Re: Intervals enharmony question

[Hans Åberg]

> On 1 May 2018, at 00:42, J Martin Rushton <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> On 30/04/18 22:14, Hans Åberg wrote:
>> 
>>> On 30 Apr 2018, at 22:50, David Kastrup <address@hidden> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Flutes have a very definite pitch, making it hard to play in unison,
>>>> unlike strings then. It is mentioned in Blatter's book on
>>>> orchestration.
>>> 
>>> I think recorders are quite worse in that respect.
>> 
>> Recorders cannot adjust the pitch independently of dynamics, but a performer 
>> said he tries to adjust for beats. Incidentally, J.S. Bach wrote for flutes 
>> and not recorders, and at home he had a clavichord, with after key touch 
>> pitch bend.
>> 
> If you use alternative fingerings on the recorder you can subtly change
> the pitch, which combined with a breath adjustment in the other way
> results in a dynamic.  For instance G can be lowered by using the ring
> or little finger of the right hand, then the breath is increased to come
> back to pitch resulting in a louder note.  In the other direction a
> leaky fingering will raise the pitch, though I must admit I've never
> mastered that technique without introducing the instability that can
> lead to a squeal.
> 
> For a lot of earlier music it can be difficult to know if "flauto" is a
> flauto dolce (sweet flute - recorder) or a flauto transvero (sp?).  It
> mainly seems to depend upon the modern speaker, regardless of the
> ancient composer! ;-)

It was a claim about J.S. Bach, who seemed to favor more expressive 
instruments. But performers of recorders are nowadays good.