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This is an open space for anyone to present, discuss and share their stories about topics that are relevant to the practice of baroque flute and may be useful to the whole community of amateurs, students and flutists.
Here you will find articles and multimedia material on general themes like technique, style, repertoire, music history, and instrument management, as far as they pertain to your daily practice of traverso. |
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Practice Pill - 'Affektenlehre', keys & emotionsThis Practice Pill explores Affektenlehre, the Baroque doctrine that each key carries its own emotional color. Through an interactive circle of fifths and a comparative table of theorists from Kircher to Quantz, it links historical thought to the expressive practice of the traverso. Players will explore how tone, tuning, and temperament can shape emotions—turning daily warm-ups into miniature studies in Baroque rhetoric and affect.
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Practice Pill - An approach to 'préluder'A practical guide to Hotteterre’s preluding for today’s traverso player. Anna Reichhold explains what a prelude is (mesuré vs. non-mesuré), then shows how to combine affect, chord-tones, model patterns, traits, and canevas to improvise short warm-ups that set key and character. Try the Affect–Meter–Figuration Explorer, listen to examples, and use the Prelude Randomizer for daily prompts. A concise path from sources to sound—ideal for students and amateurs building confident, historically informed practice.
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Practice Pill - Practising with the Old MastersWhat did practice look like in the Baroque era? What did musicians believe was the true aim of all their hard work? Was it about speed? Virtuosity? Or was there something deeper — a lifelong shaping of body, mind, and spirit through music? Historical masters' quotes have been grouped in four thematic categories, each revealing a different facet of how musical practice was understood in the 17th and 18th centuries — and offers reflections that can directly inform and enrich our daily work on the traverso today.
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Practice Pill - a Senior Traverso Player’s SuitePetra Music offers a suite of reflections for flutists embracing the baroque flute later in life—whether amateur or professional. With practical advice rooted in neuroscience, pedagogy, and personal insight, this piece is a must-read for adult learners and the teachers who support them. A moving and informed guide to starting fresh—with elegance, purpose, and joy.
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Practice Pill - Extending the traverso soundDorota Matejová invites us to explore the traverso not only as a historical instrument, but as a living, responsive voice, by diving into the expressive power of modern extended techniques—applied to our beloved baroque flute. By stepping outside the traditional baroque sound ideal and playing with microtones, glissandi, and voice-flute blending, we begin to hear more deeply, express more daringly, and connect more physically to the sound.
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Practice Pill - Expanding traverso repertoireWhat happens when a flutist ventures beyond the boundaries of traditional repertoire? Laura Pontecorvo’s journey started with Bach’s iconic Partita for Solo Flute BWV 1013. Then, inspired by Bach’s solo works for violin, cello, and harpsichord, she embarked on a fascinating exploration—adapting and transforming music written for other instruments into new challenges and expressive possibilities for the traverso.
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Practice Pill - Getting into did'llAnna Reichhold is introducing us to the practice work that went into her new album Quantz-Flute Sonatas & Adagio. In particular she shares a possible approach to practicing double tonguing with did'll, as per Quantz's instructions, applied to one of his typical fast movements, the Allegro Assai from the Sonata in C major QV1:11.
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7 recommended practice toolsWe reached out to professional baroque flutists from around the world, asking them in our interviews: "Are there any tools that are particularly useful for the daily practice of the baroque flute?" Their answers provide a fascinating look at the practical resources they rely on to refine their playing and maintain a high level of musicianship.
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Practice Pill - égal...or inégal?When approaching French Baroque music, we often ask ourselves which notes we should play inégal. Although this is a vast subject with many possible sources to consult, Enrico Coden has specifically explored Hotteterre’s indications on inégalité in his L'Art de Preluder (1719). In this Practice Pill, you will find a schematic overview of Hotteterre’s guidelines, which will certainly be very useful when practising his works and those of many composers of his time.
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Practice Pill - French GlossaryIn French Baroque music we can find a myriad of agogic terms that, while looking sometimes tricky, can give us precious indications not just about the tempo, but also the unique character and emotional depth that define French Baroque compositions. Clément Lefèvre has meticulously compiled a comprehensive and handy glossary that unveils the meanings behind these nuanced musical expressions.
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Practice Pill - Colorizing dynamicsAnna Reichhold brings to life Quantz's directions on dynamics by color-coding his ornamented Adagio, as a way to enhance our practice and performance - with audio examples and a full video guide!
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Practice Pill - Shaking the trillTrills are one of the most distinctive, and sometimes challenging, embellishments of Baroque music. In our first Practice Pill, our friend Johanna Bartz has shared some useful insights on how she makes use of trills in her warm-up and practice sessions.
Here you'll find essential visuals, audio files, and references. |
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Traverso models through Europe in 18th centuryIn this page, Alessandro Cilona, the author of the enjoyable and instructive book "Il flauto traversiere - Creazione e diffusione di uno strumento nel suo contesto simbolico e sociale" ("The traverso - Creation and diffusion of an instrument in its symbolic and social context"), has helped us to create a quick reference guide in order to answer some recurring questions about the history of the baroque flute, and in particular about the relationships between the different makers and models.
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The Quantz’s Versuch NavigatorHave you ever struggled in trying to grasp the wealth of teachings of Quantz's fundamental treatise and make a practical use of them in your practice?
Agostino Cirillo masterfully guides our exploration of this intricate path and unlocks its secrets for us. |
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Voices of the Masters: Bridging Baroque and Modern Flute PracticeIn this article for The Babel Flute online magazine, I explore the perspectives of our interviewees on the distinctive elements of daily practice with the traverso as opposed to the modern flute.
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