Raise your hand if you play (or have played) Andersen etudes!✋🙌

Did you know that Joachim Andersen actually didn't play the flute that's familiar to us, but rather "old system" flutes which differed greatly from the Boehm flute that we all know? Yet his name has become so well-established in the world of modern flute pedagogy. 

It took quite a while before the Boehm flute became the concert instrument of Western music, but that has always been the case with the history of the flute. Trends and changes occurred over time and there were always periods of overlapping.

Playing with this idea, I decided to record some of his etudes on my 8-keyed Kirst flute, which actually dates from a much earlier period and would not have been the flutes used by Andersen. Nevertheless, the instrument can still deliver those qualities found in Andersen's musical language, even if it's perhaps less "powerful" than its later counterparts. In addition, I found my knowledge in earlier styles have actually helped me to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for later music. Above is the B minor etude from his Op. 37, let me know what are your impressions of hearing this music on this flute! 

More on Andersen's Op. 37 in my upcoming workshops in April, the early bird rate ends this Sunday! 
​https://www.eventbrite.de/e/on-j-andersens-op-37-26-kleine-capricen-parts-i-ii-tickets-811645843567

Carl Joachim Andersen (1847-1909) was a Danish flutist, composer, and conductor. Amongst flutists today he is most known for his many etudes and studies written for the flute and thus holds great pedagogical importance. His etudes tackle all aspects of flute-playing and most probably all flutists have encountered them at one point or another. 

In my early years, an Andersen etude was a regular part of my weekly flute assignments. Now with much more knowledge in musical style and aesthetics, I'm happy to say that I can appreciate them much more than I could before, to the point that I can even feel creative with them. I treated each of the six etudes that I've recorded as "real music", something that one would program and perform in a concert. I really enjoyed the flow of creativity I felt while crafting and crystalizing a distinct character for each of these pieces, carefully observing Andersen's indications but also sometimes diverging from them slightly.From the technical aspect, I gained a lot from experiencing how to work the breath appropriately for the type of phrasing required. 

While the classical keyed flute I recorded on originates from a much earlier time period, non-Boehm* system flutes were certainly still used in the beginning of the 20th century. Andersen himself played on a Meyer flute, also a non-Boehm flute. When properly chosen, this music can certainly be played on earlier instruments. It's a great way to expand one's technique and repertoire. I hope my recordings will inspire fellow flutists to dig deep and discover little treasures in whatever music they're working on!
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*the Boehm flute is basically the western classical flute we know today.

Click here to read about music and motion: https://www.teddiehwang.com/blog/music-as-kinesthetic-energy

Read here for reflections on my Corrente workshop: https://www.teddiehwang.com/blog/bach-corrente-for-cesar