Olivier MESSIAEN
I have been asked to say a few words about 'PRESENT DAY FLUTES" by
Pierre-Yves Artaud and Gérard Geay. This book is in fact the work
of one of our best flautists (Pierre-Yves Artaud) and a composer
very weil aware of modern instrumental possibilities (Gérard Geay).
It is a technical book meant first and foremost for professional
flautists (this is the work of Pierre-Yves Artaud), explaining the
How, the Why and the good execution of certain procedures in use
in the avant-garde repertoire. This information covers the four
flutes in present usage : piccolo, C flute, G flute and bass flute.
Certain fingering details (notably for harmonies, tonal variations,
double and triple sounds or multiphonics) will greatly facilitate
work on and the approach to contemporary music for ail flautists
who study them. Certain effects, often badly known, such as flat-
terzunge, key-percussion, aeolian sounds, tongue-ram or inferior
resulting note, whistle-tone or bevel-noise and the jew's-harp
effect which result from it - ail this must have been very exciting
for Gérard Geay and will surely be so for ail composers. Finally,
the very complete tables for each of the four flutes makes this
work the indispensable compl"ment to the classic "flute-tutors".
Les auteurs
Les éditeurs