Re: recorder names

[Karen Harker <Karen.Harker...>]

I agree that there would be difficulties in using this instrument for Jewish 
music, in particular with the difficulty in note-bending.  Because the 
instrument is so simple to play (at least in terms of embochure and tone 
control), there is little room for changing the tune.  

While the tone of the instrument could be changed, it is usually with great 
difficulty and using such measures that effectively change the instrument.  

Personally, when it comes to using other non-traditional instruments in Klezmer 
and Jewish music, I see the oboe fitting in more than the recorder.

Karen

>>> judithc (at) YorkU(dot)CA 3/22/00 5:12:03 AM >>>
In German it's "Blockflöte" , which is the most accurate name it has, I
think, because it describes what makes the recorder different from other
flutes ("ma nishtana he-khalil ha-zeh?"): the insertion of a block in
the mouthpiece which directs the sound and shapes it. That might also be
the best term for Yiddish. In French, it's called the flûte-à-bec, the
beaked flute, describing the shape of the mouthpiece but not the block
inserted. It s also called the sweet or gentle flute, la flûte douce,
matching Spanish and Italian )flauta dulce/dolce) . The block is what
makes it both easy to play in a basically way and difficult to play
really well (sort of like learning English!): it s easy to produce a
sound, but hard to really make it do what you want. Someone said Kurt
found the tone too bright and cheerful - recorder sound needn't be at
all bright and cheerful in fact, but the block makes it tricky to
produce major volume changes and note-bending, all that kind of thing -
it can be done but it's hard - which may be a main reason it's not very
suited to klezmer as it's shaped up in the past several decades - also
volume, if it's played with other instruments (tsimbl works but louder
instruments are another story). Judith




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