Tone & Musicality by Murray Panitz
Professionals, when they teach, generally instill into their pupils the proper respect, technically and tonally, for their instrument.
Professionals, when they teach, generally instill into their pupils the proper respect, technically and tonally, for their instrument. In many cases, the instrument, unfortunately, becomes more important than the music that is to be performed and the concept of that music. I will not say that I approach this in reverse. However, after fundamentals of my technical ideas and control are imparted, I seek to direct a total sense of musicality in combination with that technique and control.
Too often, the teacher is happy enough to have the student produce a sound, any sound. Then, once that phenomenon has occurred, leave things unaltered and go on with the technical aspects of playing. Students may then try to play pieces beyond their scope, simply because their technique alone can cope with the notes. It is necessary for a reorientation to take place. This usually means that students must be taken back to simpler music in order to improve these aspects of their playing which have been overlooked or omitted in the zeal to achieve technical proficiency.
In studying an instrument, one is usually instructed to do things in a specific way and is only too happy to comply, thus pleasing the teacher without necessarily pleasing himself. To become a parrot is easy, but if one has taken the time to listen to many fine players carefully and be able to hear that which is pleasing to oneself, it is more difficult. There comes a stage in the development of a musician when the teacher should stop being dictatorial and permit the student to use his own mentality with the teacher acting more in the role of a guide.
If we listen to Joan Sutherland, Dietrich Fischer-Diskau, Maureen Forrester and others of that caliber, it is easy to discern that there is a tonal match in all registers. The same is needed for fine flute playing. Many players strive for a trumpet-like sound in the low register. This is an interesting color of sound and should be in the control of the player, but I feel a quality that joins and matches the second octave is more desirable. The third octave is another area that suffers from tonal mismatch. When we listen to a vocalist pinch and force the upper register of the voice, we squirm uncomfortably. Why not maintain the same criteria in the art of flute playing?
In trying to direct the student toward a total concept – tone, intonation, technique, control, rhythm, vibrato and breathing – I believe it is necessary to make the student aware of these components all the time. In making an evaluation of a student, one or another of these points may be stronger or weaker. Of course it is necessary to spend more time with the weaker areas, but not at the expense of forgetting to balance it all out at almost the same time. I don’t expect a student to bring in an assignment with just knowledge of the notes and rhythm. If necessary, I prefer to spend the entire lesson perfecting as little as four measures – trying to get at the unified concept. This is often slow and “painful” for both student and teacher, but it is a building process. It shows the student what to work for and how to practice to get it. It keeps him mindful of all these important aspects of making music and controlling his instrument.
Retention and application of what is learned is important. This approach of course, doesn’t work with all students. It does work with the serious student who has the desire to learn, improve and conquer in the shortest amount of time. Any approach has to be flexible and tailored to the individual. Even the best of students will go through a period of slowing down. At this point, the teacher has to be somewhat less demanding and let things slide a bit until everything catches up.
Ornamentation
In my reading on the subject of ornamentation, I find what seems to be a great divergence of opinion. One writer says to do thus and so, and another “expert” pontificates in the exact opposite direction. My own view is that ornamentation should be used with discretion and not get in the way of the flow of music. I feel that the composer’s effort is primary and the ornamentation secondary. The ornamentation must feel natural to the performer and not merely look good on paper. Just as there are many editions of the same piece with varied articulations and phrasings, there are also many approaches to ornamentation. What may sound viable by one performer may not work with another. When we choose one particular edition over another we are identifying with something that we personally like and agree with.
As the student progresses and gains more expertise he is capable of more variety in performance. For example, if a student has a sluggish 3rd finger, left or right hand, I would try to avoid any ornamentation that would show up that weakness. Instead I would use ornaments that can be smoothly performed and have the student work on exercises to improve the 3rd finger and eventually get to the point where there would be no technical hang-up in doing even the most involved ornament.
If a student has given thought to ornamentation and wants to play it something other than the way I would play it, I certainly would not object as long as it sounds right. This use of mentality – freedom of musical thought - is extended to nuance, dynamics, articulation, etc., provided it is thought out, sounds well, and the student feels that he is better able to make the musical point more strongly by doing it. If there is but one true interpretation there would be no need to hear performances of the same piece by Von Karajan, Szell, Ormandy, Ozawa, Mehta, etc.
The start of Syrinx is simple, rhapsodic and calm. I like the beginning pianissimo rather than mezzo forte as marked. To get a mysterious beginning, I find the best way is with a lip attack (blowing through the embouchure without starting the air with the tongue). This type of attack needs as much practice as any other. One needs to place the embouchure in just the right position for the note (in this case Bb) so that the sound is centered and pitched correctly. If one doesn’t have the correct embouchure position, the pitch will either scoop up or drop down, or perhaps the note won’t speak at all. There is no help from the tongue or the slapping of fingers to start the air column vibrating. These last two items mentioned are much abused in flute playing. Instead of depending on embouchure placement to achieve a note, the player depends on a bombastic attack over blowing and striking the keys with great force.
This lip attack is best used for starts or after rests – not to be used while music is in motion. The articulation of Ab, Gb and Bb in the second measure is best accomplished with a DOO sound from the tongue – which is a soft sound, tongue up on the palate. This also helps in phrasing pseudo-legato. One would not like to hear spaces between each group of slurred notes.
At N in the Poem, I would use a short Tett sound of the tongue – tongue between the teeth to get a biting effect. If double tonguing is needed in the second measure – a sharp sounding te-ke rather than doo – goo.
The sound of the tongue I would use in the above piece would be dah-tongue touching the palate where the teeth join. I try for an articulation that just barely stops the air column yet moves each note with a slight push – less pseudo legato than in the Debussy. This is similar to a bow being pushed and stopped and pushed again, but being left on the string. Using one’s imagination may help the player invent for himself that which helps him satisfy the musical demands he places upon himself.
Legato
This illustration is an attempt at making legato look smoother. Rather than round notes with spaces between them, but connected bars of sound: doo doo doo =
The note starts and continues until the next note takes over. The support
of the sound can be likened to a hand holding a ball and moving that ball from
place to place, but never letting loose or dropping the ball. One of the exercises I
use is what I call a pedal tone exercise:
1. Choose a note – in any register.
2. Refine the sound to the best point possible.
3. Move one half step down, matching the quality of the 1st note.
4. Back to the original.
5. Whole step down.
6. Back to original.
One must always listen carefully to match the sound quality, itch and
smoothest legato possible (no uncoordinated fingers – or fingers slapping on keys). This procedure is done in both directions. It is extended as the student becomes more expert. Start with the distance of a minor third – pick pedal notes all over – avoiding the high and low extremes at first; all legato and softly.
Eventually one should go distances of even two octaves. This study, when done carefully, will teach the student just how much change in embouchure is needed to achieve every note with good sound, center and pitch without dependence on hard blowing, attack or finger slapping to help the notes speak. A little experimentation added to this will show what is needed to vary color of sound and pitch. The control of color and pitch is important. Changing color is musical and also somewhat personal. We don’t all see the same things in a work of art or experience the identical reaction to visual stimuli – nor do we react exactly the same way to a musical experience. Pitch control is basic to every player. Flexibility control is important – especially in ensemble playing.
It is imperative for the teacher to stress all the components of music at the same time, and not allow one or another aspect of the pupil’s playing to gain undue precedence. The total musician is not just a technician or possessor of a beautiful sound, or a stylist, or a player with a great control. He is the sum of all these parts.
Biography
Murray Panitz joined the Philadelphia Orchestra in the season of 1960-61 and has served as solo flutist since that time. He is a member of the Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet and teaches flute at the Curtis Institute of Music in that city. He has received his bachelor’s degree of music from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Joseph Mariano, and his master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Prior to joining the Philadelphia Orchestra he had served as principal flutist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C., the Little Orchestra Society, The City Center Ballet Orchestra of New York and the Symphony of the Air. Frequent recording sessions and other appearances have highlighted his career.
Published 1974
W. T. Armstrong Company, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana
