Abstract In 1934, the French flute pedagogue Marcel Moyse (1889–1984) published his celebrated De la sonorité, a method book that aimed to provide a technical groundwork through which flute players could emulate the expressive powers and control of tone displayed by exponents of the operatic singing technique bel canto. This critical commentary sets De la sonorité in both aesthetic and historical contexts, examining the ways in which Moyse made use of the human voice, and more specifically bel canto, as a model for flute players and instrumentalists in general. It is clear that Moyse’s own experience in opera orchestras and exposure to opera repertoire and singers influenced his teaching style and publications. In addition to De la sonorité, he published two volumes of opera arias transcribed for the flute (in 1962 and 1973) which suggest that bel canto, the opera and the flute were all related in his mind. Indeed, it is possible to significantly enhance our understanding of De la sonorité if it is viewed from the perspective of its vocal influences. Historical references advocate the use of the voice as a model for expression because it is the vehicle through which emotions are expressed. As a result Moyse extolled this “natural way” in his teachings. Exploring bel canto establishes similarities to flute playing both aesthetically and technically. The exercises contained in De la sonorité enable the player to work towards producing a homogeneous and focused sound with ease through the entire register of the instrument at any dynamic level. Alongside a discussion of the five sections that make up De la sonorité (“Timbre and Homogeneity of Tone in the Three Registers,” “Suppleness in the Low Register,” “Attack and Slurring of Notes,” “Fullness of Tone” and “The Management of Tone in Interpretation”) the present study includes a practical performance-based perspective with commentary on Moyse’s approach from three leading flute players and pedagogues currently working in Australia: James Kortum, Lecturer in Flute at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Alan Hardy, Lecturer in Flute at The University of Melbourne; and Prudence Davis, Principal Flute with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/286803 |
| Creators | Andrew Macleod |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
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