New Swiss pipe

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New Swiss pipe
Fehr full Swiss pipe 2.jpg
New Swiss pipe
classification Woodwind instrument
flute
Template: Infobox musical instrument / maintenance / parameter range missing
Template: Infobox musical instrument / maintenance / sound sample parameters missing Related instruments

Piccolo , field pipe , drum flute , Seitlpfeife , fife , Zwerchpfeife , Natwärisch-Pfiffa (Wallis)

The new Swiss pipe (or Schweitzerpfeiff or Flûte d'Allemagne or Feldpfeife ) is a transverse flute that is played in Switzerland alone or together with the Swiss drum . The Swiss pipe is a six-hole flute that has been used since the old field games.

Layout and function

The historical instrument is one-piece and the new Swiss pipe is two-piece. It was developed based on historical models. It consists of a mouthpiece and a handle with six tone holes. The instrument can be made of various suitable woods (boxwood, plum, yew, olive, grenadilla, rosewood).

Voice range and styles

Swiss pipe

The historical model of the new Swiss pipe is a copy from a museum in Herisau . The new Swiss pipe with its simple shape consists of 2 parts (head and base) with 6 finger holes. The pitch can be adjusted by pulling the two parts apart (thread winding) and moving the end cork (thread system). Metal rings were not used as they would not be an improvement.

The flute sounds a whole tone lower than the Basler piccolo. More precisely: it is in Bb with the lowest note c 2 and is played transposing (the lowest note is notated as d 1 ). The tuning is based on 440 Hz. The bore is cylindro-conical and the fingering is based on that of the single-fold baroque transverse flutes. The pitch range extends (notated) from d 1 - a 3 or (sounding) from c 2 - g 4 .

The sound is assertive, but always remains pleasant, even when played loudly. In particular, even less experienced players can make music with an appealing and clean intonation. More demanding ones will be able to enjoy a noble sound behavior. The instrument can be built in different woods with preference given to rosewood for field play.

history

Beginnings of the flute history

Little is known about the design of the transverse pipes in the 15th century. The oldest surviving original instruments as well as the first more detailed descriptions, illustrations and playing instructions date from the 16th century. At the beginning of the 17th century, a short Schweitzer whistle with a narrow bore, sharp sound and special finger grips for military purposes is shown for the first time. However, numerous illustrations from this period show soldiers with strikingly long transverse pipes playing with powerful drums. Some of the pipers also carry a quiver, which obviously served as a sheath for several transverse flutes of different lengths. Obviously, cross whistles of different voices were played not only at court and in the town hall, but also in the army - as traditional illustrations show, probably more often in combination with drums or other instruments than in a pure flute consort. Less than 50 original flutes and pipes from the 16th and 17th centuries have survived to this day. We know the origin of one instrument more precisely: It belonged to a cabin boy who sailed on an expedition of the Dutch captain Willem Barentsz in 1596 . The ship was soon stuck in the pack ice in the far north and had to hibernate off the Russian island of Novaya Zemlya . Some members of the crew later found their way back to Holland, others died of hunger and cold, including Captain Barentsz and the cabin boy. It was not until 1871 that the camp, well preserved in the cold, was found; Among the belongings was the unfortunate boy's flute, which is now over 400 years old.

In the pleasant sounding and versatile middle register, the cylindrically drilled tenor flute (mostly in d 1 ) was replaced in the last third of the 17th century by the single-key, later multi-key traverso with a conical bore, which in turn became the forerunner of our modern transverse flute. In France, the treble flute disappeared completely over time, as the soprano part in a polyphonic ensemble could easily be taken over by the tenor flute with its large vocal range. From the late 16th century, the short transverse pipe took over the high flute register more and more often - depending on the purpose and language under the name Schwegel, drum flute, piccolo, piffaro, piffara, bifra, biffaro, biffara, fife, fifre or fiffaro.

The flute in transition

Starting from the customs in Switzerland and southern Germany and supported by mercenaries, the pipe and drum developed into the preferred field music of the infantry throughout Europe from the 16th century . With the development of combat technology and the role of the armies in the various countries, it went through different phases of promotion, dismantling and revival in the following centuries, was regulated within the framework of so-called ordinances, experienced changes in the repertoire, was used with additional instruments Harmoniemusik expanded and was a bread basket and training center for generations of musicians who pursued their careers inside and outside the army.

Towards the end of the 17th century the field pipe lost its importance as a standard instrument of the foot troops in some places. A text from around 1695 states that the pipe, which was previously widespread in the French army, is only used by Swiss companies, while the oboe is used by mounted troops, the musketeers and the royal regiment. However, not only the functional and social context of field music changed over time, but also the instruments used. According to the earliest representations by Arbeau (1588) and Praetorius (1618), the military field pipe of that time seems to have been a relatively short, cylindrically drilled instrument with six finger holes with a comparatively loud and sharp tone. Since hardly any original instruments have survived, we know little about their pitch. It is uncertain whether the Schweitzerpfeiff octaved the tenor flute (usually in D 1 ), as the treble flute played in A 1 , or whether it was common in other tunings. There is evidence that similar pipes were used by the Garde Suisse at the French court ; under the name traversa a quarta alta, transverse flutes in the same mood were certainly also used by civilian ones.

While the pipe and the flute may have differed less in their construction than in their pitch and use, a clearer distinction emerged towards the end of the 17th century. Around 1670/80, the first three-part transverse flutes with a conical - d. H. against the lower tube end narrowing - bore and a seventh, with a flap for the right little finger to be covered tone hole for dis 1 / es 1 built. These innovations improved the purity of the overblown, higher notes, allowed the finger holes to move closer together in an ergonomically advantageous manner and now enabled almost complete chromatic play over around two and a half octaves. At the French court, the new flute has now been recognized as a full orchestral and solo instrument: Lully was the first composer to use it in his opera Le Triomphe de l'Amour in 1681 . From the state halls, pleasure gardens and private apartments of the Sun King Louis XIV, the Flûte d'Allemagne was to advance in the following hundred years in hardly changed form to one of the most popular instruments of courtly and civil art music.

Use in folk music

The drum and the whistle have played an important role in Swiss folk music for over 500 years.

Formation band

As a music group, there are so-called federal field games (formations with Swiss pipes and Swiss drums).

pedagogy

Playing the Swiss pipe can be learned from around the age of 6 like the recorder. The Swiss Drum and Pfeifer Association (STPV) organizes appropriate events.

Recordings and sound carriers

Musique de la Grande Ecurie & des Gardes Suisses A coproduction with Swiss Radio DRS Participants: ensemble arcimboldo; Trumpet ensemble of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis; Thilo Hirsch, overall management. Publisher: Musique Suisse, Zürich, MGB CD 6267

Traditional federal Drum and whistle marches and signals Publisher: Schweizerischer Tambouren- und Pfeiferverband, Tonstudio AMOS, Berzwil, CD-No. 6062

  • March of the Swiss Landsknechte 1482
  • Field game of the old confederates 1522
  • March by J.-J. Rousseau
  • Bern march
  • "Häggliger" old Zug march during the battle near Hägglingen
  • Fulenbacher March
  • Marche du Régiment de Diesbach
  • Marche du Regiment de Courten
  • Marche pour le Regiment de Zurlauben
  • Mollens
  • Marche des Armourins
  • the old Obwalden Landsgemeinde march
  • La Mastralia
  • Pfeiferordonnanz 1809 (parade march, collection, flag troop, general march, Zapfenstreich, Berlog, church march, flank march I to VII, Tagwacht I, Tagwacht II)
  • Tambour and Pfeifer ordonnanz 1819 (General March, Collection, Ordinaire March, Zapfenstreich, Rapelieren, Todten March, Day Watch, Storm March, Field Step I to IX)
  • Swiss psalm

literature

The music literature (scores) comes from A. Philidor, J.-J. Rousseau, J.-B. Lully, M. Hotteterre, etc.

  • Albert Jan Becking: Pipes and flutes, pipes or flutes: On the origin of the flute consort around 1520. In: Glareana. 56, year, Basel 2007.
  • Alex Haefeli: General Development of Military Music , in: Traditional eidg. Drum and whistle marches and signals , book accompanying the CD, publisher: Switzerland. Drum and Pfeifer Association, AMOS recording studio, Berzwil, CD no. 6062.
  • Anne Smith: The Renaissance Flute. In: John Solum: The Early Flute. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1992.
  • Appenzell Ausserrhoden Herisau: Signature Ca. H5-9 publication, regulations, ordinances StAAR H5-9.
  • Ardal Powell: The Flute. Yale University Press, New Haven / London 2002.
  • Boaz Berney, Sarah van Cornewal: La Grande Ecurie: Fifres. Research project of the SCB, Basel 2009.
  • Brockhaus. 14th edition. Leipzig / Berlin / Vienna 1894–1896.
  • Charles E. Kinzer: Music. In: David S. Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler (Eds.): Encyclo-pedia of the American War. ABC - CLIO, Santa Barbara CA 2000.
  • Christoph Friedrich Nicolai (Ed.): Eym feyner kleyner Almanach. Berlin 1777.
  • Georg Duthaler: Drums and pipes in Basel. Christoph Merian Verlag, Basel 1985, ISBN 978-3-85616-023-4 .
  • Society for Folk Music in Switzerland: Folk Music in Switzerland. Ringier, Zurich 1985, ISBN 3-85859-215-3 .
  • James Clark: Connecticut's Fife and Drum Tradition. Wesleyan University Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-8195-7141-0 .
  • Johann Heinrich Wirz: Establishment and discipline of a federal regiment on foot and on horseback. 1759.
  • Liane Ehlich, Albert Jan Becking: Iconography of the Renaissance Flute. Lucerne School of Music 2006/07/08.
  • Liane Ehlich: On the iconography of the flute in the Middle Ages. In: Basler Jahrbuch für historical Musikpraxis. Vol. VIII, Basel 1984.
  • Markus Estermann: Project Federal Field game with the new Swiss pipe. , Bulletin of the Society for Folk Music in Switzerland GVS, Zurich 2012.
  • Nancy Toff: The Flute Book. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1996.
  • Paul Wetzger: The flute. CF Schmidt Verlag, Heilbronn 1905.
  • Philidor l'aîné: Instruction pour les Tambours-France. Versailles 1705.
  • Rachel Brown: The Early Flute - A Practical Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
  • Raymond Meylan: The flute - basics of its development from prehistory to the present. Hallwag Verlag, Bern 1974. (New edition: Schott Musik International, Mainz 2000).
  • Robert Goute: Manuel du Tambour Major. Imprimerie Gaultier, F. Chantonnay 1988.
  • Samuel Joneli (1748-1825, from Boltigen): music book. Musik Hug, Zurich, GH 10211a, set and progressively arranged by Alfred Stern.
  • State Archives Appenzell Ausserrhoden Herisau: Signature Ca. H7, Federal contingent and campaigns, StAAR files H7.
  • Thilo Hirsch: Music by the Gardes Suisses for Fifres & Tambours. , Swiss Drum and Piper Association, Zurich 2015, ISBN 978-3-9524552-0-3 .
  • Thomas Fehr: The new Swiss pipe. , Bulletin of the Society for Folk Music in Switzerland GVS, Zurich 2012.
  • Ulrich Halder: Schwegel, Zwerch- und Schweitzerpfeiff - a short history of the short flute , in: GLAEANA (News of the Society of Friends of Old Musical Instruments - Gefam), 58th year, issue 1/2, Basel 2009, ISSN  1660-2730 .
  • Ulrich Halder: ditto, in: Traditional federal Drum and whistle marches and signals , book accompanying the CD, publisher: Switzerland. Drum and Pfeifer Association, AMOS recording studio, Berzwil, CD no. 6062.
  • Walter Biber: From wind music to the wind orchestra. Maihof Verlag, Lucerne 1995, ISBN 3-9520756-1-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Anonymus, Relikwieen uit onzen Heldenteijd: De Aarde en hair volken, 1873
  2. ↑ Nicolas Guérard (approx. 1648 - 1719), L'art militaire, Fifres et Hautbois (around 1695) RIMAB (Répertoire d'iconographie de la musique ancienne), Schola Cantorum, Basel 2007/08