Ru
EnV. Leonov, I. Palkina
Harmonic sounds in the performing practice of woodwind instruments (flute as an example)
The development of musical art in the 20th century contributed to the emergence of new techniques – composition and performance, dialectically interrelated. In particular, over the past century, the technique of extracting harmonic sounds when playing woodwind instruments has been actively developing, used by composers as a means of expanding the expressive capabilities of timbre. The authors of the article identified differences between the concepts that correlate with the terms “harmonics” and “overtones”. It is noted that the use of harmonic sounds in composer’s work has not yet been accompanied by a theoretical justification for the corresponding performing technique and a description of the method of mastering this technique.
The article indicates that modern capabilities of spectral analysis of musical sound contribute to the expansion of current ideas about the most important characteristics of the corresponding spectrum. Based on this, some common ideas about the process of sound formation in wind instruments need to be corrected. The theoretical vulnerability of the current term “flageolet” in relation to the sphere of harmonic sounds (natural harmonics), as well as some modern descriptions related to possible ways of extracting natural harmonics, is substantiated.
As an example, the authors of this article consider natural harmonics corresponding to some sounds of the low register of the flute (h, c1, cis1, d1) up to a frequency of 10 kHz. The theoretical capabilities of a modern performer on this instrument related to the extraction of natural harmonics are considered. Practical recommendations for the rational mastery of this technique are proposed, based on the principle of a psycho-physiological attitude (previously tested in pedagogical work). The use of natural harmonics in the artistic repertoire is considered (Concertino in E major for Flute and orchestra by A. Tomasi).
Key words
woodwind instruments performing art, non-traditional playing techniques, harmonic sounds, execution of natural harmonics on the flute, Concertino for Flute and orchestra by A. Tomasi.
For citation
Leonov V., Palkina I. Harmonic sounds in the performing practice of woodwind instruments (flute as an example). In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2024. No. 2. Pp. 105–112.
