with a brief discussion of the

musical atmosphere of the seventeenth and eighteenth

1
 2

centuries. The seventeenth century was a period of great

development in all the arts. People who sought to better

their social status were expected to excel in music, as well

as in other intellectual and artistic fields. Louis XIV,

King of France from 1643 to 1715, was a pioneer in establish-

ing excellence in musical performance and all of Europe

emulated the French court. His orchestras were famous for

their precision and brilliance and his court composer,

Jean -Baptiste Lully (1632 -1687), was the first composer to

include a part written specifically for the transverse flute

in an orchestral work, in his ballet, Le Triomphe de l'Amour,

of 1677.1 The recorder, or flute a bec, which had been one

of the more popular instruments, gradually gave way during

the late seventeenth century to the louder and more expres-

sive baroque flute, then known as the transverse flute. By

the middle of the eighteenth century the recorder was rarely

used as an orchestral instrument.

Eighteenth Century Flutists

Philbert Rebeille (d. 1715), known as Philbert, one

of the favorite musicians of Louis XIV, was the first to

become famous performing on the one -keyed transverse flute.

1
Jaques -Martin Hotteterre, Rudiments of the Flute,
Recorder and Oboe. Translated, with Introduction and Notes
by Paul Marshall Douglas (New York: Dover Publications,
1968), p. ix.
 3

The Hotteterres were a large and famous family of wind -

instrument makers from about 1650 to 1750. They were also

skilled performers; all of them played in various royal

orchestras. There is some discrepancy among historians as

to names and dates, but as far as one can tell, Jaques -

Martin Hotteterre died about 1760, and was nicknamed "Le

Romain" ( "the Roman "). The nickname resulted from a trip

he made to Italy during which he spent some time in Rome.

He was a member of several royal orchestras, including the

"douze grands hautbois et violins de la Grande -Ecurie," in

which he played bass oboe and bass viol, and about 1708
he was named "Flute de la Chambre du Roi. "2 He was renowned

as a teacher and composer, and wrote the first method that

was specifically for the baroque flute.

The Parisian, Michel Blavet (1700 -1768) was a left -

handed flute virtuoso, presumably playing his instrument

off to the left, which is entirely possible on the baroque

instrument since it has no lip -plate or keys (except the

single key on the foot -joint) and can be adjusted. He

became famous as a soloist, accepted a position in the

Paris Opera, and was renowned as a teacher and composer.

Johann Joachim Quantz, to be discussed shortly, heard

2 Hotteterre, p. x.
 4

Blavet, and so enjoyed and respected him that they became

close friends.

Jean -Baptist Loeillet (1680 -1730) was a cosmopolitan

flutist who finally settled in England, became a fashionable

music teacher, and amassed a great deal of wealth. He un-

doubtedly was instrumental in the great rise in popularity

of the transverse flute on the continent, which contributed

to the weakening of the hold of the recorder as the most

popular wind instrument among amateurs.

Johann Joachim Quantz (1697 -1773) is one of the most
famous flutists of all times. At the age of seventeen,

Quantz visited Dresden. While there he attended a concert

of the royal orchestra, was impressed by the technical vir-

tuosity of the well -known principal flutist, Pierre Gabriel

Buffardin (d. 1739), and subsequently became his student for

four months. Amazing as it may seem today, these four

months constituted his only formal study of the flute.
Quantz had played many instruments before studying the flute,

and was also studying theory and composition. Frederick

the Great, of Prussia (1712 -1786) heard Quantz and employed

him to make trips to Berlin to teach him to play the flute.

In 1741, when he ascended to the throne, Frederick the

Great engaged Quantz to come to Pottsdam as court flutist

and composer, a position Quantz held until he died in 1773.

Quantz left in manuscript three hundred concertos and two

hundred other flute pieces, many of which have been

 5

published and are performed today. His flute method of

1752, Versuch einer Anweisung die Flute traversirére zu

speilen, inspired C.P.E. Bach and Leopold Mozart to write

their famous treatises for keyboard and violin, respectively.

This treatise was then and still is the most complete and

authoritative source of eighteenth century musical practice

available.
Frederick the Great was an amateur flutist and com-

poser, who almost singlehandedly made Pottsdam an important

musical center with an excellent orchestra, an opera house,

and many famous musicians. After 1760, the king became

increasingly conservative, and eventually the music of Quantz

came to represent the "old style" while the more progressive

trends were Italian opera buffa, the symphonies of the Mann-

heim composers such as Stamitz, and the early works of Haydn

and Mozart.3

The Baroque Flute

The growing popularity of the flute gave rise to a

tremendous increase in the amount of flute literature, not

only compositions by flutists themselves, but also the popular

composers of the day. Works by such men as Loeillet, Blavet,

3 Johann Joachim Quantz, On Playing the Flute. Trans-

lated with Notes and an Introduction by Edward R. Reilly
(New York: Schirmer Books, 1966), p. xxv.
 6

Quantz, Telemann, Vivaldi, C.P.E. Bach, and J.S. Bach con-

tinue to be a major part of the flutist's repertoire today.

Recent interest in performing baroque music on reconstructed

baroque instruments will continue to bring lesser -known

music of the early eighteenth century into the modern

flutist's performance repertoire.
The baroque flute was usually made of boxwood,

which has a density similar to maple, although a variety of

other woods, and even ivory, was also occasionally used.

Carved ivory bands were added at the joints for strength
as well as for decoration. It had six small tone holes and

only one key, which was made from brass or silver, and was
originally made in four sections, with a number of inter-
changeable middle sections for adjusting the intonation for
different scales. Quantz is credited with inventing the
tuning cork in the head -joint, similar to the cork used in
the modern flute, and constructed his flute in three sec-

tions, as it is today. Due to the small, round embouchure

hole, the small tone holes and lack of keys, good intonation

and a consistently pure sound required a great deal of tech-

nical facility on the part of the performer.

Flute Methods
With the rise in interest in the transverse flute

came the need for a method book written especially for it.

There are three major publications relating to the flute in

 7

the early eighteenth century. Hotteterre's treatise,

Principes de la flute traversiere, of 1707, is the first

method written specifically for the flute. It also includes,

however, sections for the recorder and oboe, no doubt de-

ferring to the predominance of these instruments at the turn

of the century. It is remarkably clear and concise, and has

been published in paperback by Dover as Rudiments of the

Flute, Recorder and Oboe. This was the standard woodwind

method for many years.

By 1735, the date of publication of Michel Corrette's

Methode pour apprendre aisément a jouer de la flute traver-

siére, some of the earlier practices were considered to be

old- fashioned.4 The Corrette method, while patterned after

Hotteterre, included more detailed fingering and trill charts,

an expanded discussion of ornaments, as well as some original

airs and duets.

When the Versuch of Quantz was published in 1752,

the flute had become well -established as a virtuoso instru-

ment. This long treatise is a major source of information

about all aspects of eighteenth century musical practice,

and is as pertinent to the performing musician of today as

Carol Reglin Farrar, Michel Corrette and Flute -

playing in the Eighteenth Century. (Brooklyn, N.Y.: Institute
of Medieval Music, 1970), p. 34.
 8

it was two hundred years ago. The work is in three major

sections: the first dealing with technical aspects of flute

performance, including history and mechanics of the instru-

ment, ornamentation and other musical problems. The second

section deals with the problems encountered when performing

with other instruments, such as tempi, intonation, and

balance. The final section contains a discussion of forms

and styles in eighteenth century music. It is interesting

to note that only fifty of the three hundred thirty -four

original pages are devoted exclusively to the flute. It is

available in translation by Edward R. Reilly both in hard

cover and in paperback, with an excellent commentary by

Dr. Reilly. Although a number of treatises on the flute
were published after this date, they belong to a different

style of music and are not within the scope of this study.
 CHAPTER II

ORNAMENTATION

Ornamentation, while often unwritten, is an abso-

lutely essential part of the harmonic as well as melodic
fabric of baroque music. Until recently there has been very

little interest in historically correct performance of

baroque music. Within the past fifteen years, however,
there has been a revival of interest in old music, and a
number of scholarly works have been devoted to early per-
formance practices. Several of these works have been very

helpful in this study of ornamentation and articulation.

The Interpretation of Early Music, by Robert

Donington, now revised, is perhaps the earliest pertinent

work. Mr. Donington is one of the leading authorities on

music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and his
book represents an exhaustive study of the subject. It is

an invaluable reference work, most useful for scholars and

performers alike, and it has a very complete bibliography.

Betty Bang Mather, at the University of Iowa, is the

foremost contemporary authority on eighteenth century wood-
wind performance practice. The two books she has written to

date contain a wealth of information, and are essential for

every woodwind performer who is interested in early music.
The first volume, The Interpretation of French Music from

9
 10

1675 -1775, deals with rhythmic inequality, articulation

practices, and ornamentation. The second, Free Ornamentation

in Woodwind Music 1700 -1775, contains an excellent introduc-

tion which provides a fine overview, followed by numerous

annotated musical examples. Both books also have excellent,

up -to -date bibliographies.

Baroque ornamentation is a very broad field, with

many types of ornaments, great variety of execution within

the individual types, and much overlapping among the steno-

graphic signs for the specific ornaments. Eighteenth century

melodic lines, when stripped of their ornaments, are often

exceedingly simple. Ornaments, either carefully written
into the music, in the French manner, or more improvisational,
in the Italian fashion, are therefore absolutely essential.

They can, in the process of embellishing a melody, create

varying degrees of dissonance with the accompaniment, a dis-

tinguishing feature of baroque music in general. An examina-

tion of Figure 1 on the next page will show this to be the

case.
 Gravement (J) 76 tiny.)
Flits Violon 1* w n "O.
_-
ou Hautbois

Vi otonceils

CLAVECIN
.8:. .
,m=IN=MMlf

rrMIIIM M,111 /.11 r

4-\ rt

Figure 1. Couperin Quatriéme Concert Royal.

Prelude, mm. l -8.
 12

Toward the middle of the century, composers often

wrote the ornaments directly into the music. J.S. Bach,

Telemann, and Vivaldi, for example, often wrote in their

ornamentation in such fashion. Figure 2, an Adagio from the

Sonata in G Minor by Telemann, presents the melody both in

'
its ornamented version, and stripped to its essential

melodic line.

-
`
4
Adagio.

'`
.WIMINNUI=M
6
*.7-5-

6
I-

1
Q
A..

6
',,
TI

-r-`
'
¢
=IIMII.

7;
.
--- -
.
,._M11.--
_ 6 6
g

6
"-.1r_-:a
....-
ts
MO .MIMI

5
=6
y 6_ 6
4
1.
2
;

\
. 1 ,

InevaIaamas..r- ^10.
aiT'i!-!
s lSrs7. r 1JS

6 6 5 3 6 4.
4 2

fI

\,I

Figure 2. Telemann, Sonata in G Minor, Adagio,

mm. 1-7.
 13

Italian -style ornamentation is based on the "division

technique" of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in

which the ornamented notes are divided into a number of

quicker notes, resulting in a florid melody with complex

rhythms and small note values, thus tending to obscure the

main note. Typical Italian melodic lines consist of six-

teenth- notes, arpeggiated figures, triplets, and rapid thirty -

second notes (see Figure 3).

J
Solo

f
r ,
rj r t
Jt lit 41 11:1

180 y ....,.... ;It 44.1..

J' st r
Tutti
r
tsA
r.t 1
. rtJt r---
-J.
t
. . .
t
v-190 4-
I
, -
I

Solo
,t,-. t
++-

Figure 3. Vivaldi Concerto in C Major, F. VI, No. 4

Allegro molto, mm. 9 -25.
 14
The Italians apparently made little use of notes inégales,

one of the main characteristics of French music. The German

style at the middle of the eighteenth century represents a

fusion of the French and Italian styles.

The ornaments to be discussed are those which

originated in French practice: the trill, mordent, appoggia-

tura, turn, son enflé, and flattement; these are indicated

by specific signs. (The reader is referred to Appendix A for

a chart of signs for the ornaments to be discussed). Such

use of stenographic signs is one main distinguishing feature

of French -style music. See Figure 4 below.

PRELUDE
órairemossL.Lr). 76 ant .).
Ay __A Mky T w +wagon

ß-
se

.i
...¡
.-
.M .
ID M/
.f f. 4* "M .*.

.. .-
OMENIMM IMMI,
5
P .41 c.

Au e ...a++ w
Mr
!M if y
..w.i "ow..

Figure 4. Couperin, Quatriéme Concert Royal, Prelude.

Although the use of French ornaments often created complex

rhythms, these ornaments never obscured the main melodic

note. In addition, French melodic lines sometimes comprised

 15

conjunct eighth -note motion, performed as notes inégales,

that is, with the first of each group of two notes held

slightly. Notes inégales will be discussed in detail in

connection with articulation practices.

All eighteenth century writers emphasized the need

for musicians to learn, by practice, how to ornament in what

they called "good taste." Hotteterre wrote, when discussing

mordents, "taste and experience, rather than theory, teach

their proper use,"5 and Quantz, nearly fifty years later,

wrote:

"the good effect of a piece of music depends

almost as much upon the performer as upon the
composer himself The best composition
. . . .

may be marred by poor execution, just as a

mediocre composition may be improved and en-
hanced by good execution It is true . . . .

that the ornaments described above are abso-

lutely necessary for good execution. But
they must be used sparingly or they become
too much of a good thing The little . . . .

embellishments should be used like season-

ing at a meal . . .

Some broad, general rules for performance of orna-

mentation drawn by Ms. Mather from Quantz's Versuch are as

follows:

5 Hotteterre, p. 47.

6
Quantz, pp. 99, 100, 120.
 16

1. note or notes on a strong beat or strong part

A
of a beat is or are usually played strongly or crescendo..
A note or notes on a weak beat or weak part of a beat is or
are usually played weakly or decrescendo.

2. Occasionally the strong part of a beat is played

weakly and the weak part strongly. This is a deviation from
normal practice -- a seldom -used method of adding interest
to a performance.

3. A pickup note is often played strongly even

though it falls on a weak part of a beat.
4. Syncopations are performed crescendo -- not de-
crescendo -- as is correct for later music.
5. "Quick" and "moderately quick" appoggiaturas are
played weakly. "Long" (variable) appoggiaturas are played
strongly or crescendo. (Whether an appoggiatura is to be
performed long or short in Quantz's ornamentations can be
determined by its accompanying dynamic inflection).7

Appoggiatura
"Port de voix" is the French term for appoggiatura.

Quantz wrote, "In performance appoggiaturas are both orna-

mental and essential. Without appoggiaturas a melody would

often sound very meagre and plain. "8 This ornament, however

is a subject of some discrepancy in terminology employed by

modern scholars. Different writers call the varieties by

different names, and often their symbols overlap with those

7 Betty Bang Mather and David Lasocki. Free

Ornamentation in Woodwind Music, 1700 -1775. (New York:
McGinnis and Marx, 1976), p. 14.
8
Quantz, p. 91.
 17

for other ornaments. The information in this document comes

primarily from Quantz's Versuch and Ms. Mather's books,

generally employing the terminology used by Ms. Mather.
There are several varieties of appoggiatura, with

their functions either harmonic or melodic, depending on

whether they fall on or before the beat, as shown in Figure 5

below.

Gravement (J) 76 an.)

* Mr *

Figure 5. Couperin, Quatriéme Concert Royal

Prelude, mm. 1 -2.

Notice that if the ornament is performed on the beat, it is

stressed, and creates a dissonance. The most basic rule

set forth by Quantz is that appoggiaturas are marked in

small notes, and take their value from the notes they orna-

ment. Appoggiaturas make smooth transitions from one note

to another.

Three types of single appoggiaturas were common

during the first half of the eighteenth century. The simple

appoggiatura progresses by step to the note it ornaments.

 18
this type of appoggiatura could be played either on or be-

fore the beat, giving it either a harmonic or a melodic

.-.,:,-.l
function. The appoggiatura could be taken from either above

or below, according to the position of the following note.

IN.1111111 MIM ..7' - -i !

4011111111MIWh.111111i
(il 11111111111

(a) (b)
Figures 6a -6b. Simple appoggiatura.

If the preceding note was higher than the following note,

the appoggiatura was taken from above. If the preceding

note was lower than the following one, the appoggiatura

was taken from below. See Figures 6a and 6b above.

The could is a single appoggiatura which descends

to the following note, such as in Figure 6b above. Another

type of could is the passing appoggiatura, which fills in

irr--
the interval of a descending third, and was played before

the beat, giving it a melodic rather than harmonic function.

See Figure 7.
.11111111 -11MMININIMrINMEMIIII AIIIIIIt

Figure 7. Coulé

As performed.
 19

As the eighteenth century progressed, the long

appoggiatura became increasingly popular. This was performed

on the beat and was stressed. Its duration depended on the

length of the note that followed it, but usually it was

played as long as feasible, and it was often performed in
conjunction with one of the other ornaments, such as a mor-

dent. It took half of the value of the main note, and two -

thirds of the length if the main note was dotted. This will

be seen in Figures 8 and 9 below, with the proper performance

.1111iwrzoot
indicated.

1111111/111C7CIII1r1111o.iIMo.a
mws. roamirmadim
=o 11//111111ri.s7IIMIN 1=1111111111
IMMINIM:s711111M111.111

Figure 8. Long appoggiatura. As performed.

..s..ro.. isimew
/

.17111
"

o
ANNIV.sP1MrHNIIIII11
NMI
s .Mr* IM M
mwsmidmil mismolvdmonszmouwiarrsri
11111>.=11
+rsIM..w.
,111111111=111=M

Figure 9. Long appoggiatura. As performed.

The double appoggiatura was called a slide by

English writers (and sometimes was also called a could),

and was indicated by a slide -like sign. It also had a:va-

riety of playing possibilities, but usually joined together

the interval of an ascending third. See Figure 10.

mom
NMrl1110:r
IEmma miss:_rxxi
WWII 111,11
a
v.
sowits
.r7311r onNI=
1 a=
=4111
a
1101:MNIIIMI
1

Figure 10. Double appoggiatura.

 20

Trill
The subject of baroque trills is again a topic in

itself. The trill, or tremblement, was indicated by a num-

ber of signs, had a great many variations, and was governed

by numerous rules. The trill almost always began on the

upper note whether indicated or not. If the upper note was

to be sustained, the trill was said to be "prepared." There

was usually no indication whether or not the trill should be

prepared, thus, the decision was left to the "good taste" of

the performer. Trills on the baroque flute were often quite

cumbersome due to the lack of keys and system of fingering,

and were, as a result, difficult to perform in tune.

The major types of early eighteenth century trills

can be enumerated as follows:

1. Simple: a trill without preparation (Figure lla).

2. Detached: a simple trill which was detached

from the previous note (Figure llb).

3. Half- trill: consists of only four notes

(Figure llc).

4. Lie: perhaps the most unusual for one to under-

stand today, it was a simple trill which was
slurred from the previous note, which was to
become the upper note of the trill, in effect
"delaying" the trill (Figure lld).

Figure lla. Simple Trill. Figure lib. Detached Trill.

 21
'5 i E.
fiwi'mosriaracmommlCa
4 NI I
I I NEI
A M)
s_

Figure lic. Half Trill. Figure lld. Lié.

As far as ending the trill is concerned, in general

a turn was added when the resolution ascended, and an anti-

cipation was added when the resolution descended, as in

Figure 12.

AM.

Figure 12. Descending and ascending resolutions

of trill.

Mordent

Pincé, or battement, is the French term for mordent,

which we know as the rapid alternation of the main note with

the note below. The speed of the alternations was quick,

and the number of shakes was left to the performer. Quantz

began the shorter mordent on the main note and the longer

mordent on the note below. The signs were numerous, and

again there was a certain amount of overlapping among

signs, leaving the choice once again to the "good taste"

of the performer. The mordent was often used on the initial

note of a phrase, and in conjunction with an appoggiatura

(see Figure 5, measure 1, beat r).

 22

Grupetto

The grupetto, tour de gosier, or turn, was probably

derived from vocal technique. It consisted of a turn around

a main note, in other words, the note above the main note,

the main note, the note below the main note, and a return

to the main note. This is the "turn" we know today, as

i
shown below in Figure 13.

I
i1W18111
"MI
siia'IIIIIMIr
Tr
li
.
IL.t.=111111_1111111111111
MIN, MMIIIII/lIIIIiliIIIIIIIIII!
mimir/.ab!!W=111111."
tMINEiANINNINIII1.111"
MMIIIMW
1

Figure 13. Grupetto.

Son enfle, or messa di voce, was a swelling on a

longer note, sometimes indicated by a crescendo or crescendo

and decrescendo marking, but more often it had no sign.

The practice of swelling the sound in this manner originated

with the eighteenth century Italian bel canto singing tech-

nique, and is described by Corrette and Quantz as being

used in conjunction with flattement. When performing this

ornament, care must have been exercised to keep the pitch

constant, which was not an easy task on the baroque flute.

Flattement
The final ornament to be included is flattement, a

kind of fingered vibrato. There was usually no sign for it,

but it was performed on long notes. Hotteterre and Corrette

both gave fingering charts for flattements (the Corrette

 23

chart is included in Appendix C). Basically, it was made by

striking a finger along the side of the hole directly below

the closed hole, or striking a finger directly over a hole

farther down the flute. When neither was possible, it was

recommended that the instrument be shaken. The speed of the

flattement varied according to the speed of the music.

 CHAPTER III

ARTICULATION

Wind players in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and

eighteenth centuries employed articulation syllables that

are little used today. These syllables varied the strength

of the attack. Modern scholars are beginning to look into

the possibility that these many syllables might be due to

the different speech patterns of the various regional dia-

lects of the languages. Early Spanish and Italian writers

such as Silvestro di Ganassi (1535) have given us a relative-

ly clear idea of their articulation practices, with numerous

examples of the many syllables they used, such as: "tere-

tere " "lere-lere," "lara," "liri " "loro," "luru," "dara,"

"dhara," "tara," "tiri," "toro," "gara," "ghere," "giri,"

"goro," and "guru." They achieved a very high degree of pro-

ficiency in the use of these articulations. Some of the

early Italian treatises contain articulation studies that are

extremely difficult.
Early French sources are sparce. In 1636, the French

theorist, Marin Mersenne, in his treatise, Harmonie Univer-

selle, discussed articulation syllables in connection with

the cornetto, a popular early instrument with a cup mouth-

piece and seven fingerholes. The next French source,

214
 25

however, does not appear until 1700, the treatise of

Freillon -Poncein which is listed on this bibliography.

Although this treatise was written for the recorder, oboe,

and flageolet (member of the recorder family), it has much
information pertinent to the transverse flute during the late
seventeenth century, in the field of articulation- syllables.
This treatise has not yet been translated into English.

The French made exclusive use of the syllables

"tu -ru," with the eighteenth century French "r'' being

similar to the rolled Italian "r" of today. Freillon-

Poncein and Hotteterre both show the use of the hard "tu"
and the softer "ru" as a means of varying the music and

making it more interesting. This practice is presumably

a continuation of the practice of "soft tonguing" which was

necessary on the recorder. Appendix D shows a typical

page from the treatise of Freillon -Poncein, and deals with

articulation syllables. Appendix E has been taken from the

English translation of the Hotteterre method. These examples

should illustrate the use of the early French articulation

syllables, that is, those in use at the turn of the century.

Notes Inégales

Hotteterre discusses the practice of "dotting,"

that is, lengthening some of the notes when they are in

a regular pattern. The French grouped the syllables across

the beat (as opposed to the Italians) in such fashion as

 26

seen in Figure 14. This grouping stems from the practice

s L
r-,
s S L e I-

S L 5. , L L

Figure 14. Notes inégales.

of rhythmic inequality, that is, notes inégales, (literally

"unequal notes "), in which the notes which fell on the

strong beats were lengthened slightly. It is believed that

the declamation of the French language, in which syllables

tend to be long or short rather than accented or unaccented,

led to a vocal style in France which was later to pervade

instrumental music as notes inégales.

The French style of inequality is most suited to

their type of stepwise, running eighth -notes which could be

played equally (as written) or unequally (long -short). This

occurred, however, only in notes that were smaller than the

main beat. Earlier eighteenth century theorists as well as
Quantz discussed at length which groups of notes in a given
meter were to be performed equal and which were unequal.
By 1750 it had become standard practice to perform running

eighth -notes equally and only running sixteenth -notes un-

equally. The degree of inequality varied, according to the

mood of the music -- for example, a prelude might have been

performed with the shorter note very short, whereas in a

more lyrical movement the grouping might have been more

like triplets. The treatises of Hotteterre and Quantz give

 27

rules for this in various meters. For more defined articu-

lation, the harder syllable "tu" is used alone, such as

for repeated notes, or skips and for longer notes. Some-

times the syllables were reversed, especially when two

isolated quick notes fell between longer notes. Figure 15

should make this clear.

rì r; di r; d' r' +;
Figure 15. Hard and soft tongue syllables.

Double Tonguing

Another type of tongue stroke was used by Quantz for

fast passages and employed the syllables "did'll." He

called this the double tongue. Basically, the old rules for

using the harder syllable "di" for leaps, longer notes and

for emphasis govern the placement of double tonguing. See

Figure 16.

d;d.' 11 dì ßd'11 di. 41;411 cl.; d;x1I d.i.

Figure 16. Double tongue.

Double tonguing was not popular in France, but was

very popular in Germany and England, and grew even more

popular as the century progressed. At that time, the artic-

ulation style of a popular flutist was a major aspect of his

personal style, and a flutist of the day was recognized

by his manner of articulation, much as today we sometimes
 28

recognize the playing of well -known flutists by such things

as vibrato and tone quality.

Slurring Practice
Eighteenth century slurring practice is again a
complex field, as slurs were not necessarily indicated in

the music, and publishers were not particularly reliable

in following the manuscripts. Slurring was employed for

the purposes of smoothing out sharp rhythmic contrasts,

grouping regular patterns into symmetrical units, or to call

attention to melodic detail.

The matter of melodic detail is discussed at great

length by Quantz in a set of melodic variation tales in his

Versuch. These tables are sets of rules for ornamenting

selected patterns of notes, and were intended for all instru-

ments: they are remarkably complete. Considerable care

must have been taken both by Quantz and the printer to main-
tain accuracy, which was not at all the case with many early

music publishers. These complicated tables are discussed

in detail by Mary Rasmussen in her 1966 article in the

Brass and Woodwind Quarterly.9 A simplified list of her

Mary Rasmussen, "Some Notes on the Articulations

9
in the Melodic Variation Tables of J.J. Quantz's Versuch
einer Anweisung die Flöte traversirére zu speilen, Brass
and Woodwind Quarterly, I, (1966 -1967), pp. 5 -11.
 29

rules, distilled from Quantz, is as follows:

1. An appoggiatura is always slurred to its note of

resolution.
2. Melodic units encompassing a dotted note and its
complement are slurred.
3. Wide skips are not slurred.
4. Two or more consecutive members of the same
triad, in notes of equal value, occupying less
than a whole beat, are slurred when preceded by
a skip larger than the nearest member of the
triad, a note of longer duration, a repetition
of the first note of the group, or a combination
thereof. This rule can be applied to retrograde
forms of this class of patterns.

5. A neighbor -note pattern is slurred if it is an

independent three -note motive; or if it occurs
in notes of equal value, occupies less than a
whole beat, and is preceded by a skip, a note of
longer duration, a repetition of the first note
of the group, or a combination thereof. This
rule can also be applied to retrograde forms
of this class of patterns.

6. Sharp rhythmic contrast tends to be blunted by

symmetrical, or nearly symmetrical, slurs.
7. In compound meters, compact melodic patterns in
notes of equal value are slurred in groups of
three . . or sometimes in groups of six.
.

8. Melodic patterns in simple syncopated rhythms

are not slurred.

9. Short sequences or repetitions of melodic motives

are slurred.

Fortunately, the careful reader will be aware of the fact

that, in general, Quantz's "rules" persist today. Initial

thoughtful practice will help to foster correct slurring

habits.
 CHAPTER IV

IMPLICATIONS FOR MODERN PERFORMERS

The performer who seeks a more authentic performance

of baroque music must confront a few very basic obstacles.

There is very little opportunity to hear authentic perform-

ances on baroque instruments. Although increasing in

number, there are not many recordings available. Aside from

studying privately or attending workshops with the few au-
thorities in the field, one must do his own research. Much
careful practice is needed to gain a grasp of correct articu-
lations and execution of ornaments. One must find a harp-
sichordist who is also interested in historically correct
performance. If a genuine baroque instrument is used, the

pitch will be low, and a modern harpsichord will have to

adjust for this.

A great deal of work is needed for even the profes-

sional flutist to learn the baroque flute. While the basic

technique is that of the flute, awkward cross -fingerings

are common, as the fingerings are more like those of the

recorder than the modern flute. Trills, for example, are at

times impossible and must be approximated, by commencing with
the correct fingering and changing to an easier but incorrect,

therefore out of tune, fingering.

30
 31

The embouchure hole is small and round, and the flute must

be rolled in or out quite noticeably for correction of the

intonation of certain notes. The modern flutist must become

accustomed to lifting the fingers high to allow for venting,

which is not needed on a flute with keys. He will probably

need to re -learn to play wihtout vibrato, or at least become

conscious of his vibrato, and instead learn to use flatte -

ment.

There are several specific things one can do,

however, on the modern flute, to create a more authentic

performance. With knowledge and practice one can perform

the ornaments correctly and in "good taste." One can use

the original tonguing syllables, play suitable passages in

notes inégales, and apply the Quantz rules for slurrings.

The relatively brilliant silver flute can be played more

gently. Some modern flutists attempt to imitate the "off -

color" notes such as G -sharp by rolling the flute in or

out. Flattement can be approximated on the modern flute,

or experiments made with vibrato to imitate flattement.

Thus, the brilliant twentieth century silver flute can be

effectively modified, with thoughtful experimentation and

practice. The teacher who is aware of baroque performance

practices and these modern techniques can enrich the musical

life of his student by making him aware of the fascinating

field of re- creating baroque music as it was performed two

hundred years ago.

 APPENDIX A

ORNAMENTS AND ARTICULATIONS

Appoggiatura (Port de voix): p t / v A

Trill (Tremblement) : X + t ti. .M/ Am/

Mordent (Pince, battement) :

r V w wv /l .,/ nfr. t 7

Turn (Tour de gosier) : coo

Son enflé (Messa di voce): (l )

Flattement: (.,w)

Early Italian
Tongue Syllables:

Hotteterre Tongue
Syllables:

`
Quantz Tongue
Syllables:

L..-1
3 L
__.
s L
u
3 3

32
 APPENDIX B

FINGERINGS FOR A BAROQUE FLUTE OF 1670

al-412 ate a
v Q*0 o10-1`'qg2 #Qsa#st
ic:so a n n

A I\
! 00 0 0 oo A 00 o 0
O O O o o O O O
I ° O O O O p O O o
00T
oo O O O e
O 0 O O o O O O o
0. o O O O o
t O O O O o o .o o O 0 o 0 o o oo o o o*
.. oo
O . (I p 0 0 0 o o o o o o o O 0 0 000 o o o 0
k k K K K K K
 APPENDIX C

CORRETTE: FLATTEMENT FINGERINGS

TO EXPLAIN THE MANNER OF MAKLNG THE SOFTENING

ON THE TONES AND SEMITONES

The softening is made with a finger which is well extended over

the hole and belowthe last hole which is covered. One must observe that
the finger does not cover the hole on which the softening is made, but it
is lowered softly and held in the air in finishing except on the second ré.
The softening is done to swell and diminish the tone. This ornament
is extremely moving in tender pieces on long notes. It is indicated by
the sign J but is rarely ((marked )).

Table
Concerning the fingers which are employed to make the softening for
each tone and semitone:
A B C D E G

same note same no te same no to

For low rét A, all the holes are covered, and one shakes the flute
with the right hand.
In the same way, one makes the softening oa low ré# or mi b, B.
For mi4, C, the softening is made at the edge of the sixth hole.
For faq, 0, and fa #, E, at the fifth hole.
For solo, F, it is made in two ways. Observe: at the edge of the
fourth hole or full upon the fifth hole. This last way is the easier.
flute.
For soil, or lab, G, at the edge of the third hole or by shaking the
N I
we.r..sa=---'ssw
K L
a ss.s.a
tf N
nsasss-..r.
-
.O_,. _
. . bo
P

{ t
t i Ì t r f

(73- Q R S T
t

V X Z N

For 1a4, at the edge of the fourth hole. One can make it at the
K,
third hole, but it is not so easy.
For la$ or si r, at the sixth hole full.
For si4, K. full upon the fourth hole.
For- utq, L, full upon the fourth hole.

311
 35

For ute, or ré b, bl, full upon the third hole. Former players
made it at the second hole, but it is worth nothing and lowers the tone
by a comma.
For réa, N, full upon the second hole. One must begin and finish
by covering the hole.
For ré $ or mi b, 0, upon the first hole. One must cover it before
and after the softening. One can also make it in shaking the flute with
the right hand, as we have said of low ré# or mi b.
From min, P, to las, Q. the softening is made like those of the oc-
tave below. See C, D, E, F, G, and H.
For la* or si j, R, at the edge of the fourth hole.
For sip, S, full upon the fourth hole, as with the octave below, K.
For ut# or réb, V, full upon the sixth hole.
For réq, .X, the finger at the edge of the fourth hole.
For ré+# or mi b, Z, the finger at the edge of the third hole.
For the other high tones, the softening can only be made by shaking
the flute with the right hand, W.
 APPENDIX D

FREILLON -PONCEIN: ARTICULATIONS

Commentilpitt-elowler /c.r coups dc lanjités en lintte.c

híI 1it}iM1
v trle. * dc mc.rurc

two rH
A

A. ru Aa Ata rH h. ht ht r.t /sl ru !b bannru ha Ilt

At I t. /t. rH Avru ha be w r.t ti re* At /.I he ti ru h. rH he h. r.. M roe

C C

III ru In h. .v. Ih rH ItI r.. Qt ru bi Itit rr A. ti ru he rat lit 3.ra M'

he raut da rut A. ru he ru h. b. raa N. ru hl M ru !, ru he rw w ru b Sa. rr. As ha rat ha

ho rH h. r.. A. rH Rt ru he ru b. ht v he
krG1a:Tt-
Ir rot he At rot by ha rat It ru A. ru Sl ru A. hl ru » ha rH 14 /L ru 4

At !.l ru Sr Ca at rar As Aa Sc rat Aa lia A. I'm A. he ht r.l Ss 'r. rn ht Iw ru

n n

M ha ru A. A. r:. /a. h. ra. be ha ow Au

Vatt
A. rY ha IY rf. A. h. ra he ho ru ha ta r
A.

36
 APPENDIX E

HOTTETERRE : ARTICULATIONS

TONGUING
seen in Examples 2 and 3, where these two tonguing! are
alternated.
Note that the tu, ru is governed by the number of eighth
notes. When the number is odd, use tu, ru immediately as in
ExAMrLE 2

Duple time

tu ru tu ru tu ru tu ru tu ru tu ru tu ru tu tu

EXAMPLE 3
Duple time

tu tu ru tu ru tu tu ru tu ru tu tu tu tu

Example 2. When it is even use tu on the first two notes, and

then ru alternately, as in Example 3.
It is well to note that all eighth notes should not always be
played equally, but that in some time signatures one long and
one short should be used. This usage is also governed by the
number. When it is even, the first is long and the second is
short, and so on for the others. When it is odd, the opposite is
done. This is called dotting. The times in which this method is
ordinarily used are two-four, simple three and six -four.
Ru should be used on the note following the eighth note when
it ascends or descends in a stepwise fashion
EXAMPLE 4
Three-four time

tu tu ru tu tu ru tu tu ru tu

37
 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary Sources

Corrette, Michel. Méthode pour apprendre aisément a jouer de

la flute traversiêre. Paris: Boivin, Leclerc, 1739.
Translated by Carol Reglin Farrar in Michel Corrette
and Flute -playing in the Eighteenth Century.
Brooklyn, N.Y.: Institute of Medieval Music, 1970.
Freillon -Poncein, Jean -Pierre. La Véritable manière d'appren-
dre á jouer en perfection du haut -bois, de la f1Qte
et du flageolet. Paris: J. Collombat, 1700.

Hotteterre, Jaques. Principes de la flete traversière, ou

flúte d'Allemagne; de la flute á bec, ou flute
douce; et du haut -bois. Paris, 1707. Translated
and edited by Paul Marshall Douglas as Rudiments of
the Flute, Recorder, and Oboe. New York: Dover,
1968.

Quantz, Johann Joachim. Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte

traversière zu spielen. Berlin, 1752. Translated
and edited by Edward R. Reilly as On Playing the
Flute. New York: Schirmer Books, 1975.

Secondary Sources
Anthony, James R. French Baroque Music from Beaujoyeulx
to Rameau . London: B.T. Batsford Ltd., 1973.

Baines, Anthony. Woodwind Instruments and Their History.

London: Faber, 1967.
Bate, Philip. The Flute: A Study of Its History, Develop-
ment and Construction. New York: W.W. Norton, 1969.

Bukofzer, Manfred F. Music in the Baroque Era. New York:

W.W. Norton, 1947.

Donington, Robert. The Interpretation of Early Music.

New version. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1974.

Farrar, Carol Reglin. Michel Corrette and Flute- playing in

the Eighteenth Century. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Institute
of Medieval Music, 1970.

38
 39

Girard, Adrien. Histoire et richesses de la flute. Paris:

Librairie Grund, 1953.

Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., S.v.

"Ornaments," by Robert Donington.

Harris -Warrick, Rebecca. "Newest Instructions for the

German Flute: A Method Book for the One -keyed
Flute Based on the Eighteenth century Tutors."
D.M.A. Dissertation, Stanford University, 1977.

Lewis, W.H. The Splendid Century. Garden City, N.Y.:

Doubleday and Company, 1953.

Mather,, Betty Bang and David Lasocki. Free Ornamentation

in Woodwind Music, 1700 -1775. New York: McGinnis
and Marx, 1976.

Rasmussen, Mary. "Some Notes on the Articulations in the

Melodic Variation Tables of J.J. Quantz's Versuch
."
. Brass and Woodwind Quarterly, I, (1966-
1967), 3 -26.

Reilly, Edward R. Quantz and his Versuch: Three Studies.

New York: Galaxy Music Corporation, 1971.

Rockstro, Richard Shepherd. A Treatise on the Construction,

the History and the Practice of the Flute, Including
a Sketch of the Elements of Acoustics and Critical
Notices of Sixty Celebrated Flute- players. The
Greater Part of the Biographical Information
Collected and the Whole of the Extracts from the
German and the Italian Translated by Georgina M.
Rockstro. 2nd ed. London: Rudall, Carte, 1928.

Vinquest, Mary and Neal Zaslaw (Editors). Performance

Practice: A Bibliography. New York: W.W. Norton
and Company, 1971.