Historic Flute Recordings/Philippe Gaubert

Lucia de Lammermoor.Del ciel clemente.
Nellie Melba in her very first recording, March 1904!
Landon Ronald, piano
Philippe Gaubert, flute
FANTASTIC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdBkggfEheU

Philippe Gaubert plays Albert Franz Doppler: Pastorale Hongroise, Op.26 (Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfBmM0YFYAQ&feature=PlayList&p=81064B1B63D33E99&index=3

The Badinerie from Bach Suite in B minor BWV 1067 played by Philippe Gaubert recorded in 1919.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlGYynKc8Ss&feature=PlayList&p=81064B1B63D33E99&index=0

Enjoy!
Catherine

1st Axiom of Flute Playing

An old saying of mine:

"It is possible to think and blow at the same time."
--Catherine LeGrand

So often,thinking seems to interfere with the release of air. Try allowing yourself to feel the air moving--then think. Fingers seem to work best when air is in constant supply.

Catherine

Rondo Sandwich, anyone?

Greetings,

Just thought I'd pass on an analogy that popped out of my mouth recently while coaching an ensemble:

Rondo form = Club Sandwich

Just think of the A material as the bread slices and all the other layers that alternate with the bread as B, C, D, etc. There are even "modulations" to layers of different colored ingredients!

Hope you find this analogy useful, or at least amusing.

Best,
Catherine

Documentary piece on Clara Rockmore, Theremin virtuoso

Greetings,

In her own words, a brief history of Clara Rockmore's life with the Theremin. Also discussion with electronic music experts Robert Moog and Thomas Ray.

This is a wonderful tale of "crisis equals opportunity" When she ceased playing the violin because of advancing arthritis, Clara finds the perfect outlet for her artistry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm-rnbupIjk

Fascinating!

For your amusement there is a link to a computerized thermin simulator in the Playground at my website: On the swingset, click on "spnm playground", then Clara.

Enjoy!

Catherine

How is flute playing like dry cleaning?

Greetings,

Insights and inspirations can be found in the most unlikely places...

I have a friend whose parents own a dry cleaning business in TX. One of their facilities burned to the ground in February. Fortunately, no one was injured and insurance covered the bulk of the expenses to rebuild.

I received notice recently that they are celebrating the reopening of the facility. As I thought about my friends and the happy end to their ordeal, the image flashed into my mind of a pants press machine used to steam trousers. I could see the lid closing and the steam escaping.

Eureka! The perfect image to explain the relationship of the tongue and upper lip in a flute embouchure:

Think of the surface area of the tongue as the flat bottom of the pants press and the inside of the upper lip as the lid. The "lid" (upper lip) closes on the bed (tongue) creating pressure (steam) and crisp clear articulations and control of tone are the results.

My students and I have enjoyed the wonderful results of this powerful image this week. Please give this a try and let me know how it works for you!

All the best,
Catherine

Online tuners

Hello all,

Here is a free online tuning software:

http://www.seventhstring.com/tuner/tuner.html

This one plays reference pitches:

http://www.seventhstring.com/tuningfork/tuningfork.html

I mostly use a tuner to play reference pitches so I can practice chords and intervals against a fixed pitch. I find this particularly useful for warming up my ears to play in a certain key.

Gotta love those difference tones!
Pure tuning rings my chimes...

Catherine

Baker and Rampal together

A must see! Wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijLx7k-y6fs#

Are they "flutists" or "flautists"? A definitive answer from these heroes of the flute world.

Enjoy!
Catherine

More Marcel Moyse on YouTube

Eureka!

More Marcel Moyse online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUbZ98sO3YM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXcn5UU5iYw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZXPYg5m87U
ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL1Ech7qqK0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LilrG0PNa5Y&feature=PlayList&p=81064B1B63D33E99&playnext=1&index=6(Bizet Menuet!)

I own several very old LP's which include some of these tracks, but not all!

Enjoy,
Catherine

Workshop February 7, 2009: Moyse's Tone Development Through Interpretation

For those of you who have been intrigued by the recent postings of performnaces by Marcel Moyse:

February 7 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Umstead Park United Church of Christ
8208 Brownleigh Drive, Raleigh
Free to RAFA members; $10 nonmembers

Using Marcel Moyse's Tone Development Through Interpretation, New York Flutist Laura Gilbert will present a two-hour workshop that is open to all ages and levels. Flutists should bring selected melodies from Moyse's Tone Development Through Interpretation to play in the class. Ms. Gilbert will address a variety of flute playing issues from the angle of expressive and melodic playing of a line.

Best,
Catherine

Historic Flute Recordings/George Barrere

RCA Victor78 rpm recording of the first two movements of Bach Sonata in C Major, BWV
Performers: George Barrere and Yella Pessl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl_bBi1wbYQ&feature=PlayList&p=81064B1B63D33E99&index=4

Marcel Moyse performing Huë Fantasie!

Greetings,

Recording of Marcel Moyse performing Huë Fantasie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7461H6-SDnY
Sadly, the final bars are absent...

Catherine

Moyse in the Paris Symphony Orchestra

Felix Weingartner conducts the Paris Symphony Orchestra in a 1932 performance of Overture to Der Freischütz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nw1ro2S2x8

Many thanks to Sir James Galway for posting the link to this video on Galway-Flute-Chat!

Closeups of Marcel Moyse playing can be seen at

5:19
6:16
8:19
8:40

Enjoy!
Catherine

Rabbit with side breath combo, please...

Greetings,

Out of shape from the holiday break?
Does you embouchure feel stiff?
Low notes stuffy?
High notes feel unstable?

Order yourself a standard from the embouchure menu:

Rabbit Face with Side Breath combo

It can help to quickly restore stability and flexibility to your embouchure.
While inhaling, simultaneously do a rabbit face (see video posted in LeGrand Virtual Studio) and a side breath.

For a great example of "side breathing" please watch the close-ups of Julius Baker beginning at 5:04 in the following video of this 1979 New York Philharmonic performance of the finale of Shostakovich 5 with Leonard Bernstein conducting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogJFXqYEYd8

The "rabbit with side breath combo". A great menu choice for post holiday flute playing.

Best,
Catherine

"Glissando Buzzing"

Happy New Year!

Over the holiday break, I have been backing up, editing, and rewatching my video recordings from 2008. I always see something new to focus on...

This time, when watching video from recent Keith Underwood classes, I was astounded by the improvement in participants production of tone and intervals (including my own!), after buzzing the intervals to the best of their ability, then creating a glissando by buzzing between the intervals before playing the passage again. The interval quality while playing was immediately smoother with a richer tone throughout each note.

More evidence of the embouchure flexibility and control buzzing can help create!

Try some "glissando buzzing" yourself. Please let me know how it works for you.

Best,
Catherine