Customer Reviews

On Playing the Flute

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Articulation, aesthetics, phrasing, ornamentation, character, tempo, practicing, accompaniment, style, notation, how to give a concert, how to breathe when you're nervous, how to play in an orchestra, ... it's all here. This book from 1752 covers the art of being a musician, not just a flute player.

Quantz' text is for anyone who cares about any music from about 1720 into the time of Mozart and Haydn. And it's essential performance practice material for anyone who would play this music: required reading for any serious student. It gives an indispensable window into German, French, and Italian taste.

Modern flautists, string players, keyboard players, and singers can learn a tremendous amount here. The pages about "good" and "bad" notes and varied articulation/tongueing are worth the whole price of the book. They describe the sound that composers were thinking of, the expressive range, the tremendous variety of effects *within* melodic lines. Take Quantz seriously: he was there, and he was a good player and writer.

What more needs to be said, except to thank the publisher for this edition? The previous issue by Schirmer has been out of print for far too long. This book should NEVER be out of print.

Great book of interpretation of baroque music. Quantz show us about the thinking of playing the recorder and how to execute the notes in Allegro and Adagios. Very nice.

A quaint flute classic written in 18th century germanic verse and convention containing advice on how one should play the transverse flute. It's literally a flute bible - deemed a classic still relevant for today's flutist and baroque musician...a methodical text.

(If one can get through it), one can expect to glean some tremendous wisdom and insights into the history and culture of the baroque music world within which the author operated and flourished under the patronage of the then King Frederick. Quantz wrote this treatise dedicated to him... one gets a treat of ye olde german royal salutations to 18th century career guidance for the aspirational musician, to more specifically, detailed technical guidance on the intricacies of flute playing, musical approach to baroque, as well as musicianship at large..., I can begin to understand why this book is a classic that will endure through the ages - just because it was one of the first. Over the ages, books will come and go, superceding earlier books, however this one remains a classic - just because...og pioneership

It goes as far as making judgement calls on the extent of success a person can expect to achieve as a professional flutist based on the physiological makeup of the person and proceeds to describe the ideal make up (health, lungs, lips, etc etc!) Perhaps a form of reality check, but I prefer to subscribe to Marcel Moyse's softer ideology that one can expect to achieve a good level of success through intelligent methodical practice - if one already has the interest.

At first, this book would seem to read like a dry text but it's gems shines through afterwards. Takes some perseverance to distill and absorb the goodness and nourishment. Then remember to put it to practice.

The title is "On Playing the Flute" but fewer than 60 pages are devoted to that instrument specifically. The rest of the book is an invaluable guide to Baroque performance practice no matter what instrument you play. I'm a singer and have used "On Playing..." as a guide for performances and in writing about the Baroque. If you perform music of the Baroque, or need an authoritative source for research, you can't do better than Quantz.

Sharon Goldstein

If you are a flutist, you cannot afford not to read this book. If you are even slightly interested in Baroque music, this is one of the main sources to gather information. And it is a fabulous book, for just about anyone!

This book is a must for any musicial interested in playing Baroque music. The sections on ornamentation is THE definitive work on the subject.

I have not read this book from cover to cover. Although, with it's wonderful index, it has provided me with an excellant resource manual for Baroque music.