Product Description

Johann Joachim Quantz's On Playing Flute, first published in both German and French editions in 1752, has long been recognized as one of the most significant and in-depth treatises on eighteenth-century musical thought, performance practice, and style. This classic text of Baroque music instruction goes far beyond an introduction to flute methods by offering a comprehensive program of studies that is equally applicable to other instruments and singers.

The work is comprised of three interrelated essays that examine the education of the solo musician, the art of accompaniment, and forms and style. Quantz provides detailed treatment of a wide range of subjects, including phrasing, ornamentation, accent, intensity, tuning, cadenzas, the role of the concertmaster, stage deportment, and techniques for playing dance movements. Of special interest is a table that relates various tempos to the speed of the pulse, which will help today's musicians solve the challenge of playing authentic performance tempos in Baroque music. This edition includes 224 musical examples from Quantz's original text and features a new introduction by translator Edward R. Reilly that considers recent scholarship on Quantz's significant role in eighteenth-century musical activity.

On Playing the Flute vividly conveys the constancy of musical life over time and remains a valuable guide for contemporary musicians.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #228264 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 423 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781555534738
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Language Notes
Text: English, German (translation)

About the Author
Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773), son of a blacksmith, enjoyed a long and successful career as a virtuoso soloist and orchestral performer on a variety of instruments. He was also a composer, an exceptional teacher and writer, and a flute maker. Tutor and Royal Prussian Chamber Musician to Frederick the Great, Quantz studied in Dresden and traveled throughout Europe to refine his musical skills and knowledge. Edward R. Reilly is Professor of Music, Emeritus, at Vassar College. He is the author of Quantz and His Versuch: Three Studies.

Customer Reviews

Essential for players of any 18th C music, not only flute
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
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.

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