PRESENTED BY:RACHEL BALDWIN

INSTRUMENTAL STUDIESUNT COLLEGE OF MUSIC

FACULTY MENTOR:DR. MARY KAREN CLARDY

PROFESSOR OF FLUTEUNT COLLEGE OF MUSIC

A Survey of Songs for the Flute

Vocal Transcriptions for the Flute: Why are they

important?

The flute-voice connection: Both lack resistance from a mouthpiece Resonance determined by shape of oral cavity, larynx,

tongue and lips

Melodies develop musical phrasing

Virtuosic passages develop technical skills

Awareness of larger musical canon

Gabriel Faure’s Mai (1862), transcribed for flute by Dr. Mary Karen Clardy

-Faure (1845-1924): master of Romantic French art song

-Stepwise motion in melody encourages continuity through musical line

-Exact transcription, with octave displacement

-Inclusion of text in the score helps determine phrasing

Score, mm 13-18

Joseph Schwanter’s Black Anemones (1991)

-Schwantner (b. 1943): Contemporary American composer influenced by Messiaen and Debussy

-Schwantner transcribed from his original work written for soprano Lucy Shelton

-Evocative and surreal poetry

-Rhythmic complexity and coordination with piano

-Experiment with colors

Excerpt from Black Anemones by Aquedo PizarroMother, you watch me sleep and your life is a large tapestry of all the colors of all the most ancient murmurs, knot after twin knot, root after root of story.

Score, mm 9-10

Franz Schubert’s Der Lindenbaum (1873), arranged for flute by Theobald Boehm (published 1980)

-Schubert (1797-1826): master of Romantic German lied, sought to unify poetry and music

-Studying piano and text necessary to understand story progression

-Thick piano texture requires good projection

-Boehm elaborates each stanza, adding modest embellishments

-Techniques include: *contrast between duple and triple meter *Scales/arpeggios *Trills/ornaments

Score, mm 47-50

Theobald Boehm’sNel cor piu: Introduction et Variations

-Boehm (1794-1881): flutist, flute maker, inventor, composer

-Variations of love song from Paisiello’s opera La Molinara (1740)

-Piano provides harmonic support, flute carries musical line

-Must bring theme out of texture

-Single variations may be useful as etudes to target specific techniques

Variation 2, mm. 79-80

Variation 5, m. 149

Variation 6, mm. 175-176

Closing Thoughts

Intrinsic similarities between flute and voice make transcriptions important

Other composers include: Beethoven, Bartok, BeaserAttaching text to music facilitates

phrasing and understanding emotional context

Arrangements and variations provide opportunities to improve technique

“Singing” through the flute

Consulted Works

Bate, Philip and Ludwig Boehm. “Boehm, Theobald.” Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 10 November 2007) http://www.grovemusic.com

Boehm, Theobald. “Nel cor piu: Introduction et Variations sur une theme de Paisiello, op. 4.” in Romantic Flute Virtuosos, edited by Kovacs Lorant, 36-49.Budapest, Hungary: Editio Musica, 1989.

Chute, James. “Schwantner, Joseph.” Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 10 November 2007) http://www.grovemusic.com

Faure, Gabriel. “Mai.” in 50 Songs for High Voice, edited by Laura Ward and Richardt Walters, 5-8. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1995.

Faure, Gabriel. “Mai.” in Melodies, v. 2. Transcribed for flute and piano by Mary Karen Clardy, 1-5. Paris, France: Alphonse Leduc, 2004.

Nectoux, Jean-Michel. “Faure, Gabriel.” Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 10 November 2007) http://www.grovemusic.com

Paisiello, Giovanni. “Nel cor piu non mi sento.” in Great Baroque Arias: 8 famous arias, arranged for voice and guitar by John Gavall, 14-15. London, England: G. Ricordi & Co. Ltd. , 1982.

 Schubert, Franz. “Der Lindenbaum.” In Schubert Songs, edited by Richard F. Sheil, 74-77. Arcade, New York: Palladian, 1980.

Schubert, Franz. “Der Lindenbaum.” in Sechs Lieder fur Flote und Klavier, arranged by Theobald Boehm, edited by Georg Meerwein, 8-13. Hamburg, Germany: Universal Edition, 1980.

Schwantner, Joseph. Two Poems of Agueda Pizarro for Soprano and Piano. Helicon Music Corporation, 1981.  Schwantner, Joseph. Black Anemone for Flute and Piano. Helicon Music Corporation, 1991.

Winter, Robert. “Schubert, Franz.” Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 10 November 2007) http://www.grovemusic.com