Flute Sessions

A book of music for 2 – 4 flutes for flute lovers with special taste. Place the book up side down, play from the end to the beginning play canons slow and fast together. A rich source for curious flutists.

(Verlag Shawnee Press inc. Delaware watergap PA)

24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786

Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Große) was nicknamed Der Alte Fritz (“Old Fritz”).

He was an absolute ruler, but he lived under the principle that he was the “first servant of the state.” For years he was a correspondent of Voltaire, with whom the king had an intimate, if turbulent, friendship. He modernized the Prussian bureaucracy and civil service and promoted religious tolerance throughout his realm. Frederick patronized the arts and philosophers. He was a strict ruler and spirit simultaneously. He was a king who could deal with troop deployment plans as with sheets of music

Frederick was an excellent flutist. His rich musical imagination was shaped primarily by Quantz and Franz Benda. He was praised especially the singing quality of his slow movements. What Frederic has created as a composer, comes mainly from the years as crown prince: 121 flute sonatas, 6 flute concertos, two symphonies, a double concerto for oboe and flute and a piano concerto. How far he has had help in composing, remains the subject of speculation. It is believed that Frederick has cared above all, composing the main voice, the harmonious development of the company he left on others. The king was not in matters of war the way, was the evening’s music at Sanssouci to the usual routine. Charles Burney, a British musicologist, reported after a visit to England: “His play in some respects surpassed anything I’ve ever heard, or even among lovers of flutist by profession. Only the shortness of the 58-year-olds, he complained: It was with him, “Take breath necessary before the passage was brought to an end.” As a little later Frederick lost his front teeth, it was done with playing the flute.

Flute Concert with Frederick the Great in Sanssouci (Adolph Menzel) : Alte Nationalgalerie : Art Project, powered by Google

A musical sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=835WGEBNviY

Here are some animation against stage fright:

2 Breathing exercices

a) Press the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand and exhale slowly. Than enhale slowly. Press with the little finger of the right hand the left nostril and exhale by the right nostril, then inhale. Breathing can be repeated.

b)      Take a deep breath and imagine that you are a peacock who raises his elongated feathers into a fan. It makes you tall and helps against sudden inferiority feelings.

Mudras

Mudras (fingeryoga) are  simple finger-exercises you can serve to prevent and cure disease and psychological problems. The small, almost insignificant gestures can be practiced any time. The below book  I highly recommend. Here are two examples:

Weiterführende Literatur: Kim da Silva „Gesundheit in unseren Händen“
Knaur Verlag 87030

Schreiben hilft gegen Nervosität

Nimm dir vor deinem Auftritt Zeit und schreibe auf, warum genau du nervös bist. Wenn du es niedergeschrieben hast, vernichte den Zettel und gehe spielen.

Nicht tabuisieren

Lampenfieber ist natürlich. Rede darüber, dann wirst du schnell feststellen, dass du nicht allein bist mit diesem Problem, und geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid. Ich lade Euch ein, untenstehenden Blog zu benutzen, um Eure Erfahrungen auch anderen mitzuteilen.

Sunday, 13th of november 2011

Protestant church, Zurich Höngg, 5 pm

Helene Schulthess – flute
Robert Schmid – organ

Program

Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713 – 1780)
Phantasie in c major (Flute and Organ)

Jean Rivier (1896 – 1987)
Les oiseaux tendres (Flute solo)

Franz Lachner (1803 – 1890)
Elegie (Flute and Organ)

Lowell Liebermann (*1961)
Air (Flute and Organ)

Hans Hiller (1873 – 1938)
Andante religioso, op. 6 (Flute and Organ)

Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713 – 1780)
O eternity, thou, word of thunder (Organ solo)

Johann Joachim Quantz (1697 – 1773)
Concerto in g major (Flute and Organ)
Allegro assai – Arioso e mesto – Presto