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Dear flutists and flute enthusiasts,
We are happy to announce the release of the 10th edition of The Babel Flute! Explore 25 new articles covering many diverse topics. This edition introduces 7 new contributors and includes Turkey as a new country, bringing the total contributors to 89 from 30 countries!
With our distinctive one-click translation feature, the entire platform seamlessly converts into any language with outstanding translation quality! We proudly serve readers from 238 countries.
In this edition, we recap the Global Flute Convention held in September 2023. “The Babel Flute Days” celebrated the flute’s rich history, diverse repertoire, and global community, all unfolding online against the captivating backdrop of Ancient Babylon. Emphasizing education and knowledge-sharing, we hosted an impressive 110 learning events on the esteemed “Web Flute Academy” platform, attracting a record-breaking 400 registered guests for online flute engagement!
Fluting Across Screens: A Recap of ‘The Babel Flute Days’ Global Flute Convention 2023
Explore the realm of KING MIDAS through the innovative lens of a new genre: Storytelling Flute Theater. Immerse yourself in the magical narrative of “The Ears of Regret: King Midas and Gods of Music,” a musical tale by Yulia Berry and Onorio Zaralli that transcends genres. This captivating experience goes beyond mere performance, offering an educational journey suitable for audiences of all ages. Initially designed to captivate children, its universal appeal makes it a perfect fit for studio recitals, schools, colleges, and concert programs—an enchanting fusion of storytelling and musical artistry.
Happy Holidays!
As the holiday season approaches, we’re excited to share a Christmas gift with you: the 2024 calendar featuring Quantz and his quote, available for free download. It’s our token of appreciation for your continuous support over the past two years. Enjoy the high-resolution free calendar, ready to be printed from PDF and JPG files.
In this edition:
Andreas Mazur (Germany) presents The Pars per Toto Game, unveiling novel sounds emanating from various parts of the flute. This technique produces captivating, exotic timbres reminiscent of the Japanese shakuhachi or Gagaku music’s riyuteki, and at times, echoes the tones of an Indian bansuri or a quena from the folk music of the Peruvian Andes. The enchanting timbres crafted through pars-per-toto playing techniques serve as a unique bridge, connecting ethnic flute forms, including early versions of our modern flute, to the contemporary transverse flute.
Das Pars-pro-Toto-Spiel | Neue Klänge auf Teilen der Flöte
Anush Naroyan (Armenia – Greece) sheds light on Gagik Hovunts, a prominent Armenian composer of the 20th century known for his roles as an educator, distinguished artist, and conservatory professor. Hovunts is recognized as the last classic in the galaxy of the Armenian quintet, which includes A. Babajanyan, E. Mirzoyan, A. Harutyunyan, L. Saryan, and E. Khudoyan. Anush Naroyan explores Hovunts’ musical, theoretical, and philosophical perspectives, offering insight into the profound contributions that mark his legacy within Armenian music.
Armenian composer Gagik Hovunts
Claudio Montafia (Italy) demonstrates his approach to learning vibrato in the newly created Video Lessons category. Vibrato is certainly an added value, providing an additional technical tool to enrich and characterize the interpretation of a piece. In his video lessons, Claudio will explain some techniques to acquire perfect control of the vibrato
Gyula Czeloth-Csetényi (Hungary) introduces his recently published co-authored book, which delves into the two-century history of Hungarian flute playing, examining its integration into Europe. Published in December 2022, this groundbreaking material marks the first attempt to summarize the rich history and phenomena of Hungarian flute art spanning the last two hundred years, filling a void in literature on the subject.
Enrico Sartori (Italy- China) has compiled a substantial material on Luigi Hugues, encompassing the roles of Flutist, Composer, and Geographer, complemented by Enrico’s video presentation. Given the limited published information on Luigi Hugues, this article stands as a significant source for flutists. Notably, last year brought a significant revelation in Luigi Hugues’ compositions, as violinist Bruno Raiteri discovered several manuscripts, the majority of which were previously unpublished.
Luigi Hugues: Flutist, Composer, and Geographer
Laura Chislett (Australia) discovered Carolin Ralser’s captivating compositions for flute and electronics on Soundcloud a few years back. Impressed by the music’s originality, Laura arranged a coffee chat and interview during her visit to Singapore in early 2023. This interview is featured in a new category, “Career Paths in Music.”
Interview with flutist Carolin Ralser
Lelya Bayramoğulları (Turkey) explores the history of the flute in Turkey, tracing its roots to the 19th-century court orchestras. The real evolution began with the cultural reform led by “ATATÜRK” in the new republic, aiming to create a musical language for national identity. During World War II, Turkey became a refuge for musicians, aligning with the reform’s goals. The republic aimed for a new identity through music, preserving the cultural heritage of the Ottoman Empire.
Die Flötenszene in der Türkei von Beginn an bis Heute
Lidia Fomenko (Russia) shares the story of commemorating the centenary of the Beloretsk city brass band. The orchestra members served not only as musicians but also as mentors, imparting their knowledge to the next generation. Consider the profound impact these musicians have had on music education for a century! This continuous training has nurtured successive waves of musicians, fostering a shared passion and giving rise to blossoming talents among new generations. This article was also nominated and included in the Editor’s Choice category in Edition 10!!
100 year anniverasy of Baskir Wind Band
Ludwig Böhm (Germany), the great-great-grandson of legendary Theobald Boehm, compiled “Open Questions” in Theobald Böhm Research, offering answers based on his extensive research conducted over many years.
Open Questions in the Theobald Böhm Research
Manuel Carranza Cueto (Peru) discusses Latin American solo flute music, specifically focusing on his composition “Marcahuasi” Op. 10 for solo flute. The primary inspiration behind this piece emerged from an idyllic image – envisioning an Andean musician from the Inca Empire era, playing the flute at twilight, contemplating the horizon in front of the majestic stone forest that extends into the mystical region of the Lima mountains.
“Marcahuasi” Op. 10 para flauta sola
Marco Gaudino (Italy) discusses insights into the timbral variations of sound on the Transverse Flute. The flautist’s interaction with the oral cavity during instrumental sound production becomes a crucial element, as this organ possesses the capability to modulate and alter the produced timbres.
Considerazioni sulle variazioni timbriche del suono nel Flauto Traverso
Marco Messina (Italy) shares insights into the Suzuki Flute School and his role as a Specialist and Trainer for Suzuki Flute. In 1996, his profound dedication to musical education led him to adopt the Suzuki Method, reshaping his teaching style and providing a transformative path in his career. This shift enabled him to impart knowledge and offer guidance to children through the profound influence of music.
Marina Vologdina (Russia) discusses the original Boehm System flute. In the classical and Baroque era, the flute faced acoustic, intonation, and technical challenges such as register sound disparities, dips, and inaccuracies in individual notes and segments of the range, complex and imperfect tuning, inability to execute consecutive trills, chromatic scale limitations, and challenges in most keys. The Romantic era, characterized by harmonic modulations and virtuosic passages, brought forth new demands for performers and instrument makers. Amid ongoing efforts to enhance the flute, Theobald Böhm (1794-1881) stands out as the genius who comprehensively addressed these challenges.
Flute of the original Boehm system
Maurizio Bignardelli (Italy) delves into the tumultuous period of Emanuele Krakamp in Florence (1853-1855), exploring the controversies and disappointments faced by this renowned Italian flute concert performer, who experienced a challenging two-year exile in Florence. This exile resulted from his involvement in the political uprisings of 1848 in Naples against the Bourbon regime, including his participation in the 1849 battle of Velletri during Garibaldi’s campaigns in the brief and fleeting era of the Roman Republic.
Emanuele Krakamp a Firenze (1853-1855): polemiche e delusioni di un concertista
Mirella Pantano (Italy) explores the realms of musical metacognition and the unconscious, delving into our awareness of musical abilities and the intricate workings of our learning process. She raises questions about our understanding of essential strategies and resources for effective song performance, pondering the point at which musical language seamlessly integrates into our nature, becoming both a physical and emotional as well as intellectual expression.
Il flauto tra ragione e sentimento
Onorio Zaralli (Italy)‘ enduring fascination with wood and the potential it holds for crafting objects from this “living” material led him to contemplate the possibility of designing a wooden headjoint for modern flutes made of nickel silver, silver, or gold. In contrast to metal, wood possesses a dynamic nature that evolves over the years, making it more closely connected to humanity and perhaps better suited for conveying a diverse range of colors, expressive intensities, and dynamic richness in sounds. Thus, the inception of OFZ – Zaralli headjoints began.
Testate artigianali per flauto “OFZ – Zaralli”: L’idea di un flautista per i flautisti
Paolo Dalmoro (Italy)‘ article “The flute before the flute” reflects on the benefits of reverting to the “old system” flute. While ample resources exist for historical flutes like the Baroque and Renaissance traversieres, there’s a scarcity of information on Romantic period flutes, particularly the “key flute” or “Ziegler flute.” Paolo encourages revisiting this neglected aspect of flute history.
Patrícia Fernandes Pires (Portugal) shares her personal journey of recovering from an injury, a common challenge among musicians. Such injuries pose an existential threat, as a musician’s entire life plan hinges on their ability to play their instrument. Patricia’s recovery has been a prolonged, meticulous, and demanding process, yet it has yielded a unique sense of reward. The lessons gained from this experience are invaluable, significantly influencing her growth as a musician.
Recovering from an injury: a retrospective around a flutist’s individual experience
Rogier de Pijper (The Netherlands) discusses the use of extended technique key clicks, emphasizing their effectiveness in enhancing finger coordination. When integrated with playing tones on the flute, key clicks not only train finger coordination but also foster synchronization between fingers, tongue, and support. The discussion is complemented by valuable exercises and a video presentation.
Key Clicks: why you should hear the keys while playing
Stefan Keller (Switzerland) provides an overview of Flautando 2023. The Flautando Day, held on November 4, 2023, in Boswil, transformed into more than a musical gathering. It became a personal, entertaining, instructive, and motivating experience featuring the renowned flutist Peter-Lukas Graf, supported by his former students, including Gaby Pas-van Riet, Aldo Baerten, Franco Cesarini, and Stefan Keller, along with exhibitors and other contributors.
Flautando 2023: Peter-Lukas Graf LIVE! – “A musical encounter”
Steve Barta (USA)’ latest symphonic release is his arrangement of Claude Bolling’s classic, Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano. Now titled, Symphonic Arrangement: Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano, the new recording features pianist Jeff Biegel, along with renowned flutist Hubert Laws. Composer Claude Bolling himself, gave his personal approval to Steve’s new arrangement with, “A thousand bravos!”
Symphonic Arrangement of Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano
Vilma Campitelli (Italy) penned an article on Ivy Priaulx Rainer, a South African/British composer, violinist, and university lecturer. Despite residing predominantly in England, her compositional style bore a profound influence from the African music she immersed herself in during her childhood, where she had constant interactions with the Zulu people. Renowned as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, her associations with Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth positioned her at the heart of artistic modernism in England. Notably, she maintained close friendships with Stravinsky, Tippett, and Carter.
IVY PRIAULX RAINER (Sud Africa 1903- Francia 1986): Una compositrice che amava ascoltare il silenzio
Yulia Berry (USA), in her article “From Bach to Bot: Exploring the Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Music Creation and Performance,” explores the question of whether music created by artificial intelligence can be considered true art, and whether it reflects the emotional richness derived from human experience. The question extends to considering the potential of computers to displace musicians from their roles
From Bach to Bot: Exploring the AI Revolution in Music Creation and Performance
Explore fresh flute games and quizzes in the latest edition, crafted by Onorio Zaralli. Challenge your knowledge and enjoy the fun!
Dear readers, kindly share your thoughts and comments on the articles you enjoy. Your feedback or repost serves as a virtual thank you!
