Western concert flute

The flute is a woodwind instrument with a, in contrast to the longitudinal flute, the side of the tube attached Anblaskante that emerged from the medieval fife fife respectively. By 1750 ( the end of the Baroque), they supplanted the recorder and became an important solo and orchestral instrument. Also in jazz and rock music the flute is employed.

6.1 Middle Ages
6.2 Renaissance
6.3 Baroque
6.4 Classical and Romantic
6.5 Boehm flute
6.6 use different types of instruments
6.7 Flutes other cultures

Design and function

There are different flutes. The modern flute consists of the following three parts: head, middle and bottom nozzles.

Headpiece

In the flute, the head piece is usually straight, but there are also curved head pieces as a learning tool for children or at lower alto, tenor and bass flutes. Thus the instrument is easier to grip and easier to keep characterized by a shorter lever. The head piece consists of the tube, the tube, which may consist of different materials ( see Materials ). In the upper third is a hole with soldered fireplace. This carries the curved lip plate with the proper embouchure. The conclusion of the headpiece is the vocal cork in Tubusinneren. The head piece is not cylindrical but conical in contrast to the rest of the tube. This cone has different influence on the sound of the flute. The tuning cork is in the upper narrow part of the header above the embouchure and should not be used to set the mood for other instruments. The notch at the bottom of the wiper rod should be just visible in the center of the Anblasloches with proper adjustment. The curvature of the lip plate, shape and cut of the Anblasloches and the bore of the head piece will greatly affect speech, tone color and volume of the modern flute.

Centerpiece

The flap systems on the center piece two designs and two flap types are distinguished.

Ring flaps have the advantage that the flutist can feel the air velocity in the fingertips, and can correct them better. In addition, a system with open flaps requires a more accurate finger technique, which in turn benefits a precise flute. The handle options are also much more flexible. The open doors provide numerous additional handles and effects like glissando, multiphonics and microtones ( pitch intervals smaller than a semitone), what contemporary music is helpful especially when playing and is often required by the composer. For several years, concert flutes exist with complete quartertone mechanics. This variant of the flute mechanism located on both the central piece and on the bottom nozzle has been developed by the Netherlands Flötenbauerin Eva Kingma.

E mechanism

Many Flutes, especially in the beginner segment, have a split E mechanism. This mechanism was developed in the early 20th century by the German flute maker Emil von Rittershausen and the French flute maker Djalma Julliot independently and facilitates the response and intonation of the tone e3 in the high third octave at the expense of a slightly higher weight. Most professional flutists do not use an E-mechanism, because the tones are to be realized with good technique without it.

The original Boehm flute was designed with an open G-sharp key. When, however, the closed G-sharp key prevailed increasingly under the flautist, the opening for the E- flap had to be changed because there were problems with the intonation and the speech of e3. The split E mechanism includes only the lower G-key, so as to achieve a clean intonation and quick response of e3. Flutes of modern design have almost all a E mechanism.

Foot piece

A distinction is made between C foot and B foot: With flutes with a C foot of the deepest sound is the c1. For flute with a B foot again, you can still play a semitone lower, ie until h

One advantage of a flute with B-foot is the " Gizmo " called small lever for the c4, which is attached to the foot, and the fact that the instrument has a longer resonance space and thereby sounds fuller, warmer and stronger. Especially the high notes of the third octave sound less bright and harsh. In addition, the flute is not as top-heavy, which means that it is easier felt during the flute playing by playing instruments. There are also flutes with C-foot, to which a separate extension piece for the small h can be plugged. There are also foot pieces that extend to the small b or even a. However, these are always special. In the deeper flutes such as the alto flute in G, exist in both models with G- foot, as well as those with Fis - foot.

Material

Flutes were partly produced subsequently to the new design by the Munich flutist and flute maker Theobald Boehm in 1832 ( conical Boehm flute ) or 1847 ( cylindrical Boehm flute ) and for a long time in wood. The first gold flute appeared in 1869, built by Louis Lot. In addition to silver and gold today following materials are for the flute commonly used: gilded silver, white gold, nickel silver (alloy of copper, zinc and nickel ), platinum, palladium, nickel, titanium, carbon, brass, stainless steel and wood, especially the very hard and fungal solid African blackwood ( Dalbergia melanoxylon ), but also the rare Cocusholz ( Brya ebenus ) and cocobolo ( Dalbergia retusa ). The types of wood boxwood and ebony are rarely used because of cracking and fracture risk today. Many players experiment with end pieces which are of a different material than the rest of the instrument. Cheaper instruments for beginners, there is made of aluminum or other cheaper metals. Flutes made of grenadilla Boehm system are now popular again a few years ago and are also used professionally in major symphony orchestras. They differ in tone from the historic baroque flute, which was made of wood or ivory.

In the 1990s, flute makers began to build instruments made of carbon fiber. These have certain advantages in terms of durability and maintenance, but are controversial because of the " normal" from the flute flautist under different sound characteristics. In the last decades a new type of system for the mechanical system has been developed which is no longer based solely on a number of axes bolted flaps, but closes the tone holes by means of magnetic valves.

Although it is nowadays mostly made of metal, the flute is not one of the sheet metal, but to the woodwinds. Firstly, the vibration is not as brass instruments, by the lips of the player, but by bubbles generated on an edge ( Anblaskante ); On the other hand flutes were originally built exclusively of wood.

Dynamics

The range of dynamics is relatively small at the flute. Until a'' it is about 25 dB. At higher tones, it is limited to 10 dB. In 9 meters distance the sound level in ff ( fortissimo ) reaches about 75 dB in the deep and about 85 dB in the high altitudes. The pp ( pianissimo ) extends from 50 dB in the low tone range up to 75 dB in height. The sound is very pp. overtones and approaches the sine wave. The sound level of the fundamental tone remains in the low register in piano and forte equal, the gain of the overtones causes the louder sound impression. The player's peak load is at his ear to over 105 dB.

Care and Maintenance

The flute should only complete interior (normal tissue ) and outside ( microfiber cloth ) be cleaned after every play. Especially silver flutes, but also lower gold alloys to run fast, especially due to possible grease the skin. Every now and then should be all about the outside rubbed with surgical spirit.

In the flaps so-called " pads " are installed. These are made of elastic material ( from a carton, a layer of felt and so-called fish skin from razor-thin sheep gut ) and have the task to close the tone holes airtight. The cushions are a very sensitive part of the flute, which is why you should never touch it with your fingers or the cleaning cloth. Every now and again it happens that moisture collects in the cushions. This creates an annoying noise when playing. It is advisable to clamp at this noise occurs, a cigarette paper between the flap, which then absorbs the liquid collected. Similarly, one should avoid it to clean the flute with silver cleaning agents, as this sensitive pads are strongly affected. Some of the pads produced today from synthetic materials with lower damping of the tone, better resonance and greater durability for professional flutes ( Straubinger pads, JS gold pads, and others) are.

The flute has a delicate mechanism that needs to be supplied with oil and adjusted. The pads are replaced when they are worn. Strong humidity and temperature must be avoided, especially in view of the cushion. The body of metal flutes is naturally significantly less sensitive than that of wooden flutes, which due to low relative humidity and temperature fluctuations cracks in the wood can result in this regard.

Vocal ranges

Modern flutes after the Boehm system to be built in different sizes:

Piccolo in C, but an octave higher transposing
Small flute in F: a quart higher than the concert flute 1), now there is also a small flute in G, with the nickname " Flautino " (currently only one manufacturer from Taiwan ) 1)
Concert flute in C
Great flute in Ces ( for marching bands ) 1)
Flauto d' amore in B: whole tone below the concert flute 1)
Baroque Flauto d' amore in A or As: small or major third below the concert flute
Alto flute in G, formerly also in F and Eb ( for alto flute in G see also Theobald Boehm )
Tenor flute in A or B
Bass Flute in C: an octave below the concert flute
Contra - alto flute in G: an octave lower than the alto flute 1)
Contrabass flute in C: an octave lower than the bass flute 1)
Subkontrabassflöte: an octave lower than the contrabass flute 1)

1) These models were added in the last 15 years

History

The earliest unambiguous image of a flute was found on an Etruscan relief in Perusna. It dates from the second or first century BC. The instrument was held at that time to the left, only in an illustration of a poem from the eleventh century, an illustration of a flute played to the right was discovered.

Middle Ages

Archaeological finds of Western flutes are from the 12th to the 14th century, the oldest representation contains the Hortus Deliciarum from Landsberg. Except for one place the medieval European pictorial evidence as well as images from Asia left held flutes dar. Antique European representations, however, reveal right held flutes. It is therefore assumed that the flute in Europe temporarily came out of use and was then introduced new Byzantium from the Asian region.

From the 12th century the word flute preserved in the French language, which may be derived from the Latin flatus. This name is taken from other European languages , but referred to the 13th century yet recorder and flute.

An unusual from today's perspective construction has the flute in the 14th century. An illustration in the manessische song manuscript shows that the flute is blown almost in the middle. The report of a contemporary author confirms this.

Traditions of medieval instrumental music there is hardly any. The flute was at least in the so-called " low ensemble" use.

Renaissance

The Renaissance flutes ( called Traversa, Fiffara, Schweizerpfeiff, Fleuste d' Allemand ) were usually constructed in one piece with cylindrical bore. They had a total of 6 holes for index, middle and ring fingers of both hands (none for the thumb ). These were relatively small (about 6 mm); the mouth hole was drilled circular. The seemingly simple instruments were artfully crafted from the finest flute makers of the time ( Rafi, Schnitzer, Bassano, and others). It is characterized by the range of about two and a half octaves and more ( one octave longer than most recorders of the time), the middle octave sounds best. The most famous surviving original Renaissance flutes are in the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona.

The flutes were used in the 16th century mainly as an ensemble instruments: standard occupations were four flutes ( early days Germany: a1 or g1, d1 d1 g1; later especially d1 d1 d1 g1), high voice flute ( in Vierfußlage ) lute, as well as in England the Broken Consort ( where the flute plays in the second voice Vierfußlage ). Soloricercaten Aurelio Virgilian; obligate Traversostimmen for this type in the early 17th century in the works of Monteverdi, Praetorius, Schein, and Others

Baroque

The baroque, einklappige, flute came to the end of the 17th century when French development of the valveless Renaissance flute on. The reason was a changed sound ideal. The new three-piece slightly conically drilled flutes sound in the basic octave much stronger, are in " French atmosphere " (a approximately 390-400 Hz) and, not least in principle, to play in all keys, due to the dis - flap. This was paid for by a significantly limited mobility and a much smaller range ( almost 2 octaves d1 to about c3 or d3). Literature: solo sonatas, duets, solo sonatas with continuo, trio sonatas, sporadic use in larger ensembles. Exclusively French music of Jacques -Martin Hotteterre and contemporaries. Perhaps the trio sonata (BWV 1039) for two flutes by Johann Sebastian Bach is originally written for three-piece flutes.

In the high baroque flutes were later four-part by the subdivision of the middle piece. The hole was tapered, i.e. had the header has a larger inner diameter than the foot. Important flutemaker were about Hotteterre Naust Rippert, Bressan, Denner, Oberlender, Palanca, Quantz, Lot, and the families Rottenburgh and Stanesby.

To adjust the mood, which varied from place to place, possessed many of the flutes over several interchangeable centerpieces. The new bore and to a flap ( for dis / it ) allowed a technically problem-free chromatic playing and a wider range of well-functioning keys ( cheapest keys: D major and B minor ). The range extended from d1 to a3, where the Transverse Flute Quantz to play the e3 designated as the highest usable tone in his attempt at a statement.

Repertoire: French Suites & Sonatas, Duos (among Hotteterre de la Barre, Blavet ), Italian sonatas, concertos ( Vivaldi, Locatelli, ...), German music (Bach, Handel, Telemann - and Others 12 solo fantasies - Quantz ), chamber music, orchestral passages.

Classical and Romantic

Over time, the orchestra became bigger and louder, which in flutists specifically came up in the British Isles, the desire for a louder, more assertive and more flexible and easier playable instrument. At present, the Mozart Flute einklappige was compared with the transverse flute only slightly enlarged grip holes and sometimes slightly oval mouth hole continues to be the standard instrument that was expected when a composition demanded a flute. With the beginning of the 19th century more and more flaps were fitted as standard. There were all kinds of flaps variations. More or less enforced in France had the fünfklappige flute ( There, short F-key, G #, B, C) and in England the seven or achtklappige flute (as in France, in addition flaps for deep Cis and C and sometimes a long F-key ). In Germany, Austria and Italy, there was probably the greatest variety, here were flutes with 14 or more keys and many different systems, which were usually named after their inventor ( " according to Meyer ", " Schwedler flute ", "System Ziegler ," etc.), not uncommon. In most cases these were, apart from the known from England eight " standard flaps " to trill keys or redundant scale flaps to facilitate certain passages.

Especially in England, the demand in the first third of the 19th century, following fair and assertive instruments. To achieve this, we enlarged the continued conical inner bore of the flute embouchure and finger-holes and sometimes radically. Thus was lost the opportunity to play many notes rather than by valves by fork handles, making a large number of flaps was mandatory. Furthermore, the instrument and his mood was much more difficult to control and required a partially completely new approach as well as a lot more air. On the other hand it created an entirely new flute sound that was partially compared with the sound of the oboe. Pioneers of this movement were the English flautist Charles Nicholson and a few years later Robert Sidney Pratten, which promoted and cultivated the development of far drilled and equipped with large finger holes and embouchure flute. Even today, many historic instruments have been preserved, bearing the inscription " Nicholson's Improved" or " Pratten 's Perfected ". Theobald Boehm heard during a stay in England a concert Nicholson. Thus he was led to the development of a cylindrical flute, as Nicholson's dynamic sound up to that point simply was not achievable with continental European instruments. This form is now played in almost every orchestra.

The continuing development in the romance saw many great composers (eg Beethoven) from having to write works for flute solo, as these still " too limited and imperfect " appeared.

The well drilled and equipped with large -holed flute Classical and Romantic currently experiencing a renaissance in folk music, especially in the Irish folk it is very common and there are numerous instrument makers, who specializes in the construction of these "old" instruments, and partly whether the large demand lead up to ten -year waiting lists for their instruments.

Boehm flute

The flutist and instrument maker Theobald Boehm gave the flute its present form ( back straight). 1832 developed this chromatic flap system, which allowed the mounting of the tone holes alone after acoustic point without regard to the tangibility. In France, this system quickly gained great popularity, held in Germany for a long time even the "old" system. Today, almost all modern flutes are so-called Böhm flutes. This system was ( for example, the clarinet) transferred to other woodwind instruments.

Using different types of instruments

Baroque as well as Renaissance flutes will delight in the form of replicas of historical instruments again growing in popularity. The flute is estimated as a second instrument of flutist and recorder player and is used primarily in the early music use.

Until well into the 19th century was the traditional design, equipped now with mostly more flaps, coinciding with the Boehm flute in use. The material was usually wood, primarily African blackwood or later bakelite.

But regional remained a Renaissance flute ähnelnder building type to the present day in use, the fife.

In addition, there are the so-called minstrel flutes, also called drum pipes. This is also based on the principle of fifes without flaps. They have the same hole configuration as the renaissance flutes, with the difference that the minstrel flutes still have a hole for the right little finger. This means that the flute has seven holes. The fingering is still similar to the Renaissance flutes or recorders. The range from d1 about three octaves. Today they are used, for example by marching bands and military music.

Flutes of other cultures

Flute -like instruments are also known in other cultures, the Ryūteki in Japan, the bansuri in India, the dizi, Xindi and Koudi in China. In North and West Africa flutes are extremely rare or absent. There are some flutes in Central, East and South Africa with two to six finger holes. Almost all of the bamboo flutes used in the secret ritual music of New Guinea are flutes.

In modern Irish flute in Ireland is usually a valveless instrument that is made primarily of wood and a further development of the pre- Boehm's new development is that has been optimized in terms of intonation and playability without flaps. With the advent of the Boehm flute, a larger number of instruments is delivered in traditional construction at low prices and thus was a broad segment of the population accessible so that the flute was a popular instrument in Ireland. On this basis, set up a stand-alone development of the Irish flute. Meanwhile, in addition to wood instruments made of metal and plastic and even a tin whistle flute are offered with interchangeable head piece. The Irish flute is like the Tin Whistle traditionally tuned to D, but also occurs in other moods.

Others

Like most other instruments can also be the flute privately, learn at music schools, conservatories and music colleges. At least the beginning of classes is recommended as a self-taught learned incorrectly approach technique is difficult to correct.

The acquisition of an instrument should be done in consultation with a skilled flautist. Student instruments provide, for example, to the manufacturer Pearl, Yamaha and others. A good alternative represents the purchase of a quality used instrument

Due to the delicate mechanics modern flutes regularly cause maintenance costs. In particular, the cushion of the flap must be renewed from time to time and cleaned and adjusted the mechanics. The overhaul of an instrument can also cause considerable costs.

The career prospects as an instrumentalist for a professional instrumental studies are assessed as rather difficult. The Flute enjoys a huge popularity and the demand for orchestral musicians is comparatively low.

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