Has flute technique improved in the last 100 years?

[Tarandros]

Here is a link to a very early recording of a virtuoso flautist in 1908. It's English flautist Eli Hudson playing a wooden Rudall Carte flute, in the English style of the period, i.e. no vibrato except sparingly on one or two notes as an ornament. Whether or not this style of playing is to your taste, I would say that from the point of view of technique, no, flute playing hasn't improved in the last 100 years! It was just as good then.

http://www.flutehistory.com/Sounds/MP3/MrUdson.mp3

If this link doesn't load properly, please go to the following web page and select item 2 on the Programabout half way down

http://www.flutehistory.com/Recordings/ ... ecord.php3

Kind regards, T.

[fluteguy18]

How interesting!!!!!

In terms of finger facility, I would want to say no. Humans don't change THAT much in 100 years. But, in terms of technical capabilities I would say yes. But I only say that because flutes have advanced DRAMATICALLY in the past 100 years.

It also brings a few things to mind though. My teacher studied with Doriot Dwyer (of the BSO). Dwyer once spoke with her about how the caliber of students had gone up over the years. At one time, if you could play basic etudes and melodies up or down an octave, you were thought to be talented. And I don't remember if it was Galway or Jeanne Baxtresser (Baxtresser I think) who said "The level of playing in the past few years has really gone up. Players that would have been welcomed with open arms into the best conservatories 10 years ago are being turned away."

So I don't know. I mean, there were some really impressive bits in that recording. But at the same time, they were all either a scale type thing, or an arpeggio of sorts. Then on the other hand, look at some of the legendary technical demons of our literature: Ibert Concerto and Jolivet's Chant de Linos. Both were written in the 1934 and 1946 respectively.


I think this would be an interesting link and question to pose to the Galway Flute Chat. If you don't want to do it, would you mind if I did? I would be very interested to hear what Galway and the other world renowned players have to say.

Interesting...

[Tarandros]

How interesting!!!!!

In terms of finger facility, I would want to say no. Humans don't change THAT much in 100 years. But, in terms of technical capabilities I would say yes. But I only say that because flutes have advanced DRAMATICALLY in the past 100 years.

It also brings a few things to mind though. My teacher studied with Doriot Dwyer (of the BSO). Dwyer once spoke with her about how the caliber of students had gone up over the years. At one time, if you could play basic etudes and melodies up or down an octave, you were thought to be talented. And I don't remember if it was Galway or Jeanne Baxtresser (Baxtresser I think) who said "The level of playing in the past few years has really gone up. Players that would have been welcomed with open arms into the best conservatories 10 years ago are being turned away."

So I don't know. I mean, there were some really impressive bits in that recording. But at the same time, they were all either a scale type thing, or an arpeggio of sorts. Then on the other hand, look at some of the legendary technical demons of our literature: Ibert Concerto and Jolivet's Chant de Linos. Both were written in the 1934 and 1946 respectively.


I think this would be an interesting link and question to pose to the Galway Flute Chat. If you don't want to do it, would you mind if I did? I would be very interested to hear what Galway and the other world renowned players have to say.

Interesting...

Please do post it on the Galway site. I'd be interested to learn about the reaction. Basically, I think you're right - average standards of playing the flute have certainly improved, not least because of a rising population during the 20th century and increased middle class wealth which has meant that more children have had financial backing to take up the instrument, both of which factors have in turn led to increased competition and a rise in overall standards. I agree that the piece is largely based around scales and arpeggios, but on the other hand the speed is amazing, and also it has to remembered that the rapid jumps between registers, intonation and making the upper notes sound sweet is harder on a wooden flute, so Hudson's doing a harder job here than if he'd been playing on a modern metal instrument. Overall, I think top level players back then were as good as they are nowadays, though probably general levels of technique among flautists as a whole back then would have been lower than today.

Just had a thought about your 'demons' in your last sentence. That's quite true, but then what about for instance, the Karg-Elert etudes? I'm not even beginning to start thinking about approaching them until after my Diploma exam in December .... They are also demons!!!! And they were written around this time, 1908, possibly earlier. Karg-Elert was Swiss, I think, but these studies would certainly have been played by German and English players on wooden flutes (the Germans were still using the 'reform flute' at this stage - not even the Boehm flute!), as well as French flautists on the metal flutes in vogue in France by then But yes, the Ibert is by no means easy (spot the massive understatement). I haven't played it for years, as I am a returning flautist, as previously mentioned. I found the first movement was harder evn than the last. It took me months to work it up to around 130. There's simply nothing in scale/arpeggio or study practice to prepare you for those intervals at that speed .... Kind regards, T.