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Flute Materials in the Riemenschneider Bach Institute

 

Antiquarian Editions of Flute Methods

The Riemenschneider Bach Institute's collections contain several antiquarian editions of 18th- and 19th-century flute manuals which are listed on this page. 

The works on this page are listed in alphabetical order by author's last name as follows: 

Gunn, John. The Art of Playing the German-Flute, on New Principles. London, 1793. Vault.

NOTE: This source has been digitized and is available online through the RBI's Digital Collection

Full Title Page

The Art of Playing / the / German-Flute / ON NEW PRINCIPLES, / calculated to increase its powers, and give to it / greater variety, expression, and effect. / TO WHICH ARE ADDED, / Copious examples in an elegant Stile, a compleat / system of Modulation, the art of varying / simple passages, and a new method of tonguing. / By / JOHN GUNN, / Teacher of the German-Flute & Violoncello. / "Est quoddam prodire tenus, si non datur ultra." Hor. / Sold by the Author at No. 1 Bennet Streeet, Rathbone Place, and at Birchall's Music Shop, New Bond Street

Abstract

First Edition. Instructional method for playing the "German Flute" (Transverse Flute). Begins with ten chapters of instructional text discussing basic principles of flute playing and musicianship such as tone, rhythm, tonguing, embellishments, and modulation. The instructional text is followed by 105 pieces of varying length, many of which have composer attributions. Pieces 1-20 are musical exercises that include scales for flutes with "one key" and "additional keys" as well as exercises focusing on specific basic concepts such as chromatic and minor scales, dotted rhythms, and shakes (trills). Pieces 21-105 are more elaborate short solo pieces, some of which focus on specific theoretical concepts or keys (ex. Nos. 47-71 focus on Modulation) while others are taken from other works popular at the time (ex. No. 29 is a song from Giordani Tommaso opera Antigono arranged for Soprano, Flute, Violin, and Basso Continuo). 

Unique Markings

Ex Libris Plates, two on Inside Cover, one placed on top of the other

  • Top: RBI Plate, reads "Ex Libris GIFT of: Philura Bould Baldwin Memorial Library"'
  • Bottom: Philura Gould Library Plate: "In Memory of Dayton C. Miller 1866-1941"

Pencil markings on inside cover read "Powell, June 1924, 2/6 = 60 cents" and the number "73" circled

Note: This was likely a note by Dayton C. Miller, noting that a seller named "Powell" sold to the text to Miller in June of 1924 for two shillings and six pence (often written as "2/6"), which Miller has converted here to 60 cents USD. The number 73 written in a circle is consistent with Miller's catalog system, which numbered pieces in the order they were accessioned.

Pen marking on inside cover reads "JG"

Note: This was likely the initials of the author John Gunn

Stamps on inside cover, "T W Archibald" and "Library Baldwin-Wallace College Berea, Ohio"

Pencil marking on cover page reads "1793. See Preface of "The School of the German Flute"

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller to document his research in dating this particular text

Pencil marking written diagonally along inside back cover reads "Incomplete"

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller

Pen marking written upside down on back cover reads "15.16.17.18" with the 15 cut off by the binding

Pencil marking written on back of back cover reads "73 Duettes"

Further Reading

Barber, Elinore. “Riemenschneider Bach Library Vault Holdings.” Bach 7, no. 2 (April 1976): 30–31. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41640641

Gunn, John (c.1765-1824)

Biography

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1765, Gunn was best known as a cellist, flutist, and writer. He was educated at Cambridge where he later served as a cello teacher before moving to London in 1790 and teaching cello there. Returned to Edinburgh in either 1795 or 1802 (sources conflict), possibly to take up an unknown long-term job post. Married his wife Anne Young, a concert pianist best known for her educational music game series An Introduction to Music; in which the elementary parts of the science... are fully and familiarly explained, in 1804. Died in 1824. Is known today mainly for his writings and treatises on flute and cello, including The Art of Playing the German-Flute.

Additional Flute-Related Writings

  • Forty Favourite Scotch Airs, adapted for a Violin, German Flute or Violoncello (1789)
  • The Art of Playing the German-Flute on New Principles (London, 1793)
  • The School of the German-Flute (London, c. 1795)

Further Reading

Baker, Theodore. A Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 2nd ed. (New York: G. Schirmer, 1905), 240. http://archive.org/details/biographicaldict05bake.

Brown, James Duff, and Stephen Samuel Stratton. British Musical Biography : A Dictionary of Musical Artists, Authors and Composers, Born in Britain and Its Colonies. (Birmingham: S.S. Stratton, 1897), 176. http://archive.org/details/britishmusicalb00brow.

Johnson, David, and Suzanne Wijsman. “Gunn, John.” Grove Music Online, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.12032.

Slonimsky, Nicolas. Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 7th ed. (Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1984), 911. http://archive.org/details/bakersbiographic0007slon.

Wasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von, and Isobella S. E. Stigand. The Violoncello and Its History. (London : Novello, 1894), 192. http://archive.org/details/violoncelloitshi00wasi.

Haslam, Edward. New Method for the Boehm Flute. Boston: O. Diston Company, 1868. MT342 .H352 1868. Vault.

Full Title Page

New Edition. / Haslam & Latham's / New Method / for the / Boehm Flute / E. Haslam / Price $7.50 / New York / Published by Allen Latham / Ent.d according to the Act of Congress A.D. 1868 by Haslam & Latham in the Clerk's Office of the Dst. Court of the Southr. Dist of New York

Abstract

First Edition. An early instructional method for playing the Boehm (also spelled Böhm) style of transverse flute. Pages 2-9 of the book include basic instructions for amateur flute players, including instructions on how to put the flute together and form an embouchure as well as basic fingering charts. Pages 10-36 consist of "First Essays", which are a series of short pieces in progressive order. Pages 37-83 focus on more advanced technical concepts such as articulation, dynamics, ornamentation, respiration, and practice strategies. Pages 84-146 contain various daily studies, followed by a series of more advanced short pieces on pages 147-73. The text concludes with a "Dictionary of Terms Used in Music" on pages 174-179 followed by a "List of Contents" in the back of the book on page 180.

Provenance

Donated by Sean Gabriel, a professor of flute at Baldwin Wallace University, around the year 2000. Gabriel obtained the book from The Erie Bookstore, a now-defunct bookstore in Erie, Pennsylvania, and donated it to the Bach Institute shortly thereafter. Gabriel does not recall having made any additional markings in the book or playing any of the pieces included within the book.

Unique Markings

Ex Libris Plate on inside cover reads "Ex Libris Albert Riemenschneider, Gift of Sean Gabriel"

Stamp on inside cover page reads "Emil A. Becker, Otto E. Becker, Proprietors"

Pencil Marking on inside cover reads "4000"

Pencil Markings on First Essays Nos. 8, 18, 20, 26, 42, 50, 58, 59, 67, 98, and 100 and exercises on pages 54-68 in normal and purple colored pencil indicate those pieces were practiced/played

Haslam, Edward (born c.1828, fl.1855-1880)

Biography

Born in England around 1828, Edward Haslam spent much of his life in New York City. An early advocate of the relatively new Boehm flute system, Haslam performed on the Boehm Flute as a minstrel with multiple companies, including George Christy's Minstrels, Wood's Minstrels, and San Francisco Minstrels, from the mid-1850s through the mid-1860s.  In 1868, he published the first edition of his New Method for the Boehm Flute, for which he is best known today. Around 1880, Haslam began playing in the orchestra for the Union Square Theatre and regularly arranged pieces for flute and piano for the Ditson & Co. publishing company.

Further Reading

“Band and Orchestra.” Musical Courier. (May 1, 1880), 185. https://archive.org/details/sim_music-magazine-and-musical-courier_1880-05-01_1_13

Bate, Philip, and Ludwig Böhm. “Boehm, Theobald.” Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.03374.

Brown, T. Allston. A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 to 1901. Vol. 2. (New York: Dodd, Mead and Co, 1903), 345. https://archive.org/details/ldpd_6864656_002/

De Lorenzo, Leonardo. My Complete Story of the Flute: The Instrument, the Performer, the Music. Revised and Expanded Edition. (Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press, 1992), 240.

Ditson & Co.’s Descriptive Catalogue of Music Publications. Ditson, 1880. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ditson_Co_s_Descriptive_Catalogue_of_Mus/nU5JAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

Haslam, Edward; p. 23 [handwritten], line 27, Enumeration District 098, East Orange, Essex, New Jersey Census of Population; Tenth Census of the United States, 1880 (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, roll 780); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. Retrieved from Ancestry.com

Music in Gotham: The New York Scene 1862-75. “Edward [Minstrel] Haslam,” July 16, 2011. https://www.musicingotham.org/person/601.

Musical World 11, no. 8 (R.S. Willis: February 24, 1855): 93. https://www.google.com/books/?id=ouIPAAAAYAAJ

Nicholson, Charles. Nicholson’s Complete Preceptor for the German Flute. London, 1816. Vault.

NOTE: This source has been digitized and is available online through the RBI's Digital Collection

Full Title Page

Nicholson's Complete Preceptor for the German Flute / in a Style / So perfectly simple and Easy that the Pupil may be able to attain the art of playing the Flute in its Improved and Superior Style of Embellishments, / and wherein / the Beauties and Capabilities of / the Flute are / developed in a Series of Rules & Instructions for the / Management of / Tone, Articulation, Double Tonguing, Gliding Vibration, & other Graces / calculated to afford great facility in the Pupils practice, & founded Intirely [sic] on a / New System, / to which are added a series of original Easy / Progressive Lessons / for one or two Flute (ad Libitum) together with a complete set of / Preludes, Cadences, & / Composed by the Author. / in two Books Price 7/6 each. / London, / Printed & Sold by Perslon at his Wholesale Warehouses 71 Dean Street Sohe

Abstract

First Edition. Separated into Book 1 and Book 2, bound together. The first book is separated into three sections: instructional materials (pages 1-28), progressive duets (pages 29-38), and a brief dictionary of musical terms. The instructional materials cover basic technical topics such as how to hold the flute and produce tone as well as basic musical concepts such as scales, meter, intervals, and articulation. The section on Tone may be of particular interest, as the author was best known as a flute player for his uniquely reedy tone quality (see biography). The instructional materials are followed by 21 duets for two flutes (named Duetto I through Duetto XXI), organized in progressive order. And, finally, the book concludes with a short, non-page numbered section titled "A Dictionary of the Terms Generally Made use of in Music". This section also contains advertisements for other books by the same publisher, including Book 2 of the Nicholson Preceptor - suggesting that the two books were likely not bound together originally. 

The second book acts as an immediate continuation of the first, presenting 29 additional progressive duets (named Duetto XXII through Duetto LI, pages 39-70) followed by 20 preludes (pages 70-73), 9 cadenzas (pages 74-75), and a short set of harmonic series exercises and a fingering guide for challenging passages.

Unique Markings

Pencil marking on inside cover read "Powell, [illegible], 1928 50 cents / 1st Edition - Complete / This copy is inferior to new "Holmes" copy-duplicate - not wanted" and the number 667 circled and crossed out

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller to indicate that this piece was already duplicated within his collection and was thus no longer needed. Miller was known to only seek out one copy of each item for his collection. The number 667 written in a circle is consistent with Miller's catalog system, which numbered pieces in the order they were accessioned. The number being crossed out likely indicates it was deaccessioned by Miller himself.

Stamps on upper and lower inside cover read "W. Pattison Junr"

Pencil marking on title page under Printed & Sold information reads "At 71 Dean Street only after 1823, Part II in at 97 Strand only before 1823"

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller as he attempted to date the text. The discrepancy described here suggests that Miller may have thought Part II of the Gunn flute manual may have been published before Part I.

Pencil marking on bottom of title page reads "See Welch: Six Lectures pg. 100-101 / " Kistson"

Note: This was another personal research note written by Dayton C. Miller.

Note on Introduction page reads "Gift of Dayton C. Miller estate, May 1941"

Pencil marking on last page reads "This is complete"

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller, likely meant to indicate that this piece contains both Books 1 and 2 together.

Pencil marking on rear cover reads "Mr. William Pattison" written upside down, with "Pattison" scribbled out in pencil

Further Reading

Dobbs, Wendell. “Charles Nicholson – The Forgotten Flutist.” Music Faculty Research, January 1, 1984. 33. https://mds.marshall.edu/music_faculty/2.

Nicholson, Charles (1795-1837)

Biography

Charles Nicholson was a composer, flute maker, and one of the most famous flute virtuosos in England during his lifetime. Born in Liverpool in 1795, his father (also named Charles Nicholson) was also a flutist and is believed to have been his son's primary fluter teacher when he was young, although neither of them had formal musical training. Nicholson moved from Liverpool to London as a young man, starting his career as the principal flutist at the Drury Lane Theater around 1815. He rapidly rose to prominence due to his uniquely reedy tone, powerful lower range, unique vibration finger technique, and rapid double-tonguing - though some criticized his playing as being old-fashioned and his tone as being excessively hard. Nicholson also dabbled in flutemaking, expanding upon a version of the flute his father had created with larger tone holes. His popular technique is outlined in both of his best-known publications, Nicholson's  Complete Preceptor for the German Flute (1816) and Preceptive Lessons for the Flute (1821). Both of those texts were likely utilized by the students he taught as the flute professor at the newly founded Royal Academy of Music in 1822. He also served as the principal flutist of the Italian Opera at King's Theather starting in 1823, though he and other musicians resigned in 1829 following disagreements about compensation and working conditions. From there, Nicholson's fortunes rapidly turned for the worse, falling into financial ruin under unknown circumstances in the 1830s and, eventually, dying in poverty and relative obscurity in 1837.

Additional Flute-Related Writings

  • Preceptive Lessons for the Flute (1821)
  • A School for the Flute (1836)

Further Reading

De Lorenzo, Leonardo. My Complete Story of the Flute: The Instrument, the Performer, the Music. Revised and Expanded edition. Lubbock, (Tex: Texas Tech University Press, 1992), 124-127, 263.

Dobbs, Wendell. “Charles Nicholson – The Forgotten Flutist.” Music Faculty Research, January 1, 1984. 27-36. https://mds.marshall.edu/music_faculty/2.

Fitzgibbon, H. Macaulay. The Story of the Flute. (London: Walter Scott Publishing, 1914), 208-211. http://archive.org/details/storyofflute1914fitz.

Walckiers, Eugène. Methode de Flute. Paris: Chez l'auteur, 1829. Vault.

Full Title Page

Méthode / de / Flûte / PAR / E. Walckiers. / Op. 30. / En 2 Parties / Chaque 24s / A Paris, cher. J. Meissonnier, Rue Dauphine No. 22 / Berlin, A.M.Schlesinger / Proprieté des Editeurs

Abstract

Note: all chapter and section titles have been translated from the book's original French for ease of reading.

First edition, first book only. Entire text written in French. Book is divided into two sections: Elementary Principles of Music and the Method of the Flute. The Elementary Principles of Music (Pages I - XXVII) section serves as a preface to the rest of the book. The section is divided into 14 subsections and covers basic musical concepts such as rests, note values, clefs, and scale modes. The Method of the Flute Section (pages 1-115) is divided into a brief introduction and 11 chapters. The introduction covers the flute's history, how to play the instrument, and the qualities of the flute. The first nine chapters focus on a separate musical concept, including fingerings, phrasing, tone, scales, and arpeggios. Chapters 10 and 11 consist of five short musical lessons and six progressive sonatas, respectively. The back cover of the book contains a table of contents for the first book and second book.

Unique Markings

Hand-Drawn Cover reading "Méthode de Flûte par Walckiers" appears to have been made later than the rest of the book, appears to have been wrapped over the original cover

Sticker on cover reading "Louie Verdot", has second line scratched out

Pencil markings four on cover, first marking is in a different script from the other three

First marking reads "Liepmannsohn Dec 1913"

Note: Likely Leo Liepmannsohn, a bookseller who Albert Riemenschneider frequently did business with. Writer unknown but possibly Riemenschneider himself.

Second marking on cover reads "duplicate of Part 1 only not needed"

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller to indicate that this piece was already duplicated within his collection and was thus no longer needed. Miller was known to only seek out one copy of each item for his collection.

Third marking on cover reads "Part 1 only (See complete copy in this collection)"

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller.

Fourth marking on cover is the number "84" circled

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller - the number "84" means it was the 84th method book Miller accessioned in his collection.

Pencil marking on title page, reads  "1829 (Rockstro XXX) / (date 1927 mentioned on p 1)"

Note: This was written by Dayton C. Miller to document his research in dating this particular text.

Two Stamps on lower portion of title page

First stamp reads "Besville, Orléans, Rue Jeanne d'Arc"

Note: This online list of piano makers in France includes listings for one "Ancienne Maison Besville" ("Old Besville House") located on 20 rue Jeanne-d'Arc (20 Jeanne-d'Arc Street)

Second stamp reads "J. Meissonnier, Rue Dauphine No. 22"

Note: Likely the stamp of Jean Racine Meissonnier, a Parisian publisher at bookseller who had a business located at 22 rue Dauphine (22 Dauphine Street). See The British Museum's listing for Compagnie Musicale (Maison Messonnier) for additional information.

Pen marking on page 69 are written backwards, possibly bleed through from someone writing on top of the page

Pen marking on page 70 is a 2 column sequence of numbers written upside down, beginning with "29 / 1" and ending with "45 / 17"

Pencil sketch on upper margin of page 93 of what appears to be a man's face with a mustache and a goatee

Ink blots of various sizes on table of contents on final page of book

Walckiers, Eugène (1793-1866)

Biography

Eugène Walckiers was born on July 22, 1793 in Avesnes-sur-Helpe, France. He was the eldest of five siblings and his father, who may have been mayor at one time, passed away when he was about 10 years old. Walckiers began playing music at an unknown but relatively young age, first on clarinet before switching to flute, which became the instrument of choice for the rest of his career. His musical career began when he was drafted from 1813-1815, during which time he served as a military musician for the Jeune Garde Imperiale. During and following his military service, Walckiers moved briefly to Paris then to Le Havre in 1816, beginning more formal studies in flute and composition with a man named Marchand (likely Heinrich Wilhelm Marchand) before beginning to study music composition with Anton Reicha and flute with Jean-Louis Tulou. He eventually settled permanently in Paris around 1830, working as a flute teacher and composer. While he dabbled in playing the newer German-style flutes that were beginning to rise to prominence at the time, he ultimately stuck with playing an older "French-style" flute, for which his Methode de flute is written.

Additional Compositions Featuring the Flute

  • 19 Flute Solos
  • 108 Flute Duets (40 for 2 Flutes, 61 for Flute and Piano, 7 for Flute and Violin)
  • 22 Flute Chamber Works (Trios, Quartets, and Quintets - Various Instrumentations)

Further Reading

De Lorenzo, Leonardo. My Complete Story of the Flute: The Instrument, the Performer, the Music. Revised and Expanded Edition. (Lubbock, Tex: Texas Tech University Press, 1992.) 119-120.

Pesšek, Ursula. “The Life and Work of Eugène Walckiers.” Flutist Quarterly 37, no. 1 (Fall 2011): 40–45.

Reinländer, Claus. “Walckiers, Eugène.” Grove Music Online, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.50609.

Each listing is separated into two sections - information about the item and information about the item's author. 

The item listings on this page contain the following fields, some of which may be excluded if they are not applicable to a particular item:

  • Full Title Page: a transcription of the full title page with “/” denoting page breaks
  • Abstract: a brief description of the item and its contents
  • Provenance: any known details about the item's provenance
  • Unique Markings: a list of unique markings (pencil markings, stamps, ex libris plates, etc.) found in the item
  • Further Readings: sources utilized in this item’s listing that may be of interest to researchers

The author listings on this page contain the following fields, some of which may be excluded if they are not applicable to a particular author: 

  • Biography: a brief biography detailing the author’s life and other works
  • Additional Flute-Related Writings: a list of writings by the author that focus on the flute
  • Additional Compositions Featuring the Flute: a list of compositions by the author that feature the flute in some way. Include the instrumentation and year of composition in paratheses after each listing 
  • Further Readings: sources utilized in the author’s listing that may be of interest to researchers