On Playing the Flute

by Quantz, Johann Joachim; Reilly, Edward R.

• ISBN13: 9781555534738
• ISBN10: 1555534732
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: Northeastern Univ Pr

Summary

Johann Joachim Quantz's On Playing Flute has long been recognized as one of the most significant and in-depth treatises on eighteenth-century musical thought, performance practice, and style. This classic text of Baroque music instruction goes far beyond an introduction to flute methods by offering a comprehensive program of studies that is equally applicable to other instruments and singers. The work is comprised of three interrelated essays that examine the education of the solo musician, the art of accompaniment, and forms and style. Quantz provides detailed treatment of a wide range of subjects, including phrasing, ornamentation, accent, intensity, tuning, cadenzas, the role of the concertmaster, stage deportment, and techniques for playing dance movements. Of special interest is a table that relates various tempos to the speed of the pulse, which will help today's musicians solve the challenge of playing authentic performance tempos in Baroque music. This edition includes 224 musical examples from Quantz's original text and features a new introduction by translator Edward R. Reilly that considers recent scholarship on Quantz's significant role in eighteenth-century musical activity. On Playing the Flute vividly conveys the constancy of musical life over time and remains a valuable guide for contemporary musicians.

Author Biography

Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773), son of a blacksmith, enjoyed a long and successful career as a virtuoso soloist and orchestral performer on a variety of instruments. He was also a composer, an exceptional teacher and writer, and a flute maker. Tutor and Royal Prussian Chamber Musician to Frederick the Great, Quantz studied in Dresden and traveled throughout Europe to refine his musical skills and knowledge. Edward R. Reilly is Professor of Music, Emeritus, at Vassar College. He is the author of Quantz and His Versuch: Three Studies.

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Introduction to the New Edition	xxxv
Introduction to the Reissue	xxxix
Preface to the Translation	xiii
ESSAY OF A METHOD FOR PLAYING THE TRANSVERSE FLUTE	1	(344)
Dedication	3	(4)
Preface	7	(4)
Introduction: Of the Qualities Required of Those Who Would Dedicate Themselves to Music	11	(18)
Short History and Description of the Transverse Flute	29	(7)
Of Holding the Flute, and Placing the Fingers	36	(3)
Of the Fingering or Application, and the Gamut or Scale of the Flute	39	(10)
Of the Embouchure	49	(11)
Of Notes, their Values, Metre, Rests, and Other Musical Signs	60	(11)
Of the Use of the Tongue in Blowing upon the Flute	71	(16)
Of the Use of the Tongue with the Syllable ti or di	71	(5)
Of the Use of the Tongue with the Word tiri	76	(3)
Of the Use of the Tongue with the Word did'll, or the so-called Double Tongue	79	(6)
Supplement: Several Remarks for the Use of the Oboe and Bassoon	85	(2)
Of Taking Breath, in the Practice of the Flute	87	(4)
Of the Appoggiaturas, and the Little Essential Graces Related to Them	91	(10)
Of Shakes	101	(8)
What a Beginner Must Observe in His Independent Practice	109	(10)
Of Good Execution in General in Singing and Playing	119	(10)
Of the Manner of Playing the Allegro	129	(7)
Of Extempore Variations on Simple Intervals	136	(26)
Of the Manner of Playing the Adagio	162	(17)
Of Cadenzas	179	(17)
What a Flautist Must Observe if the Plays in Public Concerts	196	(9)
Of the Duties of Those Who Accompany or Execute the Accompanying or Ripieno Parts Associated with a Concertante Part	205	(90)
Of the Qualities of a Leader of an Orchestra	206	(9)
Of the Ripieno Violinists in Particular	215	(22)
Of the Violist in Particular	237	(4)
Of the Violoncellist in Particular	241	(5)
Of the Double Bass Player in Particular	246	(4)
Of the Keyboard Player in Particular	250	(16)
Of the Duties That All Accompanying Instrumentalists in General Must Observe	266	(29)
How a Musician and a Musical Composition Are to Be Judged	295	(50)
Bibliography	345	(9)
Appendix	354	(23)
Bibliography II	377	(6)
Bibliography III	383	(12)
Index of the Most Important Matters	395