Lovely recital by NACO flutists

 Dear Flutelovers,

There is a lovely flute recital online at the moment, featuring the two flutists of the National Arts Centre Orchestra featuring one of my favourite all time flutists, Joanna G'froerer, and the newly appointed second flutist (joining Joanna in the Doppler) Stephanie Morren.

Stephanie is also featured playing the Farrenc Trio in an additional filmed performance. Here are the links. Enjoy!!

Joanna G’froerer in recital (watch now online.)

Programmes:

BONIS Suite en trio for flute, violin, and piano, Op. 59 MESSIAEN Le Merle noir for flute and piano VALERIE COLEMAN Danza de la Mariposa for solo flute DOPPLER Concert-Paraphrase on Schubert's Die Verschworenen for two flutes and piano, Op. 18 ELIZABETH BROWN Liguria for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ Trio for flute, cello, and piano _________________

Nac Orchestra's Second flutist Stephanie Morren plays Farrenc (watch now).

This second concert features the chamber music debut of Stephanie Morin, the NAC Orchestra’s new Second Flute, who began her first season in September 2020. Louise Farrenc Flute Trio, Op. 45 (22’)

Stephanie Morin, flute / Rachel Mercer, cello / Frédéric Lacroix, piano __________________

Best, Jen

Envy & what to do with it

Dear Flutelovers,

 I really enjoyed this podcast about how to deal with Envy, the ever recurring human phenomena. Super listening. Here's the link and the blurb to go with it.

Best, Jen

Listen to the Episode. Envy with psychotherapist Ryan Bennett-Clarke

Season 7, Ep. 5 Wednesday, March 13, 2024 

Annalisa (podcast host) writes: What is envy? How does it differ from jealously? Where does it come from and how does it manifest? If you've ever left a person feeling like little bits of you have been taken away, well envy may be the answer. We talk about how envy feels, why people get jealous or envious, how it's on the rise with social media; and we also talk about some nifty ways to 'interrupt' envy. How to answer back to those barbs. I found this one of the most thought-provoking episodes I've ever done and I have to admit I looked at certain people in a different way. Dare I say this is life-changing? I think it might be.

From the podcast called: Conversations with Annalisa Barbieri

Free & Helpful Flutey pdfs

 

Dear Flutelovers,

I thought it might be helpful for new readers to know about my free flute pdfs in a single blogpost, so here are all the links below. They've been created over the years, and can be printed out for your practise pleasure. Enjoy! Best, Jen

Free pdfs for your flute practice:

Jen's Easy to Read Flute Fingering Chart (pdf - 2 pages)

All free fingering charts and trill charts

The Top Ten Secrets of Great Fluteplaying

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Free printable Longtone Exercises in pdf!

Low Longtone Warmups (pdf from this blog's previous post)

Middle & High Register Longtone Warmups (pdf)

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Free Scale Booklets:

Part 1 - Morning Scale Class (free pdf - I - Chromatics, Whole Tone, Major, Harmonic Minor Scales.)

Part 2 - Morning Scale Class (free pdf - II - Chords of all kinds)

Part 3 - Morning Scale Class (free pdf - III - Scales in Thirds)

Part 4 - Creative scale practice - samples of variations for scales

Jazz Modes & Seventh Chords (free pdf):

Extended Major Scales, their Modes, and all jazzy 7th chords pdf.

How do I get fast fingers? (24 pages pdf free flute exercises)
Exercises in trills for fun; chromatic scales for finger evenness.

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Free pdf exercises with mp3 backing tracks:

Major and Minor Scale Pattern with Harp Harmonies

Expanding Intervals Warmup

"The ScaleGame" with mp3 backing track (Taffanel & Gaubert E.J. 4)

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Free pdfs at these flute blogposts also:

Ornaments, Grace Notes etc. and how to play them.

What do Articulation markings mean in sheetmusic?

Musical Line Explained: part 1, part 2, part 3 including Tartini Concerto pdfs.

Why work on the standard Bb fingering? part 1

All three Bb fingerings are needed (includes pdfs). part 2

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And finally:

Flute Orchestral Repertoire

Free piccolo & flute substitute (easier) parts for Prokofiev's Classical Symphony.

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Etudes by Katyflute

 Dear Flutelovers,

I'm really enjoying the long-running Flute Vlog of Katie Althen-Velázquez . She is a recent graduate of the Juilliard, now free-lancing and making realistic videos about her life as a flutist. See all her vlog videos here. 

I enjoyed her honest talk about taking auditions as well as how she feels when "down in the dumps". So honest, so real, and such a good reality check! Yes, I feel exactly like that when I'm in the dumps about my playing too!

But here's a new twist! Katie is playing a set of Advanced-Intermediate etudes that I've never heard before, and playing them beautifully, and giving tips! You can download the pdf of the etudes for free at IMSLP: Kummer op 110

And here are the first three videos so far (Kummer Etude youtube playlist).

Kummer Op. 110; Etude no. 1 (video)

Kummer op. 110;  Etude no 2 (video)

Kummer Op. 110;  Etude no 3 (video)

And if these particular Kummer etudes are just a little too advanced, there are plenty of Intermediate etudes on Katie's Playlist; An Etude a Day, which may be more familiar to you.

Enjoy! These are lovely!

Best, Jen

Celebrating Wibb

Dear Flutelovers,

I spent a lovely rainy Saturday afternoon having my day brightened by the gorgeous sound of the flute playing of William Bennett, the funny stories about his life, and the exquisite playing of Wibb's students. Can't wait to hear part two today in the fog and rain too. Following the concert there is a very interesting interview with Lorna McGhee about studying with Wibb. See below.  Enjoy! Jen

Celebrating Wibb! The William Bennett Memorial Concert

Part 1 (video)

Introduction - Edward Blakeman 

Bach Concerto in G minor - Largo  - William Bennett (Flute)

Dvorak Songs My Mother Taught Me (arr Wibb) - Alena Walentin (Flute), Pavel Timofejevsky (Piano)

Mozart Andante - Lorna McGhee ( Flute ), Rodrigo Ojeda ( Piano )

Tribute - Roger Birnstingle   

Le Thiere  L’Oiseau du Bois - William Bennett (Piccolo)

Fauré  Fantaisie (1st movement) arr Wibb – Kiyoka Ohara (Flute), Roderick Seed (Flute)

Taffanel  Sicilienne-Etude - Denis Bouriakov (Flute), Emmanuel Ceysson (Harp)

Gaubert  Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando - Mathilde Calderini (Flute), Pavel Timofejevsky (Piano)

Poulenc  Hommage à Edith Piaf

Villa Lobos Canção Do Amor  (arr Wibb)  - Lukas Jordan (Flute), Fabrizio Matos (Guitar)

Tribute - Trevor Wye  

Drouet Home Sweet Home - Theme - William Bennett (Flute)

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Part 2 (video) 

Introduction - Edward Blakeman 

Handel Sonata in B minor (Largo/Allegro) - William Bennett (Flute)

Dvorak (arr Wibb) Slavonic Dance Op.17/2 - Wissam Boustany (Flute), Hitomi Furukawa (Flute & Piccolo), Sue Thomas (Alto Flute)

Bach Cello Suite No.2, Prelude (arr Viazovskaya) Back to Bach - Zoia Viazovskaya  (Flute), The Black Square Quartet

Tribute - James Galway 

Elgar (arr. Wibb) La Capricciosa - Anna Kondrashina (Flute) , Pavel Timofejevsky (Piano)

Mel Bonis Sonata 1st movement - Emily Beynon (Flute), Mariken Zandvliet (Piano)

Tribute & Bach Cello Suite No.3 Bourrées - Steven Isserlis ( Cello )

Clifford Benson  A Song for Wibb - Joel Tse (Flute),  Pavel Timofejevsky (Piano)

Mendelssohn  Spring Song - William Bennett (Flute)

Saint-Saëns (arr Wibb) Softly Awakes My Heart (from Samson et Dalilah) 

Blessing - Revd. Tessa Bosworth

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Lorna McGhee interview on Flute Unscripted (video)

Quintessenz

 Dear Flutelovers,

Happy Ho-ho-hos to all near and far on this festive day! And Healthy thriving New Year too! There has been much discussion and happy new discovery on one of the flute groups this week about the marvellous group Quintessenz.

If you only listen to one performance make it this flute quintet version of Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks by R. Strauss: (video)

Quintessenz has been around since 1996 and I was the happy recipient of some of their earliest scores from piccoloist/arranger Gudrun Hinz. She's a kind and wonderful soul. I see she's not currently performing with the group, so I hope all is well.

 See more of their stuff here:

Newest Videos

Older albums

Purchase scores/parts

Enjoy the happy season, 

Best, Jen

November flutey things

 Dear Flutelovers,

Four things of interest to see online this month:

1. All issues of Flutetalk online are now free to read. There's no search or index function but holy cow there are tons and tons of topics covered from 2008 to now. Wowza.

2. A wonderfully in-tune flutist, Barry Griffiths, with terrific dynamics and soulful interp. has begun recording all the flute quartet repertoire.

You can use his recordings to pre-rehearse before your quartet rehearsals by playing along. When I was preparing students for quartet, I only wish I'd had these recordings of the quartet repertoire for prep. and time-saving with so few reherasals! For example, this is so in tune for bass flute unison with C-flute; wowza!

A Gaelic Offering by McMichael - Lake Solace (video)

Hear all of Griffith's multiple-flute videos here.

3. This interview with teacher Terri Sanchez was super interesting. And here are Terri's technical know-how flute videos.

4. And this ribs and flutist's shoulder-blades article was super interesting too. I'm hoping there will be more on this topic, as this is where my primary flute injury is: the left scapula. I'm now working it out with trigger point massage therapy. Will update when more news.

Enjoy your upcoming holidays with all this great flute stuff.

Best, Jen