Meter, phrasing, and harmony are some of the possible factors that determine a note's length. Remember that notation is really a very limited way of suggesting how the music should actually sound. Beyond any rules or historical knowledge, I feel the best piece of advice I can give is to always think about what kind of AFFECT, what expression do you want to achieve with a piece of music. And then everything you do is to serve that expression.
So for example, in the above Andersen etude I wanted to show something joyful, light, moving, something bouncing between the ground and the sky. So my point was to utilize different types of short articulation to create those effects and affects. You won't get this idea by simply looking at the sheet music and it would be almost impossible to notate every nuance. And since articulation is always in connection with how you manage your air, both the tongue and the breath give each note a definitive shape, length, and timbre. So always listen and observe carefully whether the tongue and the breath are really coordinating together to achieve one goal, one expression, or whether they're a little out of sync with each other. Coming back to notation, if we accept that notation is only a rough way of suggesting how a piece of music should basically go, then it's not far from understanding inégalité. The subject is complex but I want to mention one instance in regard to this topic. You see above a typical cadence (from Boismortier's Op. 35, E minor suite). After the cadential trill, the first G we play is known as an anticipation. As the name suggests, it anticipates the final note and thus should go towards it. Don't be influenced by the notation in thinking that you must play a proper 8th note, or think because baroque music has such an emphasis on articulation that we have to make that separation of the two G's distinctly. Also, even if you claim to not speak French, you probably know a bit more than you actually think you do. Think of words like "amour", "café", "merci" - or look them up in YouTube or any pronunciation site. Notice how in these words the first syllable also slides smoothly towards the second syllable. That's how we should play such a cadential pattern. This is also why using the tonguing pattern "TU-RU" is extremely helpful and, ultimately, natural. Compare by playing it with two equal tongue strokes and you'll notice the difference. Compare also if you would try to "soften" the 8th note but still playing with two equal tongue strokes, you may even find your tongue nevertheless naturally wanting to retract to create an alternation in the tonguing. And one last thing but crucial in this formula, be sure to diminuendo, lighten up the breath as you play the "TU-RU" into the cadence. Notice in the French words mentioned above, they all sound somewhat open-ended. We don't have a definitive "stop" to the sound. Many French words act this way, even if there are letters at the end. (think of the composer's name "Blavet", "croissant", "toujours"...). The diminuendo we do is in response to creating and imitating that subtlety. Try this out and let me know what you find!
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This is the opening of Michel Blavet's Gigue en Rondeau. The first measure immediately sets the tone of this composition in a very striking way, as we don't get a clear indication of the key (E minor) which we'd normally expect at the beginning of a piece. Compare this with a Gigue en Rondeau in E minor by Rameau and see how clearly E minor is established in our ears. Instead in Blavet's piece, we have these triplet patterns which move down in 1/2 steps, and a constant outlining of a minor 6th, both as the ambitus of the triplet as well as an interval within a triplet. We hear neither a clear outline of an E minor chord nor a definite tonic-dominant relationship right away. This is why this piece sounds so mysterious, ambiguous, and fascinating at the same time. Baroque theorists had different things to say about the relationship between intervals and affect, but it was definitely on people's minds back then. Next time you hear a minor 6th prominently, think about whether it recalls a melancholy feeling for you. For me, I'm reminded of Chopin's Waltz in C# Minor, Op. 64, if you hear it you'll know what I'm talking about! Below is my lecture on this piece: In my last workshop "24 Tips & Techniques for Playing Couperin's Second Concert Royaux", I talked about where are good passages to do the flattement / finger vibrato. Most players may know that flattements can be done on long(-ish) notes. However, I specifically suggest looking out for places where the melody moves downward to further enhance a kind of tender expression. Here's my latest video about this subject which includes clips from the workshop:
I recorded the air "C'est bien a tort" by Bacilly as demonstration material for a learner of mine. In the recording, I caught myself in a passage which I think would be interesting to talk about. And in case you're wondering, the upper line is in soprano clef, which is like reading G clef a third lower. So where the red asterisk is, we have a trill on a C (also marked with x), and the note before the trill is a D. We have here a situation where the note before a trill is the same as the appoggiatura of the trill. This often creates a bit of confusion and we easily lose clarity between the notes (in this case two D's). The goal is to still have a distinction between these notes, however subtle that distinction should be. The trill falls on the "ssens" of the word "ressens" and we'd want to reflect that fine nuance of the "ss". We can achieve this by gently ending the sound of the first D with the tongue, and then making sure to start the trill with the appoggiatura. Bring the tongue back up to the roof of the mouth, right about behind the front teeth. This will make the tongue end the first D and also be ready to start the appoggiatura D. You should feel a slight resistance on the tip of the tongue right before you start the next note. This refined coordination also needs a fraction of time to make sure the D appoggiatura really sounds and doesn't get swallowed, otherwise the trill would then become like a mordent or something. That's what happened in my initial recording, and when you're familiar with the style and expression, it sounds a bit out of place. I want to point out that this is not just a dogmatic following of the principle that we should start trills on the upper note, but there are musical reasons for doing so. With a quick and light appoggiatura, the trill here should sound like a slight tremble in the voice, or simply a flutter in the air. The two D's also make the line very smooth, which makes sense here for the expression. In addition, immediately retract the breath after the appoggiatura to further enhance that wistful affect. Compare if you'd play something like C-D-C on the C as the ornament (so omitting the appoggiatura) - I find it takes away from the "leaning" effect of the appoggiatura, which then also reduces the tender, yearnful expression here. Don't forget that, beyond vocal airs, we can make the same observations in numerous instrumental music. In fact, French flutists were first playing these airs de cour before specific flute music came into existence, as well as the common ideal for any instrumentalist was the human voice. So certainly in lyrical pieces, their playing would reflect a strong vocal tradition. The expression of ornamentation is also one of the hallmarks of baroque music. The very fine details convey expression and thus require a specific way of execution. There are usually a good number of clues in the music to help us decide on our interpretation, and what we know as "rules" have certainly musical reasons, not just theoretical ones. Below is my demonstration video:  Here's a question from one of my readers which perhaps others may find helpful.
The question is - What's up with the pluses and squiggles?😅 (Boismortier Op. 8) The signs suggest different types of trills. The pluses tend to happen on longer note values and the squiggly lines on shorter ones. So I would interpret the squiggly lines as a shorter, quicker trill (4 notes), very superficial and played absolutely lightly (using hardly any air at all, in diminuendo). It should just sound like something fluttering in the air. For the pluses, there will be more room for a slightly longer appoggiatura (but with varying lengths depending on the instance), starting perhaps a bit slower and then getting faster as time permits, and overall a longer trill. Lentement does mean slowly, but it is still indicated in 4 (the C) so we want to feel 4 big beats. If you're having trouble with this rhythmically, try to see if you can feel both the big pulse as well as the 8th at the same time. The longer trills will benefit from that inner subdivision. |
ABOUT THE BLOG:I got inspired to document my own observations in flute-playing and music-making. Also, I thought it's important to pass on the teachings of the great Wilbert Hazelzet, as well as many other mentors who have influenced my artistic visions one way or the other. Enjoy this potpourri of tips, inspirations, and musings. ✨CONTRIBUTE!✨Yes I love the writing that I do! If you love them as well, how about consider showing your appreciation with a personal contribution? 
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