Corelli, Sonata in G Major
We featured Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) a while back and discussed his importance in the development of the concerto grosso. He also made major contributions to the development of the sonata. His twelve sonatas of Opus 5, published in 1700, were written for violin but they work well for flute as well. So let’s talk about the transverse flute that Corelli would have known.
The transverse flute played in this video has several distinguishing characteristics. “Transverse” refers to the position and method of playing. It is held horizontally and the player blows across the air hole rather than into it as with a blockflute (or recorder). In that regard it resembles the modern flute. The transverse flute, also generally known as a Baroque flute, was used throughout the 18th century.
It was made of wood instead of metal. The wood gives it a darker and more mellow sound than that of a modern metal flute—a sound better suited to combine with the harpsichord and small ensembles but one that might well be lost in a large 19th-century orchestra.
The transverse flute also has only six holes and one key as opposed to the 16 holes and multiples keys of a modern instrument. All those additional holes and keys allow the modern flute to have more accurate intonation and a more consistent timbre across its entire range. The additional keys were added gradually in the late 18th to early 19th centuries. A six-key flute appeared in Beethoven’s time around 1820.
The transverse flute is also pitched lower at A=415 hz or even A=400, as opposed to the current standard of A=440. The flute in this video also has joints (visible in a contrasting color) that allow the player to substitute other lengths of tubing for pitch adjustments.
Theobald Boehm revolutionized flute design beginning in 1832, and continued to develop the instrument until 1847 when it emerged as essentially the instrument we know today.