The singing flute : exploring the relationship between flute playing and the human voice in works of the nineteenth century

Abstract

In this dissertation, original flute works based on vocal repertoire or were influenced by it, were explored. The objective was to analyse what a flautist can learn from a singer and apply it to their practice. Carmen, Der Rosenkavalier, Norma, and Lucia di Lammermoor are operatic works containing either flute and/or vocal solos. Selections from these operas were analysed to explore the similarities they share. Then the fourth chapter discussed works by Schubert, Widor, and Tchaikovsky which were performed in the final recital which are all works inspired by vocal repertoire or have lyrical motifs. With all this information, it was understood that professional flute players were always inspired by the human voice and that since the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, flautists have worked with professional singers and studied with them in order to improve their overall sound production.