I am having some success, meaning the band members and public tolerate and even enjoy my forays into our Klez band at the University of Virginia (Simchah!) on simple system flute, as learned originally for Irish music and also dabbling in "period" classical music. (What this means for a KEYED simple system flute is anothe whole discussion...) It makes some sense to me to draw a bit on the sounds of the Kavval, Ney and Greek equivalents when playing the more "oriental" sounding pieces. This is obviously not an original idea as such greats as Matt Darriaux et al have recorded in this style, often with the ethnic instruments. The ability of the simple system wooden flutes to slide and partly overblow lends themselves to this type of expression. I have heard other Klez players and listners comment that a silver flute played in a classical style sound jarring to their ears in contrast to the rounder clarinet and violin sounds. I PERSONALLY don't like much classical vibrato in klezmer or other folkish traditions. That is of course just taste.
In addition to an occaisional lead on flute (I also play mandolin/banjo) the flute can make for some nice "fills" used sparingly. An occasional change of pace is to use a piccolo or facile skill with the high registers to do battle with the clarinet or brass in the stratosphere, but a little of this goes a long way!
OK enough for one post. Adrienne, I would love to hear how Boxwood (Wooden flute camp) went and what the interests were, in this group or privately. Sorry I couldn't make it, keep us posted of other workshops you will be doing.
Colin Ramirez
--On Thursday, August 28, 2003 3:40 PM -0400 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
In a message dated 8/28/03 12:23:34 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Ah! Speaking of flutes, are there any listers here from the Los Angeles area who'd be interested in taking on a flutist for your band? I play, but never thought of incorporating it into a klezmer band!
Actually, my daughter MAY start a student klezmer band at USC; she's a first year there and was in a student group at home. But needless to say, from this girl - moi - flutes ARE traditional instruments for klezmer bands so don't be shy. I'm fairly traditional in my approach as many know: wood flutes - conical, simple system, and Boehm - and you really need to be "careful" as to placing yourself "against" clarinet or brass leads, for starters. Anway, on to vibrato, a fairly complicated issue. First off, classically speaking, it "begins" at the diaphragm level, for wider and stronger puslations. The faster, shallower vibrato is closer to the throat with a "silent" coughing, but no noise really happening. If you understand that vibrato is a change in pitch - be it slight or great - then you work with flute like you would pushing the air stronger without adjusting for pitch, hence getting sharper, and then relaxing the air, hence getting flatter. This all happens, of course, very quickly. And now we can talk about whether the flutists who played solos so we could hear detail: Misters Anon., Kosch, and Chazzin. You will hear absolutely straight sounds and you will also hear VERY fast vibrato. NO slow, regular pulses. Not the goal, not the sound here. And now for the kicker, from someone who strongly believes that finger vibrato (call it battement, vibrati,), I believe that the tradition of finger vibrato, long since in use for a couple of centuries and existed and still does in other folk styles and baroque music as well, is very much a possibility. I began a little discussion of this either on this list or elsewhere (perhaps woodenflute list?) and I received mostly support from listers on other lists, not this one. Anyone wish to chime in? There are very clear examples in my ear of clarinetists choosing only certain notes to use finger vibrato (which makes sense because not all notes are possible, in fact, very few the more complicated the system of fingering beyond the Simple) and, although I should have kept notations, I would eventually be able to find tracks on CDs for examples - when I have the time.... But anyway, especially if this discussion hasn't taken place, I'd be interested to have votes "ferr" or "agin" For me, I either do (very little....because I'm still learning simple system...) finger vibrato or 90% straight. It also means that vibrato is almost like an ornament rather than something that intrudes on the overall passion you express with your air streem. That's my 5 cents for now :-) Maybe I'll up it to a buck if listers would like more discussion :-)
_________________________________________________ Adrianne Greenbaum Associate Professor of Flute, Mount Holyoke College Klezmer flutist: â??FleytMuzikâ?? and â??Family Portraitâ?? Classical: "Sounds of America" fluteworld or cdbaby
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