Treatise by Aman Vanderhagen “Nouvelle méthode de flute” as a reflection of the performing arts of France in the second half of the 18th century

Abstract

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.28925/2518-766X.2018.3.8088 

For adequate reading of ancient musical texts, it is necessary to study the historical and cultural context and the specifics of the performing practice of that time when musical work has been written. It becomes possible when we study the treatises of past centuries, in which the main issues of musical theory and practice, technique and style are considered.No flute treatise has yet been translated into Ukrainian. Works by S. Ganassi, J.-M. Hotteterre, J. J. Quantz and J. G. Tromlitz are available in Russian. However, there are still about two hundred untranslated methodological treatises of the 18th century which contain important information about the performing arts of the era. The need for their study causes the topicality of this article.The article presents the results of the study of the treatise “Nouvelle méthode de flute” (1798) by Aman Vanderhagen, which includes number of valuable guidelines about posture, performance breathing, correct phrasing and ways of correction of the unstable notes on a one-keyed flute. The variety of strokes given in the treatise is a vivid example of the performing traditions of classicism.For the solution of the study tasks it is used historical, source-study, textual, analytical and performance methods. The conclusion is that the «Nouvelle méthode de flute» is an important source of information about peculiarities of performing on wind instruments in the second half of the 18th century and is recommended for the study of modern musicians and music historians.