The great Swiss flutist Aurèle Nicolet was born 100 years ago today. Nicolet served as principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic during the 1950s. He was appointed by Wilhelm Furtwängler and remained through the early Karajan years, before striking out to become a renowned soloist and an influential teacher. Composers who dedicated music to him include Toru Takemitsu, Josef Tal, György Ligeti, Aribert Reimann, and Edison Denisov. Among his pupils was the Berlin Philharmonic’s current principal flute, Emmanuel Pahud. Nicolet died in 2016 at the age of 90.
Remember him and put a spring in your step with some C.P.E. Bach.
Tag: Flute
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Aural Enjoyment with Aurèle Nicolet
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Jacques Hotteterre The “Roman” Flute Master
They called him “le Romain,” but not because he resembled a lettuce.
Jacques Hotteterre, most celebrated of a dynasty of woodwind makers and players, received his nickname for his early period in Rome. There he studied and soon found employment with Prince Francesco Ruspoli. In 1708, he entered the court of Louis XIV, King of France, whom he served as Jouëur de Fluste de la musique de chambre. In addition to being a master of the transverse flute, Hotteterre also played bassoon, oboe, and musette (a kind of French bagpipe). He’s said to have made certain innovations to the design of the transverse flute and wrote several methods. His “L’Art de préluder sur la flûte traversière,” published in 1719, was Europe’s first flute manual and enjoyed great success.
Today marks the 350th anniversary of his birth. Hotteterre died in Paris in 1763, a few months shy of his 90th birthday. Joyeux anniversaire!
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Franz Doppler Bicentennial: A Flute Celebration
Here’s a bicentennial NOBODY is going to celebrate. Perhaps I should say, nobody who doesn’t play the flute. Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Franz Doppler.
Doppler was a successful composer of operas and ballets – now never performed – but today he is remembered, as he should be, for his contributions to the flute. He was a popular virtuoso on the instrument, composing flute concertos and showpieces, and he gave instruction on the flute at the Vienna Conservatory.
With his brother, Karl, he formed a flute duo. Karl was also the composer of several operas. In addition, he served as music director at the Theater of Budapest and as conductor at the court chapel in Stuttgart. Franz served for a time as chief conductor of the Vienna Court Opera. Together, they helped found the Hungarian Philharmonic in 1853.
An interesting footnote: As a student of Liszt, Franz Doppler was given the assignment to orchestrate six of Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsodies.” While Liszt’s mastery at the keyboard was unparalleled, he sometimes turned to others for assistance when orchestrating some of his earlier works, as he had a rather full plate at the time as Kapellmeister Extraordinaire at the Weimar Court. Liszt never charged any of his pupils. Furthermore, he made no secret of Doppler’s assistance. With characteristic generosity, even after Liszt went back and extensively revised the pieces for publication, he insisted on leaving Doppler’s name on the title page.
A doff of the hat to Franz Doppler. Happy birthday!
“Duettino on Hungarian Themes”
Julius Baker and Jean-Pierre Rampal play Doppler on Dick Cavett!
Doppler’s orchestration of Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2”
Liszt’s revision
PHOTO: The hairiest flutists in Europe: Franz, right, with brother Karl
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Doriot Anthony Dwyer, Pioneering Flutist, Dies at 98
Flutist Doriot Anthony Dwyer has died. Dwyer served as principal flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1952 to 1990. She was one of the first women to win a principal chair in a major U.S. orchestra.*
Understandably, this was a very big deal. Back in the day, Boston didn’t even have a separate dressing room for women. Early notices were all about her gender and good looks, but soon it was her playing that was receiving raves. She won over players, audiences, and critics alike.
To mark her retirement, the orchestra commissioned for her a flute concerto from Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. Zwilich was the first female recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music (in 1983!).
Prior to her tenure in Boston, she was second flute with the National Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and served as principal flute at the Hollywood Bowl. Early in her career, she also played with Frank Sinatra and the Ballets Russes.
Dwyer died on Saturday at the age of 98.
- Dwyer was preceded by, at the very least, Florence Wightman (principal harp, Cleveland Orchestra, 1929-30), Alice Chalifoux (principal harp, Cleveland Orchestra, 1931-74), Edna Philips (principal harp, Philadelphia Orchestra, 1930-41 and 1942-46), and Helen Kotas (principal horn, Chicago Symphony, 1941-48).
An interview with Doriot Anthony Dwyer, in three parts:
Dwyer with Leonard Bernstein conducting “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”
Debussy Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9frKtO0nRn8
Prokofiev Flute Sonata:
Ellen Taffe Zwilich Flute Concerto:
Charles Munch bringing Dwyer forth for a solo bow (at the very end of the video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrMnUUWTBd4
PHOTO: Doriot Anthony Dwyer, with harpist Olivia Luetcke and cellist Winifred Winograd (courtesy of the Boston Symphony Orchestra)
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