Before taking a look at this problem, it would be practical to know what music, instrument and period we are referring to and fruitless to pursue this topic without some understanding of the style and common practices of that time.

What is a baroque flute? Typically a conical bored flute made of boxwood or other woods and even ivory. The flute has one key, D, but could have two, one for D and one for Eb. It has four joints - head, middle, lower and foot - though some were made with corps de rechange, alternate middle and lower joints used for performing at different pitches. Our modern flutes are cylindrical, apart for the head, which makes for quite a marked difference in loudness, tone quality and range. The baroque flute blow-hole is small and hardly covered when playing. The tone is soft and delicate compared with our modern flute.

Baroque music is that which was written between about 1700 or earlier, and 1760. Some musicologists say ‘Late Baroque’ encompasses music up to around 1790, and much earlier, so the Mozart Concerti might be considered late baroque/classical.

The word ‘baroque’ is an eighteenth-century word used to describe strange, irregular, bizarre music and in the nineteenth century unusual architecture, stone carving or furniture and was used to describe music as well. Some contemporary music could be called baroque, and some folks who dress in a ‘visually challenging’ manner could be called baroque too! Some tattoos are decidedly baroque!

Baroque music is about the principle of conflict - the creation of tension and its release found both in the harmony, and by the use of the appoggiatura, the ‘most important ornament in 18th century music’ (CPE Bach). Many of the signs and symbols written before 1800 require interpretation though they were clear to the 18th century performer as a common agreement between composer and player. Sure, ornaments are important, but what matters most is whether the performance moves us in some way. Written ornaments are not all they seem to our modern eye, and even a slur or a dot over a note can indicate something other than slurring or staccato.

These days, we often talk of the ‘composer’s intentions’, yet music of the past was performed according to the performer’s ideas and the baroque composer left much to be created by the performer. Therefore we need to be more creative in our performances if we are to be true to the music, keep our audiences interested and follow the ‘composer’s intentions.

Obbligato or continuo? An obbligato keyboard part is one which must be played as it is written to realise the effect of the whole composition. It does not mean ‘ad libitum’. In effect, a sonata with an obbligato keyboard part is a trio sonata, that is to say, the three parts, the keyboard’s left and right hands and the flute part together form three independent parts. On the other hand, in a continuo keyboard part, the bass in the left hand has figures indicating the harmony which is appropriately filled in on the right hand according to the player’s impulse and the requirements of the music.

Piano or harpsichord? The sounds made by these instruments are completely different and the choice of keyboard will determine the note lengths in both flute and keyboard amongst other factors so that the duo and conversational passages match together in style.

The tool we use to perform this music, the modern Boehm system flute, is quite different from it’s baroque father. It’s tone is broader, ‘bigger’ and can, according to the players preference, use more harmonics, or colour. It is easier to be agile as it speaks faster; it can leap octaves and larger intervals easily; it can play articulated extended passages quite loudly, enough to be heard in a large concert hall; its tone is more even in all keys. Not everyone will agree, but the obbligato sonatas of Bach, the b minor and the A major, together with g minor and Eb sonatas of CPE Bach (often attributed to JS), sound more balanced in the counterpoint and passage work if a piano is used, as it matches the modern flute so well. The continuo sonatas, E major and e minor sound well on both harpsichord and piano depending on the characteristics and style of the player though a modern large toned flute player can make some harpsichords sound weak. The harpsichord lid should always be fully open. A good balance between the flute and keyboard far overrides the desire for ‘authenticity’

Having set this down, the instruments are not so important as the approach by the performance: the creation of stress or tension by the harmony and melody and it’s release is a large part of the character of this music. To ignore this is to anaesthetize the music. The articulation of the two players, flute and keyboard, should be uniform: the harpsichord has a clearer, sharper attack and a quicker note-fade than the piano and the flutist should endeavour to match up to this clear articulation. The piano can sing and sustain more; this has to be considered. The flutist should ask the pianist to play a solo keyboard passage and emulate the note lengths, phrasing and loudness as only by this method will the two players sound as a team. The baroque flute doesn’t usually slur more than a fifth: the modern flute can do it well, and bigger intervals too, so that the articulation used can reflect this. Articulation is our musical language and its ‘rules’ are not easily understood in an instant.

( Part 2 follows next month)

This was prepared for the Flute Studio, a year long postgraduate course in Kent, England. Details: http://www.trevorwye.com/studio.page4.html

Trevor Wye spends his time giving concerts and master classes the world over including his well known presentation, The Carnival of Venice, for 60 flutes and piano. Besides travelling widely, he teaches at his Flute Studio in Kent and is Programme Director of the 2010 British Flute Society Convention and General Editor of The Flute Ark – the new flute encyclopedia:
www.fluteark.com
www.trevorwye.com