Flute: history, video, interesting facts, listen. Cross flute Flute design with the function of each part

The flute finally wins the hearts of major composers different countries and styles, masterpieces of the flute repertoire appear one after another: sonatas for flute and piano by Sergei Prokofiev and Paul Hindemith, concertos for flute and orchestra by Carl Nielsen and Jacques Ibert, as well as other works by composers Bohuslav Martin, Frank Martin, Olivier Messiaen. Several works for flute were written by Russian composers Edison Denisov and Sofia Gubaidulina.

Flutes of the East

Di(from the old Chinese hengchui, handi - transverse flute) - an old Chinese wind instrument, a transverse flute with 6 playing holes.

In most cases, the di stem is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made from other types of wood and even from stone, most often jade. Near the closed end of the barrel there is a hole for blowing air, next to it is a hole covered with the thinnest reed or reed film; 4 additional holes located near the open end of the barrel are used for adjustment. The barrel of the flute is usually tied with black lacquered thread rings. The way of playing is the same as on the transverse flute.

At first it was believed that the flute was brought to China from Central Asia in the period between 140 and 87 BC. e. However, during recent archaeological excavations, bone transverse flutes dating back about 8,000 years, very similar in design to modern di (although without a characteristic sealed hole), have been found, which testifies in favor of the hypothesis of a Chinese origin of di. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor ordered his dignitaries to make the first bamboo flute.

There are two kinds of di: qudi (in the kongqu musical drama orchestra) and bandi (in the bangzi musical drama orchestra in the northern provinces). A variation of the flute without a sealed hole is called a mandi.

Shakuhachi(Chinese chi-ba) - a longitudinal bamboo flute that came to Japan from China during the Nara period (710-784). There are about 20 varieties of shakuhachi. The standard length - 1.8 Japanese feet (54.5 cm) - determined the very name of the instrument, since "shaku" means "foot" and "hachi" means "eight". According to some researchers, the shakuhachi originates from the Egyptian instrument sabi, which made a long journey to China through the Middle East and India. Initially, the tool had 6 holes (5 in front and 1 behind). Later, apparently on the model of the longitudinal xiao flute, which also came from China during the Muromachi period, modified in Japan and became known as hitoyogiri (literally - “one knee of bamboo”), it took on a modern look with 5 finger holes. Shakuhachi is made from the butt of madake bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides). The average diameter of the tube is 4–5 cm, and the inside of the tube is nearly cylindrical. The length varies depending on the tuning of the ensemble of koto and shamisen. A difference of 3 cm gives a difference in pitch by a semitone. The standard length of 54.5 cm is used for shakuhachi playing solo compositions. To improve the sound quality, craftsmen carefully coat the inside of the bamboo pipe with lacquer, just like the flute used in gagaku, in the Noh theater. The plays of the honkyoku style of the Fuke sect (30-40 pieces have survived) carry the ideas of Zen Buddhism. The honkyoku of the Kinko school uses the repertoire of the fuke shakuhachi, but gives more artistry to the manner in which they are performed.

P almost simultaneously with the appearance of the shakuhachi in Japan, the idea of ​​the sacredness of music played on the flute was born. Tradition links her miraculous power with the name of Prince Shotoku Taishi (548-622). An outstanding statesman, heir to the throne, an active preacher of Buddhism, the author of historical writings and the first commentaries on Buddhist sutras, he became one of the most authoritative figures in Japanese history. So, in the written sources of the early Middle Ages, it was said that when Prince Shotoku played the shakuhachi on the way to the temple on the mountainside, heavenly fairies descended to the sounds of the flute and danced. Shakuhachi from the Horyuji Temple, now on permanent display at the Tokyo national museum, is considered to be unique tool Prince Shotoku, from whom the path of the sacred flute in Japan began. Shakuhachi is also mentioned in connection with the name of the Buddhist priest Ennin (794-864), who studied Buddhism in Tang China. He introduced the accompaniment of the shakuhachi during the recitations of the Amida Buddha sutra. In his opinion, the voice of the flute not only adorned the prayer, but expressed its essence with greater penetration and purity. Zhukoai. Flute fairy in red

A new stage in the formation of the sacred flute tradition is associated with one of the most prominent personalities of the Muromachi period, Ikkyu Sojun (1394-1481). A poet, painter, calligrapher, religious reformer, eccentric philosopher and preacher, at the end of his life the abbot of the largest Daitokuji temple in the capital, he influenced almost all areas of the cultural life of his time: from the tea ceremony and the Zen garden to the No theater and shakuhachi music. Sound, in his opinion, played a big role in the tea ceremony: the noise of boiling water in a pot, the tapping of a whisk when whisking tea, the gurgling of water - everything was designed to create a feeling of harmony, purity, respect, silence. The same atmosphere accompanied the playing of the shakuhachi, when the human breath from the depths of the soul, passing through a simple bamboo pipe, became the breath of life itself. In a collection of poems written in the classical Chinese style "Kyounshu" ("Crazy Clouds Gathering"), permeated with images of the sound and music of the shakuhachi, the philosophy of sound as a means of awakening consciousness, Ikkyu writes about the shakuhachi as the pure voice of the universe: "Playing the shakuhachi, you see invisible spheres, there is only one song in the whole universe."

From about early XVII V. various stories about Reverend Ikkyu and the shakuhachi flute were circulating. One of them told how Ikkyu, together with another monk, Ichiroso, left Kyoto and settled in a hut in Uji. There they cut bamboo, made shakuhachi and played. According to another version, a certain monk named Roan lived in seclusion, but was friends and communicated with Ikkyu. Worshiping shakuhachi, extracting sound with one breath, he achieved enlightenment and appropriated the name Fukedosya or Fuketsudosha (following the path of wind and holes) and was the first komuso (lit. "monk of nothingness and emptiness"). The flute, which, according to legend, was played by a master, has become a national relic and is located in the Hosun'in Temple in Kyoto. The first information about wandering monks playing flutes dates back to the first half of the 16th century. They were called the monks of komo (komoso), that is, "the monks of the straw mat." In the poetic work of the XVI century. the melodies of the wanderer inseparable from the flute were likened to the wind among the spring flowers, recalling the frailty of life, and the nickname komoso began to be written in hieroglyphs "ko" - emptiness, non-existence, "mo" - an illusion, "co" - a monk. 17th century in history Japanese culture became a new stage in the history of the sacred flute. The daily activities of the komuso monks centered around playing the shakuhachi. In the morning, the abbot used to play the tune "Kakureisei". It was an awakening play that started the day. The monks gathered around the altar and sang the melody "Teka" ("Morning Song"), after which their daily services began. During the day, they alternated playing the shakuhachi, sitting zazen meditation, martial arts, and begging schema. In the evening, before starting zazen again, the play "Banka" ("Evening Song") was played. Every monk was required to go begging at least three days a month. During the last of these obediences - wandering for alms - such melodies as "Tori" ("Passage"), "Kadozuke" ("Crossroads") and "Hachigaeshi" ("Return of the bowl" - here the begging bowl was meant) were played. ). When two komusô met along the way, they had to play "Yobitake". It was a kind of call performed on the shakuhachi, which meant "Call of Bamboo". In response to the greeting, one had to play "Uketake", the meaning of which is "to accept and pick up the bamboo." On the way, wanting to stop at one of the temples of their order, scattered throughout the country, they played the play "Hirakimon" ("Opening the Gates") in order to let them in for the night. All ritual plays, almsgiving performed on the shakuhachi, even those pieces that seemed to be more like the entertainment of monks, were part of the Zen practice called suizen (sui - "to blow, play a wind instrument").

Among the major phenomena of Japanese music that influenced the formation of the honkyoku tone system, one should name the theory and musical practice of Buddhist chants, shomyo, the theory and practice of gagaku, and later the traditions of ji-uta, sokyoku. XVII-XVIII centuries - the time of increasing popularity of shakuhachi in the urban environment. The development of gaming technology made it possible to play music of almost any genre on the shakuhachi. It began to be used for the performance of folk songs (minyo), in secular ensemble music-making, by the 19th century, finally replacing bowed instrument kokyu from the most common sankyoku ensemble of that time (koto, shamisen, shakuhachi). Shakuhachi has varieties:

Gagaku shakuhachi is the earliest type of instrument. Tempuku - from the classic shakuhachi it is distinguished by a slightly different shape of the mouth opening. Hitoyogiri shakuhachi (or simply hitoyogiri) - as its name indicates, it is made from one knee of bamboo (hito - one, yo - knee, giri - voiced kiri, cut). The Fuke shakuhachi is the immediate predecessor of the modern shakuhachi. Bansuri, bansri (Bansuri) - Indian wind instrument, there are 2 types: classical transverse and longitudinal flute, used in North India. Made from bamboo or cane. Usually has six holes, but there has been a tendency to use seven holes - to increase flexibility and correct intonation in high registers. Previously, bansuri was found only in folk music, but today it has become widespread in the classical music of India. A similar instrument common in South India is the Venu. W
my flute(Serpent Flut) - Indian reed instrument of two pipes (one - bourdon, the other - with 5-6 playing holes) with a resonator made of wood or dried gourd.

The snake flute is played in India by wandering fakirs and snake charmers. When playing, continuous, so-called permanent (chain) breathing is used.

Blairor Gambu- Indonesian longitudinal flute with a whistle device. It is usually made of ebony, decorated with carvings (in this case in the form of a dragon), has 6 gaming holes. Used as a solo and ensemble instrument.

Malaysian flute- a longitudinal flute in the form of a dragon, with a whistle device. Made from redwood. It is used in religious ceremonies, to pacify the spirit of the dragon - a sacred creature revered in Malaysia.

transverse flute- a musical instrument made of wood. It belongs to the brass and belongs to the soprano register. is changed by reblowing. Also, during the game, opening and closing of holes with valves occurs.

general information

The bamboo transverse flute is quite a rare occurrence today, since modern musical instruments of this type are usually made of metal (platinum, gold, silver, nickel), sometimes also glass, plastic or other composite materials. The range is over three octaves. Notes for the transverse flute are written in based on the actual sound. The timbre is transparent and clear in the middle register, in the lower one - deaf, in the upper one - somewhat sharp. The flute is available in a variety of techniques. Often she performs an orchestral solo. It is used in wind and symphony orchestras. Also used in chamber ensembles. Symphony orchestras use from 1 to 5 flutes. More often their number is from two to three.

History of the instrument

The transverse flute has been known to mankind for a long time. The earliest depiction of her was found on an Etruscan relief. It was created in 100 or 200 BC. Then the tool was directed to the left. Only in an illustration for a 16th-century poem is it held to the right.

Middle Ages

The transverse flute is also found in archaeological excavations. The first such finds in Western Europe belong to the XII-XIV centuries. ad. One of the earliest images from that time is contained in the pages of an encyclopedia called Hortus Deliciarum. Researchers suggest that the instrument temporarily fell into disuse in Europe, and then returned there, coming from Asia, through Byzantine Empire. In the Middle Ages, the construction consisted of a single component, sometimes there were two of them. The tool had a cylindrical shape, as well as six holes of the same diameter.

Renaissance and Baroque

The transverse flute did not change its design too much in the subsequent period. The instrument had a range of 2.5 octaves. He allowed to take the entire list of notes of the chromatic scale with a good command of the fingering. The last one was very difficult. The middle register sounded best. Known original instruments of this type are kept in Verona in a museum called Castel Vecchio. The first significant changes in the design of the instrument were made by the Otteter family. Its representative, Jacques Martin, divided the flute into 3 parts. Subsequently, there were 4 of them. The body of the instrument, as a rule, was divided in half. The otteter changed the drilling to conical. Thus, the intonation between octaves was improved.

In the 18th century, a large number of valves were added to the instrument. As a rule, there are 4 - 6 of them. Important innovations were made by Johann Joachim Quantz and Georg Tromlitz. During the life of Mozart, the transverse flute, which has one valve, was most often used. By the beginning of the 19th century, the number of these elements began to increase rapidly. The music for this instrument is more virtuosic. Additional valves, in turn, facilitated the performance of the most difficult passages.

There were many design options. In France, the flute with five valves was popular. In England there were 7 or 8. In Italy, Austria and Germany there were many different systems. Here the number of valves could reach 14 or even more. The tools received the names of the inventors: Ziegler, Schwedler, Meyer. There were valve systems made specifically to facilitate this or that passage. In the 19th century, Viennese-type flutes were also created, they included the sound of G in a small octave.

Soprano register. The pitch on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing holes with valves. Modern flutes are usually made of metal (nickel, silver, gold, platinum), less often - from wood, sometimes - from glass, plastic and other composite materials.

Flute range - more than three octaves: from h or c 1 (si small octave or up to the first) to c 4 (up to the fourth) and above. Notes are written in treble clef according to the actual sound. The timbre is clear and transparent in the middle register, hissing in the lower register and somewhat sharp in the upper one. The flute is available in a wide variety of techniques, and is often entrusted with an orchestral solo. It is used in symphony and brass bands, and, along with the clarinet, more often than other woodwinds, in chamber ensembles. IN symphony orchestra one to five flutes are used, most often two or three, and one of them (usually the last in number) can change during performance to a small or alto flute.

History of the instrument

Medieval depiction of flutists holding instruments to the left

The earliest depiction of a transverse flute was found on an Etruscan relief, which dates back to one hundred or two hundred years BC. At that time, the transverse flute was held to the left side, only an illustration to a poem from the 11th century AD for the first time depicts the manner of holding the instrument to the right side.

Middle Ages

The first archaeological finds of transverse flutes of the Occident date back to the 12th-14th centuries AD. One of the earliest images of that time is contained in the encyclopedia Hortus Deliciarum. Apart from the one aforementioned 11th-century illustration, all medieval European and Asian depictions show players holding the transverse flute to the left, while antique European depictions show flute players holding the instrument to the right. Therefore, it is assumed that the transverse flute temporarily fell into disuse in Europe, and then returned there from Asia through the Byzantine Empire.

In the Middle Ages, the transverse flute consisted of one part, sometimes two for "bass" flutes in G (now the range of the alto flute). The tool had a cylindrical shape and 6 holes of the same diameter.

Renaissance

"Five Landsknechts", Daniel Hopfer, 16th century, second from left with transverse flute

During the Renaissance, the design of the transverse flute changed little. The instrument had a range of two and a half octaves or more, which exceeded the range of most recorders of the time by an octave. The instrument made it possible to play all the notes of the chromatic scale, subject to good command of the fingering, which was quite complex. The middle register sounded the best. Notable original transverse flutes from the Renaissance are kept in the Museo Castel Vecchio in Verona.

Baroque era

The first major changes to the design of the transverse flute were made by the Otteter family. Jacques Martin Otteter divided the instrument into three parts: the head, the body (with holes that closed directly with the fingers) and the knee (which usually had one valve, sometimes more). Subsequently, most transverse flutes of the 18th century consisted of four parts - the body of the instrument was divided in half. The otteter also changed the instrument's drilling to be tapered to improve intonation between octaves.

In the last decades of the 18th century, more and more valves were added to the transverse flute - usually from 4 to 6, or more. On some instruments it becomes possible to take c 1 (up to the first octave) with the help of an elongated knee and two additional valves. Important innovations in transverse flute design of the time were made by Johann Joachim Quantz and Johann Georg Tromlitz.

Classical and Romantic period

In Mozart's time, the single-valve transverse flute was still the most common instrument design. IN early XIX centuries, more and more valves were added to the design of the transverse flute, as the music for the instrument became more virtuosic and additional valves made it easier to play difficult passages. There were a large number of valve options. In France, the transverse flute with 5 valves was the most popular, in England - with 7 or 8 valves, in Germany, Austria and Italy there was the largest number of different systems at the same time, where the number of valves could reach 14 or more, and the systems were called by the names of their inventors : "Meyer", "Schwedler flute", "Ziegler system" and others. There were even valve systems specially made to facilitate a certain passage. In the first half of the 19th century, there were flutes of the so-called. Viennese type, to the sound of salt of a small octave. In the opera La Traviata, written by Giuseppe Verdi in 1853, in the final scene, the 2nd flute is entrusted with a phrase consisting of lower register sounds from to down - si, si-flat, la, la-flat and salt of a small octave. This flute is now replaced by the alto flute

important center development of the flute school of that time was Berlin, where at the court of Frederick II, who himself was a flutist and an outstanding composer, the transverse flute acquired special meaning. Thanks to the undying interest of the monarch in his favorite instrument, many works for the transverse flute were born by Joachim Quantz (the court composer and teacher of Friedrich), C. F. E. Bach (the court harpsichordist), Franz and his son Friedrich Benda, Carl Friedrich Fasch and other.

Among the masterpieces of the Baroque repertoire are the Partita in A minor for flute solo and 7 sonatas for flute and bass by J.S. Bach (3 of which may have been written by his son C.F.E. Bach), 12 fantasies for flute solo G F. Telemann , Sonata for flute solo in A minor by C. F. E. Bach .

The flute repertoire of the 19th century is dominated by virtuoso salon works by flute composers - Jean-Louis Tulu, Giulio Bricchaldi, Wilhelm Popp, Jules Demerssmann, Franz Doppler, Cesare Ciardi, Anton Furstenau, Theobald Böhm, Joachim Andersen, Ernesto Köhler and others - written by authors in mainly for their own performances. There are more and more virtuoso concertos for flute and orchestra - Willem Blodek, Saverio Mercadante, Bernard Romberg, Franz Danzi, Bernard Molik and others.

In the second half of the 20th century, many composers wrote works for solo flute without accompaniment, often using modern technicians playing the instrument. The Sequence of Luciano Berio is especially often performed, Etudes by Isan Yun, "Voice" by Toru Takemitsu, "Debla" by K. Halfter, and other works for flute solo by composers Heinz Holliger, Robert Aitken, Elliot Carter, Gilbert Ami, Kazuo Fukishima, Brian Ferneyhow are also popular. , Franco Donatoni and others.

Jazz and other styles

Due to the quiet sound, the flute did not immediately take root in jazz music. The penetration of the flute as a solo instrument in jazz is associated with the names of such musicians as Herbie Mann, Jeremy Stig, Hubert Lowes. One of the innovators in jazz flute performance was the saxophonist and flutist Roland Kirk, who actively uses the techniques of blowing and playing with his voice. Also playing the flute were saxophonists Erik Dolfi and Józef Lateef.

Among the points of contact between jazz and classical music include jazz suites for French flute jazz pianist Claude Bolling, which are performed both academically (Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway) and jazz musicians.

In popular music

One well-known rock and pop flautist is Ian Anderson of the band Jethro Tull.

Development of the flute school in Russia

Early period

The first professional flute players in Russia were mostly guest musicians of foreign origin, many of whom remained in Russia until the end of their lives. So at the court of Catherine II from 1792 to 1798 the famous blind flutist and composer Friedrich Dulon served. Subsequently, the famous German and Italian flutists - Heinrich Susman (from 1822 to 1838), Ernst Wilhelm Heinemeier (from 1847 to 1859), Cesare Ciardi (from 1855) were soloists of the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg. From 1831 Joseph Guillou, a professor at the Paris Conservatory, settled in Saint Petersburg. There are also early references to Russian flutists - so from 1827 to 1850 the soloist Bolshoi Theater Dmitry Papkov was in Moscow - a serf who received his freedom.

Second half of the 19th century

The largest European flutists came to Russia on tours - in the 1880s, the Czech flute virtuoso Adolf Tershak traveled all over Russia with concerts, in 1887 and 1889. the famous French flutist Paul Taffanel visited Moscow and St. Petersburg.

20th century

The first Russian professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory was in 1905 the soloist of the Imperial Theaters Fyodor Stepanov. In the first half of the 20th century, the Germans Max Berg and Karl Schwab, as well as the Czech Julius Federgans, worked simultaneously with Russian performers in the Imperial Theaters of St. Petersburg. After Stepanov's death in 1914, his class passed to the flutist and composer Vladimir Tsybin, who made a huge contribution to the development of domestic flute performance in Russia. Vladimir Tsybin can rightfully be considered the founder of the Russian flute school.

Tsybin's pedagogical work was continued by his students, professors of the Moscow Conservatory - Nikolai Platonov and Yuli Yagudin. At the beginning of the 20th century, P. Ya. Fedotov and Robert Lambert taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and later the latter's students - Boris Trizno and Joseph Janus.

In the 1950s, famous Soviet flutists Alexander Korneev, Valentin Zverev won major international prizes.

In the 1960s, Gleb Nikitin, a professor at the Leningrad Conservatory, a student of Boris Trizno, and a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, a student of Nikolai Platonov, Yuri Dolzhikov, made a significant contribution to the development of the Russian flute school.

Among the soloists of major orchestras in Moscow and Leningrad in the 1960s and 1970s were Albert Hoffman, Alexander Golyshev, Albert Ratsbaum, Eduard Shcherbachev, Alexandra Vavilina and others, and later the younger generation - Sergei Bubnov, Marina Vorozhtsova and others.

Currently, professors and associate professors of the Moscow Conservatory are Alexander Golyshev, Oleg Khudyakov, Olga Ivusheykova, Leonid Lebedev; St. Petersburg Conservatory - Valentin Cherenkov, Alexandra Vavilina, Olga Chernyadieva. More than 50 Russian young flutists, including Denis Lupachev, Nikolai Popov, Nikolai Mokhov, Denis Buryakov, Alexandra Grot, Grigory Mordashov and others, have also received or this moment continue their education abroad.

flute structure

The transverse flute is an elongated cylindrical tube with a valve system, closed at one end, near which there is a special side hole for applying lips and blowing air. The modern flute is divided into three parts: head, body and knee.

Head

File:Flute Head.JPG

Sponges on the flute head

The great flute has a straight head, but there are also curved heads - on children's instruments, as well as on alto and bass flutes, so that the instrument is more comfortable to hold. The head can be made from various materials and their combinations - nickel, wood, silver, gold, platinum. The head of a modern flute, unlike the body of the instrument, is not cylindrical, but conical-parabolic in shape. At the left end inside the head there is a plug, the position of which affects the overall action of the instrument and should be checked regularly (usually using the back end of the tool cleaning stick - ramrod). The shape of the head hole, the shape and curve of the jaws have a great influence on the sound of the entire instrument. Often performers use heads from a different manufacturer than the main instrument manufacturer. Some flute makers - like Lafin or Faulisi - specialize exclusively in making heads.

flute body

The body structure of the flute can be of two types: "inline" ("in line") - when all the valves form one line, and "offset" - when the salt valve protrudes. There are also two types of valves - closed (without resonators) and open (with resonators). Open valves are the most common, as they have several advantages compared to closed ones: the flutist can feel the speed of the air jet and the resonance of the sound under the fingers, with the help of open valves you can correct intonation, and when playing contemporary music practically indispensable without them. For children's or small hands, there are plastic plugs that, if necessary, can temporarily close all or some of the valves on the instrument.

Knee

Flute Knee (C)

Two types of knee can be used on the great flute: the C knee or the B knee. On a flute with a knee to the lower sound is up to the first octave, on flutes with a knee of si - si of a small octave, respectively. Knee si affects the sound of the third octave of the instrument, and also makes the instrument somewhat heavier in weight. There is a “gizmo” lever on the B knee, which should be additionally used in fingering up to the fourth octave.

mi-mechanics

Many flutes have the so-called mi-mechanics. Mi-mechanics was invented at the beginning of the 20th century simultaneously, independently of each other, by the German master Emil von Rittershausen and the French master Jalma Julio in order to make it easier to take and improve the intonation of the third octave note mi. Many professional flutists do not use E-mechanics, as good instrumental skills allow easy picking of this sound without its help. There are also alternatives to mi-mechanics - a plate that covers half of the inner hole of the (second pair) salt valve, developed by Powell, as well as a reduced size pair valve salt, developed by Sankyo (not widely used mainly due to aesthetic considerations).

Modern flute of Boehm system with closed valves out of line, with mi-mechanics and up-knee

Flute acoustics

According to the method of sound production, the flute belongs to the labial instruments. The flutist blows a jet of air onto the leading edge of the embouchure hole. The air flow from the musician's lips crosses the open embouchure hole and hits its outer edge. Thus, the air stream is divided approximately in half: inside the tool and out. Part of the air trapped inside the instrument creates a sound wave (compression wave) inside the flute, propagates to the open valve and partially returns back, causing the tube to resonate. Some of the air that has entered the outside of the instrument causes slight overtones such as wind noise, which, when correct staging are audible only to the performer himself, but become indistinguishable at a distance of several meters. The pitch is changed by changing the speed and direction of air supply by the support (abdominal muscles) and lips, as well as by fingering.

The name "flute" unites a whole group of derayan wind instruments musical instruments. True, nowadays flutes are also made from other materials: plastic, nickel, silver. The name of the instrument came from the Latin word "Flatus", which means "breath" in translation. The flute is considered one of the oldest musical instruments in the world. It is almost impossible to give a specific date for the invention of the flute, but judging by the finds of archaeologists, the first flutes existed as early as 35-40,000 BC.

Range and registers of the flute

The lower register has a matte, full and somewhat cold sonority

The middle register is characterized by a gentle and weaker sound compared to other registers.

The upper register has a clear, light and brilliant character.

There are many varieties of flutes, but they mainly differ in longitudinal and transverse. At longitudinal flutes the wind hole is at the end; when playing, the musician holds the longitudinal flute perpendicular to the line of the lips.

At the transverse, the hole is on the side, so you have to keep it parallel to the line of the lips.
One of the most common types of longitudinal flute is the recorder. It is similar to the flute and whistle. The main fundamental difference between the recorder and these instruments is that in addition to seven finger holes on the front, there is one more - an octave valve, which is located on the back.
The recorder began to be actively used in their works European composers back in the 16th century. Bach, Vivaldi, Gendal and many others very often included a recorder in their works. With the advent of transverse flutes, a serious minus of the recorder became noticeable - not loud enough. But, despite this, this instrument is still quite often present in the orchestra.
Despite the fact that transverse flutes appeared long before our era in China, the popularity of longitudinal flutes for a long time did not allow them to become widespread. Only after the design of the transverse flute was improved in 1832 by the master from Germany, Theobald Behm, did it begin to appear in orchestras no less often than the longitudinal one. The transverse flute allows you to play sounds from the first to the fourth octave.

The flute exists in four main varieties that form a family: the flute proper (or great flute), the piccolo (piccolo), the alto flute, and the bass flute. Also exist, but much less frequently used - great flute in E-flat ( cuban music, Latin American jazz), the octobass flute (modern music and flute orchestra), and the hyperbass flute. Flutes of a lower range also exist as prototypes.

The great flute has a straight head, but there are also curved heads - on children's instruments, as well as on alto and bass flutes, so that the instrument is more comfortable to hold. The head can be made of various materials and their combinations - nickel, wood, silver, gold, platinum. The head of a modern flute, unlike the body of the instrument, is not cylindrical, but conical-parabolic in shape. At the left end inside the head there is a plug, the position of which affects the overall action of the instrument and should be checked regularly (usually using the back end of the tool cleaning stick - ramrod). The shape of the head hole, the shape and curve of the jaws have a great influence on the sound of the entire instrument. Often performers use heads from a different manufacturer than the main instrument manufacturer. Some flute makers - like Lafin or Faulisi - specialize exclusively in making heads.

The range of the flute (large flute) is more than three octaves: from h or c 1 (si small octave or up to the first) to c 4 (up to the fourth) and above. play more high notes seems difficult, but there are works in which the notes "re" and "mi" of the fourth octave are involved. Notes are written in the treble clef according to the actual sound. The timbre is clear and transparent in the middle register, hissing in the lower register and somewhat sharp in the upper one. The flute is available in a wide variety of techniques, and is often entrusted with an orchestral solo. It is used in symphony and brass bands, and, along with the clarinet, more often than other woodwinds, in chamber ensembles. In a symphony orchestra, from one to five flutes are used, most often two or three, and one of them (usually the last in number) can change during performance to a small or alto flute.

The structure of the body of the flute can be of two types: "inline" ("in line") - when all the valves form one line, and "offset" - when the salt valve protrudes. There are also two types of valves - closed (without resonators) and open (with resonators). Open valves are the most common, as they have several advantages compared to closed ones: a flutist can feel the speed of the air stream and the resonance of sound under his fingers, with the help of open valves you can correct intonation, and when playing modern music, they are practically indispensable.

For children's or small hands, there are plastic plugs that, if necessary, can temporarily close all or some of the valves on the instrument.

Two types of knee can be used on the great flute: the C knee or the B knee. On a flute with a knee to, the lower sound is up to the first octave, on flutes with a knee of si - si of a small octave, respectively. Knee si affects the sound of the third octave of the instrument, and also makes the instrument somewhat heavier in weight. There is a "gizmo" lever on the B knee, which should be additionally used in fingering up to the fourth octave.

Many flutes have the so-called mi-mechanics. It was invented at the beginning of the 20th century simultaneously, independently of each other, by the German master Emil von Rittershausen and the French master Jalma Julio in order to make it easier to take and improve the intonation of the note E of the third octave. Many professional flutists do not use E-mechanics, as good instrumental skills allow easy picking of this sound without its help. There are also alternatives to mi-mechanics - a plate that covers half of the inner hole of the (second pair) salt valve, developed by Powell, as well as a reduced size pair valve salt, developed by Sankyo (not widely used mainly due to aesthetic considerations). On flutes of the German system, mi-mechanics is not functionally required (pair valves G are separated initially).

According to the method of sound production, the flute belongs to the labial instruments. The flutist blows a jet of air onto the leading edge of the embouchure hole. The air flow from the musician's lips crosses the open embouchure hole and hits its outer edge. Thus, the air stream is divided approximately in half: inside the tool and out. Part of the air trapped inside the instrument creates a sound wave (compression wave) inside the flute, propagates to the open valve and partially returns back, causing the tube to resonate. Part of the air that has got outside the instrument causes slight overtones such as wind noise, which, when properly set up, are audible only to the performer himself, but become indistinguishable at a distance of several meters. The pitch is changed by changing the speed and direction of air supply by the support (abdominal muscles) and lips, as well as by fingering.

Due to the acoustic nature of the flute, it tends to drop in pitch when playing the piano (especially in the lower register) and rise in tune when playing the forte (especially in the upper register). The temperature of the room also influences the intonation - more than low temperature lowers the instrument's pitch, a higher one, respectively, increases it.

The tool is tuned by moving the head out of the body of the tool (the more the head is pulled out, the longer and, accordingly, the tool becomes lower). This tuning method has its drawbacks compared to strings or keyboard instruments- when the head is pulled out, the relations between the holes of the instrument are upset and the octaves cease to build with each other. When the head is extended by more than a centimeter (which lowers the instrument's pitch by almost a semitone), the sound of the flute changes timbre and becomes similar to the sound of baroque wooden instruments.

The flute is one of the most virtuoso and technically mobile wind instruments. Her performance is typical of scale passages in fast pace, arpeggios, jumps at wide intervals. Less often, the flute is assigned to long cantilena episodes, since the breath on it is used up faster than on other woodwinds. Trills sound good throughout the entire range (with the exception of a few trills at the lowest sounds). Weak point instrument is its relatively small range in dynamics - the difference between piano and forte in the first and second octaves is about 25 dB, in the upper register no more than 10 dB. Flutists compensate for this shortcoming by changing the color of the timbre, as well as by other means. musical expressiveness. The range of the instrument is divided into three registers: lower, middle and upper. Piano and legato are relatively easy to play in the lower register, but forte and staccato require mature skill. The middle register is the least rich in overtones, it often sounds dull, so it is little used for cantilena melodies. In the upper register it is easy to play the forte, mastering the piano in the third octave requires several years of training on the instrument. Starting from the fourth octave to sharp, quiet extraction of sounds becomes impossible.

The color of the timbre and the beauty of the sound on the flute depends on many factors in the production and skill of the performer - an important role is played by an open throat, a fairly open hole in the instrument head (usually 2/3), the correct position of the instrument head in relation to the lips, the exact direction of the air stream, as well as skillful control of the amount and speed of air supply using the "support" (a set of abdominal muscles, part of the intercostal muscles and part of the back muscles that affect the work of the diaphragm).

The flute has a wide range of playing techniques. Double (syllables tou-ku) and triple (syllables tou-ku-tu tou-ku-tu) staccato are used everywhere. Beginning with late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century, for special effects, the frulato technique is used - playing the instrument simultaneously with the pronunciation of a sound, like "trr" using the tip of the tongue or throat. The frulato technique was first used by Richard Strauss in symphonic poem"Don Quixote" (1896 - 1897).

In the 20th century, many additional techniques and techniques were invented:

Multiphonics is the extraction of two or more sounds simultaneously with the help of special fingering. There are special multiphonic tables to help composers and performers, for example, in the books of Pierre Yves Artaud or Robert Dick.

Whistle tones - reminiscent of a quiet whistle. Retrieved with the ear cushion fully relaxed and the jet directed over the location where the desired sound would normally be.

"Tangram" is a short sound resembling a clap. It is removed with the instrument's ear cushion completely closed by the lips with the help of a quick movement of the tongue. It sounds a major seventh below the fingering used by the performer.

"Jet whistle" - a sounding jet of air (without sound), quickly changing pitch from top to bottom or from bottom to top, depending on the composer's instructions. It is extracted with the instrument's ear cushion completely closed with the lips, with a strong exhalation and pronunciation of a syllable similar to "fuit".

There are other methods of modern techniques - knocking with valves, playing with one spike without sound, singing at the same time as extracting sound, and others.