I’ve received a few emails over the years from aspiring flutists wanting some practical advice for beginning the traverso.  Here is a bit of information that I’ve compiled over time, and will be adding to regularly.

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Purchasing a Traverso

 As for purchasing flutes, it always depends on what you are interested in doing with it.  For an all-around Baroque flute for music no later than Bach, I’d recommend trying a German/English/Belgian/Dutch (…so, non-French…) instrument in 415 copied from an original of 1740 or before.  I started with an IH Rottenburgh by Rudolph Tutz.  It is a fabulous instrument, and it has been sort of the ‘expected’ flute to play in Europe till a couple years ago.  Conservatory students are experimenting with using other flutes more often now, to great results, so check out all the other Baroque flutes by the makers on my Links page.  They all describe their instruments, and there are some really beautiful instruments out there that are  not often played.  You could be someone to introduce the ‘other’, non-Rottenburgh flutes to your colleagues!

If you were really wanting a French flute, the French flutes from the Baroque era are nowadays generally copied to be pitched at 392 (or sometimes 398).  If you have the extra money, I would recommend getting one of those in addition to a 415 German/English/Belgian/Dutch flute.  They feel luxurious and are absolutely wonderful to play.  They resonate in a much lower place in our bodies (much more chesty) and have a chocolatey feeling and sound, rich and resonant. The most popular, at least for the past 25 years in Europe, has been the Hotteterre.  The Naust has surfaced quite recently and is very nice at low pitch. The IH Rottenburgh, though not French, is also nice at 392.  I would probably advise against a Denner for beginners, because they are quite moody instruments, though lovely once you really get to know them.

What I would also avoid are flutes with two middle joints, one at 392, one at 415, a sort of 2-in-one combo. The makers probably aren’t making those anymore, and the reason is because the instrument always feels more comfortable with one than the other, but it suffers a little with both because of various adjustments made to accommodate each middle joint!

Making your choice – decide what you’ll do with it, as I mentioned.  If you are going to any camps/festivals or just want to play with other people, I’d get something in 415.  This is especially nice to your string-player friends, who will be more likely to tune their instruments to 415 than to 392.  Harpsichords are almost always built in 415 these days.

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Where to Purchase a Traverso

At Festivals:

• Utrecht Oude Muziek Festival – has a 3-day instrument exhibition each year at the end of August/beginning of September. On their website, click on “Festival, then “Exhibition or “Markt”.  There are regularly 4-6 traverso builders there.
• Berliner Tage für Alte Musik – a yearly festival in October

From Makers:

• See my Links page, or do a Google search

Secondhand:

• Every now and then, someone lists flutes for sale on the earlyflute Yahoo Group

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Books about Historical Flutes, Suitable for Beginners

• Boland, Janice Dockendorff. Method for the One-Keyed Flute. University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1998.

A handy book that contains a bit of everything, yet focuses more on the practical side of actually playing the traverso.  Comparative fingering guides, easy repertoire excerpts for traverso beginners. 

• Powell, Ardal.  The Flute (Yale Musical Instrument Series). New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002.

This is an extensively-researched reference book about the flute and its history.  Invaluable for the beginner who plans to stick with the traverso.

• Quantz, Johann Joachim. On Playing the Flute (1752). Trans. and ed. Edward R. Reilly,  2nd edition, Northeastern University Press, 2001.

The historical flutist’s Bible.  Practical advice on all things relating to the flute, including fingerings, improvising cadenzas, composing, articulation, ornamentation, and stage settings.

• Solum, John.  The Early Flute (Oxford Early Music Series). Oxford University Press, 1995.  

A general book, with a great overview of early flute history, care, maintenance, music, and musicians.

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Online Resources

• Consider becoming a member of the earlyflute Yahoo Group.  There are many discussions about instruments and instrument making, but also other issues related to early flutes.  Irish flutes show up often in the discussions, and occasionally advertisements for instruments, festivals, and concerts.
• www.flutehistory.com has excellent timelines and lists to help you pinpoint where, by whom, and for which music your flute would have been played.
• Visit any of the pages of the makers on my Links page, where you will find tons of information about their flutes, general flute history, and fingering charts.

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Renaissance Flutes and Music

When I started playing Renaissance flute, I enjoyed playing anything in Jacob van Eyck’s ‘Der Fluyten Lusthof’, which has simple melodies for solo flute or recorder that are then set in increasingly more complex diminutions.  You can then challenge yourself by transposing up a 4th or 5th.  See more about him and the music here: www.jacobvaneyck.info

Also try the ‘Trattado de Glosas’ by Diego Ortiz.  Some things in there don’t work for flute, but other things do.  The madrigal and chanson melodies he uses are the most popular tunes from the Renaissance, and you will find many versions of these melodies the more music you play from that time.

Other than that, you can take any 4 part chanson and play any of the voices – you might have to do a bit of transposing.  Keep in mind that the ‘melody’ on which 4-part chansons are based is often in the tenor part in Renaissance music. But that shouldn’t stop you from playing the cantus or altus voice as well.

I only know the Ortiz in facsimile, but it might be in modern editions as well by now.  You can get the Van Eyck in modern notation.  But challenging yourself with old notation is very fun and it brings so much extra to the music!  In case you aren’t always up to the challenge, check the London Pro Musica and Ut Orpheus editions.

There are very few people in the world playing Renaissance flutes.  Something that will grow, I hope.  My all time favorite performer is Kate Clark (I’m biased, of course, because I studied with her, but even if I hadn’t I’d still pick her.)  Visit www.attaignantconsort.com, and do buy their cd.  You won’t be disappointed!

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