It is common knowledge that many flutists dislike the piccolo and avoid having to play it. In most bands, the piccolo as the singular, ‘No-place-hide-instrument’ is located ironically next to the second flutes, the section most likely obscured by the overall mass of sound. Similarly, in the symphony, the piccolo is routinely situated to the left of the second flute, and behind and to the right of multiple second violins. From a gentler style of playing that focuses on not overshadowing the ‘firsts’, ‘seconds’ can be less understanding and supportive of the piccolo’s bright, edgy quality. Here basic concepts of performance style are opposite; typically the function of seconds is to blend, support and accommodate while the piccolo is expected to lead the charge in an orchestral tutti. How then, can piccolo players receive support from such cohorts whose musical functions, and therefore objectives regarding balance and leadership, are so very different? No wonder piccolo players can feel quite misunderstood by nearby colleagues. This lack of social support may, in itself, account for some of the aversion to the piccolo that many flutists express.

Refreshingly for us piccolo players, there is the Piccolo Notes column in Flute Focus – an oasis where we may gather to hear piccolo perspectives and benefit from the support of same- instrument sharing. While other musicians in ensembles take for granted the on-location fellowship of same-instrument colleagues, such experiences are rare for piccoloists. For example, solid collegiality exists within the brass section, where it is understood that while the first trumpet’s purpose is to lead and dominate,

the rest of the section must support and match its strength. Yet, co-labelled as second or third flute, the piccolo player does not possess the socio-political entitlement of a first to lead. Neither do the other instruments seated nearby even have the physical capacity to match the piccolo’s penetrating power. Therefore when a strong, in-ensemble support system is missing, our Piccolo Notes column becomes all the more important to us. As I assume the responsibility for this quarterly offering, I wish to thank outgoing columnist, Rosamund Plummer, for her leadership, insights, narratives, and thought-provoking commentaries. I hope she will continue to contribute to this important ongoing discussion that serves to inform and shape our piccolo identity.

While most instrumentalists usually enjoy the camaraderie and support of at least one other member on the same instrument, the piccolo player’s situation by contrast, is usually a solitary one. As ‘marginalized others’ (to use a sociological term), piccolo players in orchestras are informed that bass clarinetists, English hornists, and the contrabassoonists are categorized as ‘auxiliaries’. While these auxiliary instruments, each seated at the end of the row in their respective sections, may share comparable socio-political status, their musical similarities are minimal. Not only is each linked to an entirely different instrument, but all are, except in the case of the piccolo and rarely used Eb soprano clarinet, pitched lower than that of their sponsor instrument. Musically, the piccolo and contrabassoon are generally employed in tutti passages as range- extenders for the woodwind section, while the English horn and bass clarinet are regarded as solo instruments of colour. In flute choirs, although it is considered beneficial to use multiples of alto, bass and even contrabass flutes, the assumption is that because of balance and tuning issues, doubling the piccolo is undesirable.

In classical orchestras where the winds are routinely paired, the piccolo part is singular or more often, omitted altogether. Ever since Francœur’s Diapason Générale de Tous les Instruments à Vent in Paris in 1772, the trend has been to avoid any unison passages for piccolos, thereby limiting composer-orchestrator thinking to single voice piccolo writing:

“Il ne faut jamais dans ces Sons haut donner d’Unisson à deux petites Flûtes, parceque ces Tons ne sont jamais bien justes.”

(One should never give a high-note unison to two piccolos because their pitches are never in tune.) (Chapter 1, article 2.)

While Berlioz presents his own excellent paired piccolo writing in The Damnation of Faust, his treatise (1858) admonishes others’ use of the instrument: Piccolo flutes are strangely abused now-a-days—as is the case with all instruments whose vibrations thrill, pierce or flash forth...but when I hear this instrument doubling in triple octave the air of a baritone, or casting its squeaking voice into the midst of a religious harmony, or strengthening and sharpening—for the sake of noise only—the high part of the orchestra, from beginning to end of an opera, I cannot help feeling this mode of instrumentation to be of platitude and stupidity worthy generally, of the musical style to which it belongs (pp. 121,125).

Such declarations may have caused later musicians to avoid writing for multiple piccolos, often excluding one altogether.

Cited piccolo duet excerpts from early orchestration books are Spohr’s Jessonda, Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride, and Weber’s Die Freischütz, operas now rarely heard. Paired piccolos appear infrequently in current repertoire, with Bizet’s “La Garde Montante” from Carmen, Tschaikowsky’s Marche Slav, some Mahler and Shostakovich symphonies, Milhaud’s Suite Provençale and Malcolm Arnold’s Four Scottish Dances amongst the more notable exceptions. Compared to the usual solitary playing I do in big ensembles as a piccoloist, I have found the camaraderie of playing such duets to be wonderfully rewarding.

Let us hope that piccolo player communication and collegiality in forums such as this column can not only alleviate our sense of isolation, but also promote a more positive identity for us in musical society.

In addition to reporting about piccolo events such as the upcoming Second International Piccolo Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. (www.piccolosymposium.com ), I intend to interview inspiring piccolo specialists, examine repertoire, explore curiosities, and present summaries of research that have been slow to permeate current understandings of the piccolo’s history. At the same time, I invite you, members of the international piccolo community, to send me your comments, your stories, insights, and aspirations for this column at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Let us make this is an opportunity for developing piccolo collegiality, united in our appreciation of music-making in the highest octave.

References Berlioz, Hector. (1858). A Treatise Upon Modern Instrumentation and Orchestration. 3rd. Ed. Trans. by Mary Cowden Clarke. London: Novello. Francœur, [Louis-Joseph]. (1772). Diapason Générale de Tous les Instruments à Vent. Paris.

Nancy Nourse is a Canadian educator, composer/arranger and flutist. She has published articles in the Journal of Aesthetic Education, Journal of Curriculum Studies, Canadian Music Educators Journal, Flutist Quarterly and Flute Focus. Special Interests include aesthetics, feminist issues, the flute in liturgy, learning styles, flute choirs and the history of the piccolo. She is currently a doctoral candidate in music education at The University of Western Ontario and the piccolo player in Orchestra Toronto.