the Quantz's Versuch
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From Quantz to Practice: The Eloquent Flutist |
The flute speaks, the flute sings.
In Quantz's time, instrument players faced a particular challenge: competing with singers for the favor of listeners. Singers have at their disposal a text, skillfully constructed by librettists to represent emotive narrative by the significative nuances of the pronunciation. Words can be grouped and divided, intermixed with silences, intoned upwards or downwards, expressed with whispers or shouts, or even mysteriously silenced. Phrases can be balanced around a particular syllable and can be pronounced in an allusive, distracted, pathetic, persuasive, indifferent, neutral manner, as an order, as a plea… A touch of candlelight, a suggestive gesture, a movement of the hand, a shadow, and a glimmer, and we are in Theater, transported to the times of Hannibal or Orlando, laughing, crying, or sleeping, our senses pleasantly detached from everyday reality.
In Quantz's time, instrument players faced a particular challenge: competing with singers for the favor of listeners. Singers have at their disposal a text, skillfully constructed by librettists to represent emotive narrative by the significative nuances of the pronunciation. Words can be grouped and divided, intermixed with silences, intoned upwards or downwards, expressed with whispers or shouts, or even mysteriously silenced. Phrases can be balanced around a particular syllable and can be pronounced in an allusive, distracted, pathetic, persuasive, indifferent, neutral manner, as an order, as a plea… A touch of candlelight, a suggestive gesture, a movement of the hand, a shadow, and a glimmer, and we are in Theater, transported to the times of Hannibal or Orlando, laughing, crying, or sleeping, our senses pleasantly detached from everyday reality.
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How can a flutist create that magics? The proposals of Quantz revolve around this question and are condensed in the concept of “good execution”.
This is conceived not merely as producing simple sounds from a score, but as the brilliant public presentation of musical ideas—those of the composer, the performer, and those the audience anticipates. |
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Follow the rule, then decide
At Quantz’s time, musical performance was determined not only by the written score but also, to a much greater extent, by prior knowledge of conventions stemming from ancient stylistic and local practice traditions, including a huge part of extemporaneous improvisation. One of the most important of these conventions is the organization of musical material around precise hierarchies, typically following a binary scheme. Breaking this scheme—through a syncopation, an accent on a weak part, an unexpected dissonance, or a variation from the text—is considered special, outside the norm, and requires unconventional, emphatical treatment in terms of articulation and dynamics.
For example, the measure usually follows a strong-weak beat pattern (or strong-weak-weak in ternary meter): the note on the first beat of a measure is normally more important, stronger, or held longer than the following one, and so on. This assumption also affects the duration of the notes, which may need to be shortened or extended beyond its written value. In a succession of notes of the same value, the odd-numbered notes "naturally" receive more emphasis than the even-numbered ones and often have a longer duration. Quantz refers to this feature using the Italian terms nota buona and nota cattiva (good note, bad note).
Harmony too adheres to a hierarchical scheme based on a tonal center, as well as the alternating bustle between consonances and dissonances. Within the dissonances, Quantz establishes a hierarchy among different tensions, which is realized through a hierarchical distribution of dynamics ranging from pp to ff, centered around a neutral mf.
For example, the measure usually follows a strong-weak beat pattern (or strong-weak-weak in ternary meter): the note on the first beat of a measure is normally more important, stronger, or held longer than the following one, and so on. This assumption also affects the duration of the notes, which may need to be shortened or extended beyond its written value. In a succession of notes of the same value, the odd-numbered notes "naturally" receive more emphasis than the even-numbered ones and often have a longer duration. Quantz refers to this feature using the Italian terms nota buona and nota cattiva (good note, bad note).
Harmony too adheres to a hierarchical scheme based on a tonal center, as well as the alternating bustle between consonances and dissonances. Within the dissonances, Quantz establishes a hierarchy among different tensions, which is realized through a hierarchical distribution of dynamics ranging from pp to ff, centered around a neutral mf.
Like in visual arts, unequal but regulated forms (by accentuation, rhythm, uneven articulation, asymmetric ornamentation, contrary motion intervals) are considered the norm, while mechanical equality is viewed as flawed, poor, inelegant, or simply "special," reserved for unique moments. It is not uncommon to find that the dots above the notes indicate this "special" execution more than a modern staccato articulation.
For us, all that implies a dense decision-taking process at the time of configuring our interpretation beyond the mere reading-playing of the score. Like Quantz, we must extend to the level of analyzing each note without losing sight of the overall hierarchical structure. The rules that Quantz provides in the Versuch will be of great help only if we accept and embrace his binary "unequal" framework: French vs. Italian, conventional vs. unconventional, rule vs. exception, expected vs. unexpected. And, obviously, if we learn to see beyond the score.
For us, all that implies a dense decision-taking process at the time of configuring our interpretation beyond the mere reading-playing of the score. Like Quantz, we must extend to the level of analyzing each note without losing sight of the overall hierarchical structure. The rules that Quantz provides in the Versuch will be of great help only if we accept and embrace his binary "unequal" framework: French vs. Italian, conventional vs. unconventional, rule vs. exception, expected vs. unexpected. And, obviously, if we learn to see beyond the score.
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Recognizing the Affect
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Quantz links these ideas to the expression of Affects or Passions, which he considers the ultimate purpose of music. Rather than their modern psychological acception, Quantz’s Affects refer to the dramatic contents of Baroque musical theater, which the listener could recognize in the heroes, lovers, and shepherds who starred in the opera, paralleled to literature rhetorical contents. Moreover, the concept of "taste" of those times was not far from the word usage in cooking.
The idea that music is a physical material having direct influence on us through the sense of hearing is key in Baroque music, even that we today consider most spiritual or abstract. In the physiological theories of the time, each Affect corresponded to a certain displacement of fluids and changes in temperature within the body, depending on the characteristics of each organism and each mood. Composers, singers, and instrumentalists strove to tickle their audiences ears, on top of that they were always hungry for novelty and surprise. According to Quantz, the flute can express the range of Affects you can see here, being the highest in the range quite unusual. A piece contains one principal Affect but can move temporarily to other ones. We can recognize them observing four indicators: the tonality, the dissonances, the amplitude of the intervals and the movement indication that presides at the beginning of the score. |
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Tonality
Can carry a symbolic value, especially in the German tradition of Affektenlehre: D major is associated with sun, triumph, victory, while E minor evokes melancholy and G minor sadness. This tradition peaked at the beginning of the century, as seen in the music of J.S. Bach, and was somewhat obsolete by the time of the Versuch. However, it remained part of composers’ training and can be traced even in Mozart. The alternation of tonalities in harmonic progressions also suggests internal changes of character within the one expressed by the main tonality. |
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Consonances and dissonances
Consonances are pleasing to the ear, they express rest and relaxation, while dissonances add interest, "flavor", instability, and tension. Quantz also establishes a graduation from less to more in dissonance, which masterfully connects with the dynamics. The dynamic evolution of a phrase depends on its degree of consonance-dissonance and should affect both the flutist and whoever accompanies him. |
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Intervals
The melodic intervals by degree evoke curvy and flexible lines, calm walks, smooth cantabile transitions, while jumps imply joke, command, drama, ardor, and even violence. Chromatic shifts are associated to indecision or lament. |
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Movement indication
Expresses speed, but also the principal character of the piece, including in French dances suite. |
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“Good Execution”: Making Decisions
The concept of "Good Execution" (guter Vortrag), as found in Quantz's Versuch and contemporary texts, encompasses a broad range of tasks, from a deep understanding of the piece to its final public presentation. One notable piece of advice from Quantz is his recommendation to practice at home while imagining an audience of cultured listeners. To move their passions, we must do more than play with technical accuracy; we must strive to resonate with their hearts.
In Chap. 11 Quantz provides a vivid description of the characteristics of Good Execution in both singing and playing, and he also lists characteristics of Bad Execution to avoid misunderstandings.
Here are the basic decisions to make in order to achieve his ideal, note by note, phrase by phrase. Following the good practices that Quantz learned in Dresden, while copying and preparing scores under the directions of Georg Pisendel, we will mark our scores to remember and evaluate our decisions.
The concept of "Good Execution" (guter Vortrag), as found in Quantz's Versuch and contemporary texts, encompasses a broad range of tasks, from a deep understanding of the piece to its final public presentation. One notable piece of advice from Quantz is his recommendation to practice at home while imagining an audience of cultured listeners. To move their passions, we must do more than play with technical accuracy; we must strive to resonate with their hearts.
In Chap. 11 Quantz provides a vivid description of the characteristics of Good Execution in both singing and playing, and he also lists characteristics of Bad Execution to avoid misunderstandings.
Here are the basic decisions to make in order to achieve his ideal, note by note, phrase by phrase. Following the good practices that Quantz learned in Dresden, while copying and preparing scores under the directions of Georg Pisendel, we will mark our scores to remember and evaluate our decisions.
Phrasing (breathing)
Search for meaningful units in the piece to distinguish different ideas and locate breathing spots.
Search for meaningful units in the piece to distinguish different ideas and locate breathing spots.
Pronunciation (articulation)
Determine the pronunciation syllables for each note, intensity of accents, and grouping of rhythmic modules.
Determine the pronunciation syllables for each note, intensity of accents, and grouping of rhythmic modules.
Vocalization (dynamics)
Decide the duration, color, and dynamic direction of each note (flat, crescendo, diminuendo, etc.) and its ending (diminished or cut off in staccato).
Decide the duration, color, and dynamic direction of each note (flat, crescendo, diminuendo, etc.) and its ending (diminished or cut off in staccato).
Effect (Affect) amplification by ornamentation
Determine essential ornamentation for candidate notes and arbitrary variations for intervals and phrases in slow movements.
Determine essential ornamentation for candidate notes and arbitrary variations for intervals and phrases in slow movements.
Be uneven… but speak clear!
Playing the flute involves a form of whispering centered around a limited number of lingual consonants. Treatises on wind instruments have striven to represent them by syllables since the time of the earliest among them, 1535 Sylvestro Ganassi's La Fontegara for the recorder. These syllabic groupings attempt to translate not just the movement of the tongue but also the effect this produces when heard by the listener. In other words, it is not enough to mechanically read the consonant but also to attentively listen to its effect when pronounced into the flute, what the listener does hear along with the flute notes.
Playing the flute involves a form of whispering centered around a limited number of lingual consonants. Treatises on wind instruments have striven to represent them by syllables since the time of the earliest among them, 1535 Sylvestro Ganassi's La Fontegara for the recorder. These syllabic groupings attempt to translate not just the movement of the tongue but also the effect this produces when heard by the listener. In other words, it is not enough to mechanically read the consonant but also to attentively listen to its effect when pronounced into the flute, what the listener does hear along with the flute notes.
Beyond the phonetical procedure, the articulation effect also depends on the type of flute, the individual mouth characteristics, and the acoustic conditions of the place where it is played: a staccato does not sound the same in a small room as in a large church. Quantz advocates for the player to develop a broad palette of tools and develop the flexibility necessary to preserve the expressive intention by adapting it to different circumstances. In this sense, he extends parallel instructions in this regard to other instruments such as the voice, violin, and accompaniment.
The French tradition that conditioned the teaching of the flute in its early decades was still linked to Hotteterre’s Principes de la Flûte, which in the time of Quantz still enjoyed great diffusion. This was based on the tongue strokes tu, du and tu-ru, du-ru (French vowel u is similar to Quantz i) to pair the notes in twos and imitate the typical cadence of French language accentuation towards the second syllable. Musically this translates into the rhythmic effect called 'pointé' and constitutes the basis for the French characteristic rhythmic inégalité. As we know from his autobiography, in Dresden Quantz had learned the peculiarities of the flute from the Frenchman Buffardin. This explains his adherence to the traditional French technique, even though many flutists, even French ones, already considered it outdated: around 1735, Corrette considered Hotteterre's 'tu-ru' an "absurd thing" and proposed alternating 'ti' with slurs.
The French tradition that conditioned the teaching of the flute in its early decades was still linked to Hotteterre’s Principes de la Flûte, which in the time of Quantz still enjoyed great diffusion. This was based on the tongue strokes tu, du and tu-ru, du-ru (French vowel u is similar to Quantz i) to pair the notes in twos and imitate the typical cadence of French language accentuation towards the second syllable. Musically this translates into the rhythmic effect called 'pointé' and constitutes the basis for the French characteristic rhythmic inégalité. As we know from his autobiography, in Dresden Quantz had learned the peculiarities of the flute from the Frenchman Buffardin. This explains his adherence to the traditional French technique, even though many flutists, even French ones, already considered it outdated: around 1735, Corrette considered Hotteterre's 'tu-ru' an "absurd thing" and proposed alternating 'ti' with slurs.
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Hotteterre
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Quantz
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Based on the declamatory style of French Baroque but revisited under the influence of architectural equilibrium of Corelli and Vivaldi (the two “national styles”), lies the puzzling Quantz's rules about inégal rhytmic treatment of note pairs, with -ri on the strong beat (di-rí di-rí), for moderately fast note sequences. Indeed, they might seem unusual for many of his contemporaries, but also reflect genuinely Baroque musical practices deep-rooted in tradition. However, he himself recognizes several exceptions to its use and ultimately treats it as a resource to enhance phrasing flow. For non-French repertoire, let’s consider Quantz’s inégal as another valuable technical tool for achieving order, smoothness and elegance, or to add variety in phrasing, rather than a strict stylistic mandate.
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Tongues of the World, Unite!
Like Hotteterre, Quantz uses pronunciation syllables 'ti', 'di', 'ri', and 'did'll'. The 't' and 'd' of Quantz are dental or dental-alveolar and are not aspirated. French and Italians should not have problems with 'ti' and 'di'. For English speakers, the 't' is usually more or less explosive (or aspirated) depending on whether it is at the beginning of a word (as in "time") or in the middle (as in "stop"). My advice is to prepare the tongue by resting it on the alveolus in the position of pronouncing a dry "n" (as in "nut") and releasing it gently, almost without making the air explode. By approaching it in different measures towards the upper teeth, one should obtain a variety of ‘d’-'t' nuances: towards 'd' when tongue touching the alveolar spot, and 't' approaching the upper teeth. Keep thinking about the binary hierarchy as a basis for the phrasing.
Spanish speakers must use the French dental 'd' (as in "dodo") and, obviously, not the Spanish interdental with the tip of the tongue between the teeth (like the English "the"). They, on the other hand, will have no problem with the ‘ri’ since it is the same light 'r' of the word "pero". Italians should use the same soft 'r' (of a single beat, not the rolling 'r') of "aroma", and the French should forget the guttural 'r', unusable on the flute. It is important to remember that the effect of this soft grazing 'r' is to connect the notes as closely as possible but without slurring them. This quasi legato 'r' is vitally important for the inégal effect that Quantz recommends for moderate stepwise notes sequences.
Spanish speakers must use the French dental 'd' (as in "dodo") and, obviously, not the Spanish interdental with the tip of the tongue between the teeth (like the English "the"). They, on the other hand, will have no problem with the ‘ri’ since it is the same light 'r' of the word "pero". Italians should use the same soft 'r' (of a single beat, not the rolling 'r') of "aroma", and the French should forget the guttural 'r', unusable on the flute. It is important to remember that the effect of this soft grazing 'r' is to connect the notes as closely as possible but without slurring them. This quasi legato 'r' is vitally important for the inégal effect that Quantz recommends for moderate stepwise notes sequences.
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Quantz's Little Tattles
The 'ti-ri' or 'di-ri' articulation has a speed limit, which for most people should be placed for sixteenth notes figurations between 100 and 110 bpm per quarter note. At this speed it becomes stiff and even tends to turn into a 'l' (the 'le-re-le-re' we find in some ancient treatises). For these cases, Quantz provides the double tongue word did'll. Many flutists experience difficulties here, especially if they are not Anglophones, who can easily quickly repeat things like "little Italy" or "Little tattle totaled little title".
Phonetically speaking, Quantz's did'll is also a double movement of the tongue, towards and from the alveolar-dental area, but without interrupting the air as occurs in 't'. You’ll pronounce a di- (remembering to start in the muted 'n' position of "nut") and immediately return the tip of the tongue to the same place (-d’-), while allowing the air to pass on lateral sides, akin to saying a prolonged mute '-ll' instead of obstructing it as in staccato.
The different direction of the air (frontal and direct in 'di-', but lateral and indirect in '-ll') produces a certain instability in sound that might discourage beginners. Quantz recommends practicing this articulation regularly repeating dactylic three note figures on a single note until achieving reasonable equality, and then applying it to brief scales and passages to sync with fingers movements.
Phonetically speaking, Quantz's did'll is also a double movement of the tongue, towards and from the alveolar-dental area, but without interrupting the air as occurs in 't'. You’ll pronounce a di- (remembering to start in the muted 'n' position of "nut") and immediately return the tip of the tongue to the same place (-d’-), while allowing the air to pass on lateral sides, akin to saying a prolonged mute '-ll' instead of obstructing it as in staccato.
The different direction of the air (frontal and direct in 'di-', but lateral and indirect in '-ll') produces a certain instability in sound that might discourage beginners. Quantz recommends practicing this articulation regularly repeating dactylic three note figures on a single note until achieving reasonable equality, and then applying it to brief scales and passages to sync with fingers movements.
Our ubiquitous double articulation d-g or t-k used in modern flute to rhythmically even out and articulate rapid note runs was already known by Ganassi for the fastest diminuzioni on the recorder. It almost completely disappears in later treatises, including that Quantz’s Versuch. This indicates a clear preference for two-notes articulations, even among rapid figures, with a greater or lesser degree of inequality in smooth, flexible phrasing.
Clearly, this “modern” device is also feasible on the traverso, especially when the instrument model allows to do it. Many flutists today do it, indeed, seeking such flute models they find them comfortable to do that. However, we will find more than one pleasant surprise applying the “old-fashioned” Quantz’s techniques to our repertoire: not only to the French music of the times of Hotteterre and De la Barre, which it properly belongs to, or late music by Blavet, Corrette, Naudot, and the Brauns, but also to the German music related to Dresden and the "mixed style" (Bach, Telemann, Mattheson, Heinichen, Graun, etc.). Even considering Quantz articulation as a technical more than stylistic resource, it can be handy for later flute repertoire: Quantz’s himself, obviously, but also for J. S. Bach’s sons and other composers from the Berlin area, and, in general, the "galant" style. Try and compare.
Clearly, this “modern” device is also feasible on the traverso, especially when the instrument model allows to do it. Many flutists today do it, indeed, seeking such flute models they find them comfortable to do that. However, we will find more than one pleasant surprise applying the “old-fashioned” Quantz’s techniques to our repertoire: not only to the French music of the times of Hotteterre and De la Barre, which it properly belongs to, or late music by Blavet, Corrette, Naudot, and the Brauns, but also to the German music related to Dresden and the "mixed style" (Bach, Telemann, Mattheson, Heinichen, Graun, etc.). Even considering Quantz articulation as a technical more than stylistic resource, it can be handy for later flute repertoire: Quantz’s himself, obviously, but also for J. S. Bach’s sons and other composers from the Berlin area, and, in general, the "galant" style. Try and compare.
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Warm-up Practices
Practice 1: Cleaning the Stroke
Master violinist Giuseppe Tartini advised his proficient student Maddalena Lombardini to refine her bow stroke using a fugue movement from Corelli, playing all the notes as short and clear as possible with every section of the bow. Let’s follow his advice with this warm-up exercise for the tongue stroke, practicing it with a metronome at a moderate tempo for precise timing. Ok, metronome is not Corelli, but catch the idea! Carefully listen and repeat at your pace.
Start with isolated mf quarter notes ranging from plain portato (di) to short staccato (ti). Remember to cut the airflow (i.e. the note duration) in staccato with a mute t, i.e. ti(t). Keep the jaw relaxed (be resonant, let the air do the job) and observe and memorize how the placement and subtle movements of the tongue affect the flute response. A good traverso should respond to them and to the smallest dynamics shifts.
Practice 1: Cleaning the Stroke
Master violinist Giuseppe Tartini advised his proficient student Maddalena Lombardini to refine her bow stroke using a fugue movement from Corelli, playing all the notes as short and clear as possible with every section of the bow. Let’s follow his advice with this warm-up exercise for the tongue stroke, practicing it with a metronome at a moderate tempo for precise timing. Ok, metronome is not Corelli, but catch the idea! Carefully listen and repeat at your pace.
Start with isolated mf quarter notes ranging from plain portato (di) to short staccato (ti). Remember to cut the airflow (i.e. the note duration) in staccato with a mute t, i.e. ti(t). Keep the jaw relaxed (be resonant, let the air do the job) and observe and memorize how the placement and subtle movements of the tongue affect the flute response. A good traverso should respond to them and to the smallest dynamics shifts.
Explore different registers and different dynamics, from centered neutral mf down to piano and up to forte. Insist on fork fingered notes:
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Close your eyes and focus on the metronome signal: it’s easy for your tongue stroke to arrive a little bit too late, especially in shorter piano staccato and in extreme ranges. Strive to be extremely exact in timing over the metronome stroke: keep ready your embouchure thinking your sound is there before you give the stroke. More than the tongue force or air volume, it's the precise timing which ensures your sound presence even in pp. In the strict sense of the word, being present means to be “there” exactly when it needs to be, not later, carrying the attack speed, the intensity, and the timbre you have decided.
Now, split the quarter notes into paired portato eighth notes (ti-di, ti-ri, di-ri…remember nota buona – nota cattiva) moving gradually to progressively shortened single staccato eighth notes ti(t) ti(t). Progressively shift to the dactylic three notes pattern, make it as clearest as possible and practice sixteenth notes, triplets, and other combinations.
Now, split the quarter notes into paired portato eighth notes (ti-di, ti-ri, di-ri…remember nota buona – nota cattiva) moving gradually to progressively shortened single staccato eighth notes ti(t) ti(t). Progressively shift to the dactylic three notes pattern, make it as clearest as possible and practice sixteenth notes, triplets, and other combinations.
Practice 2: The Dancing Tongue
Search and extract distinctive rhythmic patterns from the repertoire, especially from French suites dancelike movements. Repeat them on a single note with crisp articulation syllables, progressively adding intervals by steps and leaps in search of the best syllables for the intended accentuation and dynamic. Explore register and fork fingerings. Following the brilliant Quantz’s metaphor, imagine literally to push up the dancers into their jumps. Moreover, take advantage here of his detailed advice about the movement speed in Chap. 17 Sect. VII.
Here’re a few examples, but the choice is really infinite, you could even invent similar patterns according to your needs. Also practice them with did’ll to enhance speed limits.
Search and extract distinctive rhythmic patterns from the repertoire, especially from French suites dancelike movements. Repeat them on a single note with crisp articulation syllables, progressively adding intervals by steps and leaps in search of the best syllables for the intended accentuation and dynamic. Explore register and fork fingerings. Following the brilliant Quantz’s metaphor, imagine literally to push up the dancers into their jumps. Moreover, take advantage here of his detailed advice about the movement speed in Chap. 17 Sect. VII.
Here’re a few examples, but the choice is really infinite, you could even invent similar patterns according to your needs. Also practice them with did’ll to enhance speed limits.
Ensure that the pattern you hear is the one you are actually doing in the flute (or trying to do). It’s easy for ti, di and di-ri pairs to end up sounding too similar to each other. Differences matters here: tongue is as slave as your fingers and she must execute what you want to be heard, your regal command, your conscious musical intention.
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The rules and exceptions in the Versuch are really comprehensive. We must analyze and practice each of his examples, grasping their inspiration. But what happens when we try to transfer them to real repertoire? Providentially we have an enlightening contemporary source about the intricacies of Quantz's system applied to real cases. It is the manuscript entitled Solfeggi Pour La Flute Traversiere avec l’enseignement, Par Monsr. Quantz, preserved in the Royal Library of Copenhagen Giedde Collection (downloadable via IMSLP and available in the excellent modern edition published by Amadeus Verlag in 1978). Probably proceeding from Augustin Neuff, a student of Quantz, it collects a bunch of flute fragments from sonatas, concertos, duets, and trios by composers such as C. Ph. E. and W. Fr.Bach, Franz Benda, Blochwitz, the Graun brothers, Hasse, Kirnberger, Tartini, Telemann, and Quantz himself. Selected from their technical difficulty, many of them carry detailed execution indications, such as accentuation, dynamics, tempo, and articulation using the syllables by Quantz. We can see here how Quantz’s system goes much beyond the rules in the Versuch.
Other sources for practicing Quantz's articulation that is also quite popular are the Solfeggi by Frederick the Great (Das Flötenbuch Friedrichs des Großen. 100 Tägliche Übungen für Flöte, Breitkopf & Härtel), the other Quantz related manuscript known as Capricen, the solo pieces of Braun or even the valuable collection of fragments you can find here in traversopractice.net. For phrasing issues, also compare Versuch examples with Blavet’s usage of letter “h” (haleine) indicating breathings places in his sonates and duos.
Other sources for practicing Quantz's articulation that is also quite popular are the Solfeggi by Frederick the Great (Das Flötenbuch Friedrichs des Großen. 100 Tägliche Übungen für Flöte, Breitkopf & Härtel), the other Quantz related manuscript known as Capricen, the solo pieces of Braun or even the valuable collection of fragments you can find here in traversopractice.net. For phrasing issues, also compare Versuch examples with Blavet’s usage of letter “h” (haleine) indicating breathings places in his sonates and duos.
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Making it beautiful
The last step to be convincing in public is to embellish your discourse with inflections, metaphors, variations, and other rhetorical figures and gestures, better if dictated by a passionate involvement. This is where ornamentation comes into play.
The last step to be convincing in public is to embellish your discourse with inflections, metaphors, variations, and other rhetorical figures and gestures, better if dictated by a passionate involvement. This is where ornamentation comes into play.
Quantz's small (essential) ornaments in Chap. 8 are those inherited from the French tradition, which, for the flute, are also listed in Hotteterre and Corrette. These include the port de voix, tierce coulé, battement, pincé, and, of course, the trill, fully examined in Chap. 9. What's interesting for us is his way of using them in a completely different context, the Italian-inspired concertante music, to endow it with refinement, precision, and elegance. Particularly stimulating is his way of inserting them seamlessly into Italianate arbitrary variations.
Arbitrary variations in Chap. 13 (and its application to Adagio movements in the awesome Chap. 14) stem from the Italian tradition of diminuzione (or glosa in Spanish sources), which has a vast literature from as early as the 16th century, with notable works by Ganassi, Bovicelli, Ortiz, and Van Eyck, among others. Its basic mechanism is to fill an interval with quicker notes that connect the two main notes forming it. Resultant rhythmic-melodic figurations can vary from simple equal stepwise figures to intricate energetic arabesques, according to the Affect intended to express.
Arbitrary variations in Chap. 13 (and its application to Adagio movements in the awesome Chap. 14) stem from the Italian tradition of diminuzione (or glosa in Spanish sources), which has a vast literature from as early as the 16th century, with notable works by Ganassi, Bovicelli, Ortiz, and Van Eyck, among others. Its basic mechanism is to fill an interval with quicker notes that connect the two main notes forming it. Resultant rhythmic-melodic figurations can vary from simple equal stepwise figures to intricate energetic arabesques, according to the Affect intended to express.
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French, Italian or… German?
In Quantz's era, ornamentation was firmly rooted in the two dominant musical styles, French and Italian. In Germany, both styles were heard everywhere. Quantz personally experienced it in Dresden, where French, Italian and German musicians played together, and Catholic and Protestant worship music coexisted too. The "mixed style" was a common aspiration among German musicians. Heinichen, Mattheson, Telemann, J.S. Bach, and Quantz himself are among the main proponents of this third way, which sought to forge a German national style as the progressive synthesis of both previous styles (…and how did they get it!). This mélange was also a concern of most advanced French musicians, with François Couperin among earlier exponents and Blavet among the flutists. The controversy between supporters of both styles is a feature present in much of the musical literature of the century.
This binary and quite old-fashioned context deeply permeates Versuch’s Good Execution concept: in the last Chapter 18, Quantz feels the need to provide a detailed description of the differences between Frenchs and Italians. This rooting in the past places Quantz in quite anachronistic position in the 1750s and may explain, for example, the surprising mutual ignorance with other more advanced musicians active in Berlin, such as C.P.E. Bach.
In Quantz's era, ornamentation was firmly rooted in the two dominant musical styles, French and Italian. In Germany, both styles were heard everywhere. Quantz personally experienced it in Dresden, where French, Italian and German musicians played together, and Catholic and Protestant worship music coexisted too. The "mixed style" was a common aspiration among German musicians. Heinichen, Mattheson, Telemann, J.S. Bach, and Quantz himself are among the main proponents of this third way, which sought to forge a German national style as the progressive synthesis of both previous styles (…and how did they get it!). This mélange was also a concern of most advanced French musicians, with François Couperin among earlier exponents and Blavet among the flutists. The controversy between supporters of both styles is a feature present in much of the musical literature of the century.
This binary and quite old-fashioned context deeply permeates Versuch’s Good Execution concept: in the last Chapter 18, Quantz feels the need to provide a detailed description of the differences between Frenchs and Italians. This rooting in the past places Quantz in quite anachronistic position in the 1750s and may explain, for example, the surprising mutual ignorance with other more advanced musicians active in Berlin, such as C.P.E. Bach.
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Anatomy of Arbitrariness
Ornaments must be chosen according to the Affect of the piece, normally a slow movement where the composer has not given his ornamented written version. If it is sadly melancholic or open-hearted joyful, the ornaments should amplify that mood, not counteract it. Moreover, it should rise from our inner necessity, like a spontaneous interior singing that really makes the original line more interesting. As said, we’ll recognize the Affect assessing the key, the intervals, the consonances and dissonances, and the movement indication. If a text is present, it will give cues too.
Likewise tuning and temperament, arbitrary ornamentation requires basic knowledge of harmony. Quantz proposes a method based on melodic analysis like that we saw in the previous article for intonation, aimed to recognize the interval that the simple note of the original melody forms with its bass. That’s the reason opens the discussion with a table of 16 common chord progressions (Table 8).
The first places that lend to be ornamented are repetitive elements such cadences and similar formulas. Think harmonic cadences like beautiful doors to introduce new room places in a rich Baroque palace: rarely composers wrote something more than its basic formula, but in real world they’ll not be all plain vanilla like in our outskirts apartments. Most ornamental formulas can be likened to cliché 'wildcards' or set phrases in speech. Similar to licks in jazz music, they are usually based on scales, arpeggios, or small rhythmic-melodic sequences.
Ornaments must be chosen according to the Affect of the piece, normally a slow movement where the composer has not given his ornamented written version. If it is sadly melancholic or open-hearted joyful, the ornaments should amplify that mood, not counteract it. Moreover, it should rise from our inner necessity, like a spontaneous interior singing that really makes the original line more interesting. As said, we’ll recognize the Affect assessing the key, the intervals, the consonances and dissonances, and the movement indication. If a text is present, it will give cues too.
Likewise tuning and temperament, arbitrary ornamentation requires basic knowledge of harmony. Quantz proposes a method based on melodic analysis like that we saw in the previous article for intonation, aimed to recognize the interval that the simple note of the original melody forms with its bass. That’s the reason opens the discussion with a table of 16 common chord progressions (Table 8).
The first places that lend to be ornamented are repetitive elements such cadences and similar formulas. Think harmonic cadences like beautiful doors to introduce new room places in a rich Baroque palace: rarely composers wrote something more than its basic formula, but in real world they’ll not be all plain vanilla like in our outskirts apartments. Most ornamental formulas can be likened to cliché 'wildcards' or set phrases in speech. Similar to licks in jazz music, they are usually based on scales, arpeggios, or small rhythmic-melodic sequences.
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It is advisable to annotate all our ideas on the score, to collect and improve, and to detect errors. As Quantz shows in his Adagio, use two or more staves on top of the other to write your options keeping control on the whole thing.
Try to start from very simple schemes (often they are the best ones) to more complex ones, adding figures to previous inventions, or even re-ornamenting the ornamented previous line. A creative and natural approach is to start from a pure rhythmic formula, without melodic content. This can be done by humming it in context informally, without yet deciding the exact notes involved. The choice of notes among the harmonically available will relate to the character you wish to express at each moment. Obviously, you can combine different rhythms and add syncopations to add interest and fancy. For example, in his tables Quantz uses rhythmic formulas such as those seen here in the picture. |
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In order to choose the melodic notes candidates to fill our rhythms we must consider the chord to which the initial note belongs. Knowledge of figured bass is very helpful here. This also serves to analyze the role of the notes in the harmony, whether they are consonant or dissonant, which, as seen in the previous article, also has implications for tuning and color sound.
Write down the notes applying them to the chosen rhythmic formula. If you don’t like the result (that’s completely normal in your first attempts), you may need to adjust both the rhythmic formula and the direction of the intervals. We see here how Quantz does it:
Write down the notes applying them to the chosen rhythmic formula. If you don’t like the result (that’s completely normal in your first attempts), you may need to adjust both the rhythmic formula and the direction of the intervals. We see here how Quantz does it:
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Starting setting. The ornament notes must be chosen primarily from the available ones for each chord. |
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Simple doubling rhythm figures. Note the spicy seventh added to the dominant chord variation. |
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Simple chordal arpeggio with dominant seventh.
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Typical Italianate diminuzione speed stepwise runs.
Observe crossed melodic directions (contrary motion). Continuous one-direction scales to connect intervals are a somewhat primitive way of ornamenting. This can be useful for providing momentum and energy at certain points, but it should not be the only method available. |
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Flavoring with articulation and French spices
Quantz recommends that the first and last note match the original melody to ensure it remains recognizable. Additionally, analyzing his examples, we see that most use cross directions compared to the original movement, which is always more interesting than simple filling in the same direction.
Contrary to what it’s expected, Quantz’s does not systematically slur together the notes but present a variety of articulations tied to the rules given in this regard. Consider articulation as another way to embellish melody.
In the last step we’ll add essential small ornaments of the French style to single important notes, like accents, melodic climaxes, passing notes, etc. Our ports de voix, mordents, and trills, will follow their respective rules.
As said, Quantz provides a beautiful Adagio to explain his method. After having studied it, we’ll eventually put the whole thing in action with the Affettuoso di molto in Chap. 17 - Sect. VI about harpsichord accompaniment. With its detailed dynamics indications, it’s a tantalizing temptation to elaborate one or more ornamented expressive versions for the flute part.
Quantz recommends that the first and last note match the original melody to ensure it remains recognizable. Additionally, analyzing his examples, we see that most use cross directions compared to the original movement, which is always more interesting than simple filling in the same direction.
Contrary to what it’s expected, Quantz’s does not systematically slur together the notes but present a variety of articulations tied to the rules given in this regard. Consider articulation as another way to embellish melody.
In the last step we’ll add essential small ornaments of the French style to single important notes, like accents, melodic climaxes, passing notes, etc. Our ports de voix, mordents, and trills, will follow their respective rules.
As said, Quantz provides a beautiful Adagio to explain his method. After having studied it, we’ll eventually put the whole thing in action with the Affettuoso di molto in Chap. 17 - Sect. VI about harpsichord accompaniment. With its detailed dynamics indications, it’s a tantalizing temptation to elaborate one or more ornamented expressive versions for the flute part.
Here is an example of mine in a similar style on a charmingly poignant Tartini melody. As usual in Italian music, the harmonic content has to be deduced from an unfigured bass.
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Reading or Improvising
As Quantz shows, elaborating ornamentations is another way to compose using given material, or, better, completing and personalizing a given composition. What we call improvisation always involves constant training of the memory—our mind, our fingers, and especially our ears (listening, repeating, humming, imitating, and thinking critically). Improvising requires retrieving material from our mnemonic repertoire in real-time.
It's very likely that playing without the score results in a livelier performance. We are not constrained by the strictness of notation, poor scan print or visual impairment, our ears can listen better, and ornamentation (including articulation and dynamics) is rendered in a more spontaneous way, with flexibility and presence.
However, even while reading the notation, we should always play as music comes from our inner mind, both the ornaments and the written notes. Practice reading scores, but also reserve time to work alone with you, your memory, your flute, and your ears, far from the music stand (or in a dark room, as old treatises said). With practice, your inventions will integrate with your sound and become part of your personal style.
As Quantz shows, elaborating ornamentations is another way to compose using given material, or, better, completing and personalizing a given composition. What we call improvisation always involves constant training of the memory—our mind, our fingers, and especially our ears (listening, repeating, humming, imitating, and thinking critically). Improvising requires retrieving material from our mnemonic repertoire in real-time.
It's very likely that playing without the score results in a livelier performance. We are not constrained by the strictness of notation, poor scan print or visual impairment, our ears can listen better, and ornamentation (including articulation and dynamics) is rendered in a more spontaneous way, with flexibility and presence.
However, even while reading the notation, we should always play as music comes from our inner mind, both the ornaments and the written notes. Practice reading scores, but also reserve time to work alone with you, your memory, your flute, and your ears, far from the music stand (or in a dark room, as old treatises said). With practice, your inventions will integrate with your sound and become part of your personal style.
In the Baroque era, good soloists were taught to improvise their variations on the spot without a written score, which was reserved for orchestra ripienisti and amateurs. This art was especially common in theater singing, even leading to the abuses and exaggerations that Quantz and many others criticize. Most composers used to take it into account, and the listener expected the performer to do it, especially in slow movements, like Quantz explains in Chap. 14 and puts into practice in his beautiful Adagio. Mere replication of an idea or the simple reading of the score "as it is" was considered a cause for boredom. Interestingly, this situation is analogous to what is a common practice in modern jazz music.
The consequence is that we’ve got quite little written examples of improvisation practices in XVIII century, the Quantz’s Versuch tables being one of the most comprehensive and instructive, along with the magnificent Telemann Sonate Metodiche and Trietti metodichi, some later editions of Corelli Sonate op. 5 and a few more.
But similar ideas are found in written repertoire, like the slow movements of E major and B minor J.S. Bach flute sonatas. And we can track rich ornamentation and variation art in J.S. Bach or Haendel keyboard and vocal production, in the “theme with variations” genre, and, in general, in much Baroque instrumental music production, where the composer (often a brilliant player himself) feels himself free to write down his own ornamented lines. Carefully searching for written ornamental composition processes on simple intervallic lines helps to develop our personal creative craftsmanship. Moreover, learning to recognize the interaction between the ground heavy basement of a piece and its light, aerial decoration is a key move for its interpretation.
The consequence is that we’ve got quite little written examples of improvisation practices in XVIII century, the Quantz’s Versuch tables being one of the most comprehensive and instructive, along with the magnificent Telemann Sonate Metodiche and Trietti metodichi, some later editions of Corelli Sonate op. 5 and a few more.
But similar ideas are found in written repertoire, like the slow movements of E major and B minor J.S. Bach flute sonatas. And we can track rich ornamentation and variation art in J.S. Bach or Haendel keyboard and vocal production, in the “theme with variations” genre, and, in general, in much Baroque instrumental music production, where the composer (often a brilliant player himself) feels himself free to write down his own ornamented lines. Carefully searching for written ornamental composition processes on simple intervallic lines helps to develop our personal creative craftsmanship. Moreover, learning to recognize the interaction between the ground heavy basement of a piece and its light, aerial decoration is a key move for its interpretation.
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Final Thoughts
We have reached the end of our navigation along the shores of the Quantz's Versuch deep ocean. It would be great if at least we've kept some useful tools, like a small compass or a little field glass, and a long list of places to explore for tomorrow. I am grateful to boatswain Francesco Belfiore for the original idea, the inspiration he gave me to write it and his skillful patience to board the whole thing on this treasured website. |
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I have selected the trip stages in view of a practical usefulness for flutists, notably students and beginners who wish to incorporate Quantz’s Versuch into their daily practice. I have highlighted some essential knowledge keys for their future explorations. I find this aspect even more crucial for who’s coming from the modern flute. I hope that everyone would get encouraged to pursue his own deeper research towards Quantz and beyond.
Advanced flutists already familiar with the points discussed here might feel that greater depth is lacking. They could even perceive some of Quantz's directions as obvious. On the other hand, we have seen that Quantz himself cannot always answer all the questions. Perhaps we should search them equally distributed among the other historical sources, instrumental practice and repertoire, our imagination and cultural hunger, and, finally, a healthy common sense as a guide.
However, I encourage them to revisit Quantz’s lines, to actively connect and practice his ideas, not hesitating to scrutinize the smallest details, and to confidently experiment with his advice on real-life repertoire. At the very least, by breaking the stone we will uncover some of the genetic signature of our flute playing, be it traverso or modern.
Have a good practice!
Agostino Cirillo
Advanced flutists already familiar with the points discussed here might feel that greater depth is lacking. They could even perceive some of Quantz's directions as obvious. On the other hand, we have seen that Quantz himself cannot always answer all the questions. Perhaps we should search them equally distributed among the other historical sources, instrumental practice and repertoire, our imagination and cultural hunger, and, finally, a healthy common sense as a guide.
However, I encourage them to revisit Quantz’s lines, to actively connect and practice his ideas, not hesitating to scrutinize the smallest details, and to confidently experiment with his advice on real-life repertoire. At the very least, by breaking the stone we will uncover some of the genetic signature of our flute playing, be it traverso or modern.
Have a good practice!
Agostino Cirillo
© Agostino Cirillo 2024
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