2004 Ensemble Concert ............. 1Group Biographies

From the President ..................... 2An die Musik

Member Profile ........................... 3George Kimmel

What Makes Old Flutes So Good? .. 4by Gary Lewis

Letter from New York ................ 6by Nancy Toff

A Day at the Fair ...................... 102004 Flute Fair photos

Music for Healing ..................... 11by Linda Schepps

A n n o u n c e m e n t sFlute Happenings ............................... 3Member Announcements ................... 3Recent CDs by NYFC Members ........ 9

The New York Flute ClubMay 2004

2004 NYFC Annual Ensemble Concert

N E W S L E T T E R

I N T H I S I S S U E

In Concert

NYFC ENSEMBLES IN CONCERTRochelle Itzen, Coordinator

Sunday, May 9, 2004, 3:00 pmKaplan Space at Carnegie Hall

Program subject to change.

The Academie of Dance .................................... Catherine McMichaelCathy Allen, Nina Attar, Ann Bordley, Ed Wolf, flutes;

Ed Christie, piano

Dawn Carol .................................................................. Margaret LoweCapriol Suite ................................................................... Peter Warlock

Danielle Leon, JoAnn Wong, Laurie Uguccioni, Karen Martin,George Kimmel, Victor Richards, flutes; Rochelle Itzen, director

Sinfonia Concertante in D Major, K448 ...........................W.A. MozartCarol Weinstein, Jennifer Carroll, flutes; Linda Mark, piano

Travelogue..................................................................Elizabeth BrownRana Boland, Shoji Mizumoto, Dorothy Papo, Craig Devereaux, flutes

Ending piece for everyone to play, conducted by Rochelle Itzen

Reception(Coordinated by Beatrice Strauss; please call her at 718-859-5280 if

you can contribute refreshments.)

� Craig Devereaux � Rana Boland� Shoji Mizumoto � Dorothy Papo

THE GROUP STARTED AS A TRIO 4 1/2years ago, when they met through theNYFC. They met Shoji Mizumoto at aNYFC ensemble gathering a year later,and have been a quartet ever since.Their common bond is that they alllove 20th century flute music, and havealways played flute quartets from thisperiod (Bozza, Bennett, Dahl, and nowElizabeth Brown). ❑

� Jennifer Carroll � Carol Weinstein� Linda Mark

JENNIFER CARROLL (NÉE ACKERSON),an elementary school music teacher,and Carol Weinstein, a physician, metthrough the NYFC ensemble programand play in local ensembles as often aspossible. Since meeting, they haveattended several masterclasses together,including Julius Baker’s (where theymet Linda Mark). ❑

� Cathy Allen � Nina Attar� Ann Bordley � Ed Wolf

� Ed Christie

THE GROUP STARTED WHEN ANN’Sflute teacher, Susan Friedlander, intro-duced her to Ed Wolf. All amateurs (Annis an attorney, Ed is a physics professor),the group now includes Ed Christie, acomputer programmer who has a degreein music from Brooklyn College, NinaAttar, a flutist with the AlbertEinstein Symphony Orchestra,and Cathy Allen. ❑

� George Kimmel � Danielle Leon� Karen Martin � Victor Richards� Laurie Uguccioni � JoAnn Wong

THIS GROUP MET AT THE THIRDStreet Music School and is coachedby Rochelle Itzen. They have beenplaying together once a week for theentire year. They have done severalperformances at the school, mostrecently with Paula Robison when she came to Third Street for a special event. ❑

2 — NYFC Newsletter

THE NEW YORK FLUTE CLUB INC.

2003–2004

Board of DirectorsJayn Rosenfeld, President

Ardith Bondi, First Vice President

Katherine Fink, Second Vice President

Svjetlana Kabalin, Recording Secretary

George Kimmel, Membership Secretary

James Blair, Treasurer

Nadine Asin Rie SchmidtRochelle Itzen Patricia SpencerSue Ann Kahn Stefani StarinRobert Langevin Nancy Toff

Barbara H. Williams

An die Musik

Dear Friends:

From thePresident

NewsletterKatherine Saenger, Editor115 Underhill RoadOssining, NY 10562(914) 762-8582klsaenger@yahoo.com

Alice Barmore, Layout/Production125 Christopher St., #4HNew York, NY 10014(212) 675-9706 (phone and fax)abarmore@earthlink.net

www.nyfluteclub.org

Past PresidentsGeorges Barrère .................. 1920–1944John Wummer ...................... 1944–1947Milton Wittgenstein ............ 1947–1952Mildred Hunt Wummer ...... 1952–1955Frederick Wilkins ................. 1955–1957Harry H. Moskovitz ............. 1957–1960Paige Brook ........................... 1960–1963Mildred Hunt Wummer ...... 1963–1964Maurice S. Rosen ................ 1964–1967Harry H. Moskovitz ............. 1967–1970Paige Brook ........................... 1970–1973Eleanor Lawrence ............... 1973–1976Harold Jones ........................ 1976–1979Eleanor Lawrence ............... 1979–1982Paige Brook ........................... 1982–1983John Solum ........................... 1983–1986Eleanor Lawrence ............... 1986–1989Sue Ann Kahn ...................... 1989–1992Nancy Toff ............................. 1992–1995Rie Schmidt ........................... 1995–1998Patricia Spencer ................... 1998–2001Jan Vinci ................................. 2001–2002

Advisory BoardJeanne Baxtresser Gerardo LevyHarold Jones Laurence Libin

Marya Martin

Copyright © 2004 by The New York Flute Club Inc.unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

It’s been a long and difficult year for all of us who readthe newspapers. I hope you have enjoyed the flute-centered activities we care about, and that they occa-sionally managed to distract you from public andpolitical matters. Thank goodness for music!

I have been collecting answers to our MembershipQuestionnaire, which I urge you to fill out; you will findit on our website, and at the next concert on May 9. Iguess it was inevitable that every possible answer, pro

and con, would come up. But here are some “trends”:People want more amateur events, activities, and/or seminars; maybe even a

weekend away, a “flute retreat.” Some folks would like more coaching in town,all would like more opportunities with the best possible match of levels, reper-toire and location. I urge you to attend the gathering meeting of flutists next fallto express yourselves in person.

Most people liked our array of concerts, with here and there a vociferouscomment as if we were discussing mountains: the programs are either old, tired,and worn-down, or new, craggy and difficult. There was a tantalizing commentabout moving one concert out of the city, say to Rockland County; now there’sa thought! Chamber music was requested, which we will honor in the comingseason, at least once if not twice.

Our final concert of the season will be the amateur ensembles. Havingattended this concert last year, I can in good conscience encourage you tocome; it is excellent, full of variety and finesse. The Annual Meeting, consistingchiefly of elections, will take place immediately afterwards. I want to acknowl-edge here the superb board members going off the board. First, Sue Ann Kahnis temporarily retiring while she assumes the presidency of the National FluteAssociation. This is a huge job, an honor and a responsibility. Given thequality and quantity of her ideas and volunteer work on the local scene, weknow she will be great and look forward to reabsorbing her when she finishesthe NFA job. Departing board members Robert Langevin and Nadine Asin willlikewise be missed; their contributions have been deeply appreciated. How-ever, the club remains rich in volunteers, its greatest strength.

Have a wonderful summer, take deep breaths. ❑

— Post-Concert Refreshments Needed for May 9th —Please contact Beatrice Strauss (718-859-5280) if you can bring something. Requesteditems include wine, soda, cheese, crackers, cookies, grapes, and other nibbles. ❑

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETINGSunday, May 9, 2004 at 5 pm

Kaplan Space at Carnegie Hall; 154 West 57th Street, New York City

The annual meeting of the New York Flute Club, Inc. will be held on Sunday,May 9, 2004 at 5:00 pm. At that time we will elect officers and members ofthe board of directors. All current members are eligible and encouraged to

attend and vote.The meeting will follow the spring ensemble concert which begins at 3 pm,

featuring flutists who have participated in the NYFC ensemble program. There willbe a reception following the meeting. ❑

by Jayn Rosenfeld

May 2004 — 3

MAY1

FLUTE

HAPPENINGS

Member ProfileGeorge L. KimmelNYFC Membership SecretaryMember in 1993 and since2001

FREE to current NYFC members, this section listsupcoming performances by members; flute-relatedcontests, auditions, and masterclasses organized/sponsored by members; and brief descriptions ofmembers’ new recordings, sheet music, andbooks. Send submissions to the Newsletter Editor.

Employment: Attorneyand ratings analyst at Standard andPoor’s.

Most recent recital/performance:A Christmas recital at the Third StreetMusic School Settlement on December20, 2003, performing the Pastorale fromVivaldi’s Il pastor fido and an arrange-ment of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of theSugar Plum Fairy.”

Career highlights: Playing with theBrooklyn Community Orchestra (twoconcert programs in 2003, one ofwhich included a WNYE-televisedperformance of Charles Ives’ TheUnanswered Question).

Current flute: A William S. Haynessilver B-foot French style with off-set G key, gold riser, C# trill key androller (JB Weissman model). Piccolo:Arista grenadilla wood with silverkeys; alto: Miyazawa; bass: Jupiter.

Influential teachers: Jeanne Fessenden(early ’90s), Bunny Rosenfeld (mid-’90s), Susan Friedlander (his privateteacher since 2001), Rochelle Itzen(his flute choir teacher/coach), MaryBarto (his Sunday chamber groupcoach). Other learning experiences:NFA conventions in Boston (1993),Washington, DC (2002), Las Vegas(2003), and a James Galway master-class at Rutgers in the mid-’90s.

High school: Wardlaw Country DaySchool (now the Wardlaw-HartridgeSchool), of Plainfield and Edison, NJ.

Degrees: BA in English literature(Rutgers College, New Brunswick, NJ,1980); JD (Rutgers Law School, Camden,NJ, 1985); MBA (New York UniversityStern School of Business, 2001).

Most notable and/or personally satisfy-ing accomplishments: Participating inthe founding of the Flute Choir atThird Street with his teacher RochelleItzen and colleagues, and playing“harmony” (alto and bass) flutes withit. Most thrilling: his lesson withMichael Parloff on April 1, 2004 (wonin the raffle at the 2004 NYFC Flute Fair).

Favorite practice routines: Fifteenminutes each on (i) long tones andMoyse’s De la Sonorité and (ii)Taffanel and Gaubert Nos. 1 or 4, orAndersen Etudes, Op. 33, then a halfhour on lesson assignments.

Interests: Running (he’s a memberof the New York Flyers and NewYork Roadrunners Clubs) and dance.Listening to music: classical (favoritecomposers are J.S. Bach and PhilipGlass), rock, trance, techno, andspace. Art (modern, in particular)and browsing the Chelsea Galleriesand DIA. He believes in supportingdowntown artists such as Phil Klinewith his Unsilent Night performancesand Spencer Tunick in his photo shoots.

Advice for NYFC members: George says,“I encourage my fellow adult amateursto participate in as many performanceopportunities as possible, networkingwith friends and teachers to help youfind people to play with. Look forperformance opportunities in musicschool programs, such as chambermusic Sundays. And keep auditioningfor community orchestras and bandseven if music major ringers keepbeating you out!” ❑

Saturday 8:00 pmThe Volanti Flute Quartet (JILLCRAWFORD, KATHERINE

MCCLURE, Elizabeth Stewart, andBARBARA HIGHTON WILLIAMS) willperform a program including quartets byBozza, Kuhlau, Dubois, Castérède, Schocker,and McMichael.

• Miller Chapel at Princeton TheologicalSeminary (Alexander Road at Dickinson),Princeton, NJ • Admission is free • Info, call609-497-7890.

Saturday 8:00 pmFlutist CARLA AULD will performAlberto Ginastera’s Impresiones

de la Puna with the NJ Festival Orchestra,Gerardo Levy conducting.

• Christ Episcopal Church, 400 RamapoAvenue, Pompton Lakes, NJ • Admission:$15 general, $10 seniors/students • Info, call973-835-2207.

Wednesday 7:00 pmCARLA AULD, flute, will performworks by Martin, Corigliano, Ibert,

and Granados with mezzo-soprano KarenLeigh, violist Orlando Wells, and cellist DavidGotay.

• Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive (120th-122nd Streets), NYC • Admission: donation atthe door.

Tuesday, Wednesday 8:00 pmThe Pocket Opera presents JohnEaton’s Pinocchio, a “Romp for

Instrumentalists,” with members of the NewYork New Music Ensemble. Jiminy Cricketwill be played by JAYN ROSENFELD, fluteand piccolo.

• Borough of Manhattan Community College,199 Chambers Street, NYC • Admission: $20general, $12 students/seniors • Info, call 212-633-6260.

Thursday 8:00 pmQuatuor Arthur-LeBlanc and theSylvan Winds (with SVJETLANA

KABALIN, flute) combine forces in a windand string celebration featuring the musicof Mozart, Sphor, Britten, and Shostakovich.

• Weill Recital Hall, 154 West 57th Street(at 7th Avenue), NYC • Admission: $25,$20 • Info, call 212-222-3569 or emailsylvanwinds@att.net.

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 2MAY ’04

MAY1

MAY5

MAY18-19

MAY20

4 — NYFC Newsletter

As a flutist and professional

flute restorer, I have longwondered about what it is that makes the old flutes so

good. Verne Q. Powell’s early work hasproduced some of the finest examplesof 20th-century flutemaking. His No. 7silver for Kincaid, No. 60 gold forWummer…Baker’s No. 299, Kincaid’s

example from this time period is in thesmall but highly selective collection ofHelen and Charles Valenza of Roches-ter. Mrs. Valenza has collected anexceptional chronology of earlycylinder Boehm flutes and was graciousenough to invite me to stay at theirhome to thoroughly study these flutes,all of which are in playing condition.The prize of the collection is a silver-plated brass flute with a gilded ringkeymechanism which, although unmarked,is clearly the work of the Godfroycompany and may even predateBoehm’s No. 1. Here we find Boehm’soriginal design reproduced with graceand precision, the head drawnsmoothly in a parabolic taper with anelegant silver barrel embouchure.

The French quickly discovered thatthey could combine the advantages ofBoehm’s closed-hole and ringkeymodels with our modern “French cup”and produce it in wood. A superbexample of this early “French model”

What Makes the Old Flutes So Good?A Flutist’s Look at Some Early Cylinder Flutes in the

Collections of the Northeast and Beyond by Gary W. Lewis

Sunday 8:00 pm“I Due Flauti” featuring flutistsCARLA AULD and Miriam

Lachenauer will perform the DuettinoHongroise of Franz Doppler with the NorthJersey Symphony Orchestra.

• Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 35-01Morlot Avenue, Fair Lawn, NJ • Admission: $12general, $8 student/seniors • Info, call 201-670-8711 or 845-357-2094.

FLUTE

HAPPENINGS

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 2MAY ’04

PATRICIA HARPER—Residential Flute Classin Brownsville, Vermont. June 20-26. Smallclass size; all levels of proficiency welcomed;ages 17-70. For brochure and repertory list,email patricia@patriciaharper.com.

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

C L A S S I F I E D

Members may advertise in this section for $10 forup to 320 characters/spaces. Your ad should besubmitted by hard copy or email. Name and phonenumber are required. Deadline is the same as forFlute Happenings submissions. Ads must be paidfor in advance. Make checks payable to the NewYork Flute Club and mail to the Newsletter Editor.

NEW CD by PETINA COLE: Works forFlute By People I Know, a diverse col-lection of classical and new age musicby living composers, for flute withother instruments. “…a CD unlike any-one else’s, and one that is refreshingto listen to.”—composer KatherineHoover. Info/sound clips and purchase,visit cdbaby.com/petina.

MAY23

No. 365 platinum…the list goes on,each flute a milestone in a career whichremains unsurpassed in our modernage. As my interest in the origins ofthese great flutes increased I wasinevitably compelled to look back, firstto Louis Lot and then beyond, to thevery origins of the “cylinder” flute.I began to seek out examples of theseinstruments for study in private andpublic collections, many of which canbe found in the Northeast.

The Dayton Miller Collectionremains the greatest repository of theearliest cylinder Boehm flutes. Buriedin the basement of a Library of Con-gress building in the center of Washing-ton, DC, over 1500 rare flutes from allperiods line the many drawers of thiscollection. The collection is curated byCarol Lynn Ward-Bamford, whosekindness and expertise have been agreat help to me. On an April 2003visit, arranged by appointment, I amescorted into the semi-refrigeratedvault and, moving to the drawermarked “Th. Boehm,” I find Boehm’sNos. 1, 2, 14, 19, 38, and 57 next to hisfamous experimental tube with move-able holes. No. 1, from September of1847, shows a very thin brass tube withsimple handworked silver ringkey(clarinet-like) mechanism and a clearlyhand-hammered “parabolic” head witha thin ivory band for an embouchureplate. Although playing these relics isgenerally discouraged I risk a few tonesfrom this exceedingly lightweight andplainly experimental flute. Expecting asmall, delicate sound I am amazed tohear the rich, full, powerful, andvibrant tone of a modern flute, and Iunderstand in a single note howBoehm was able to revolutionize theflute world of the mid-19th century.

Boehm traveled to Paris and Londonin mid-1847, arranging the sale ofpatent rights to his cylinder flute andbringing closed-hole “model flutes”(now lost) to the Rudall & Rose andGodfroy companies. A most rare

An early wood Godfroy flute (c.1848) which maybe the first version of the open-hole or French keycup. The flute is owned by Guy Collin.

PH

OTO

: G

ARY

W. LE

WIS

May 2004 — 5

wood flute is in the collection of GuyCollin in Paris. An expert in flute historyand restoration, Mr. Collin has as-sembled a magnificent collection ofFrench flutes of all types imaginable inhis small shop near the Picasso Museumin Paris. (His shop also houses awonderful collection of lathes, ofinterest to visiting machinists.) His earlywood Godfroy from c. 1848 playsbeautifully at A443 with a somewhatlight sound, excellent scale, and greatrefinement of color. There is nothingexperimental or unfinished about thisinstrument built only a year or two afterthe invention of the cylinder flute. Asilver-plated instrument with nearlyidentical keywork but marked Rudall &Rose is in Helen Valenza’s collection,one of a number of instruments whichsuggest an interaction between theRudall & Rose and Godfroy companies.A fine wood example of Godfroy’s nextmodel, virtually identical to our modernflute, is in Peter Spohr’s spectacularcollection in Frankfurt. Mr. Spohrrestores most of his own flutes whichare all in excellent playing conditionand gloriously displayed in a very largeilluminated case in the basement of hislovely home.

In 1855 Louis Lot left the Godfroycompany to make flutes under his ownname. Wood flutes dominated Lot’stenure with Godfroy and continued toform the major part of his work. Return-ing to the Miller collection, I find in adrawer marked “Recent French” a silverLot from early 1857 which, althoughmarked 163, is only about the 20th silverflute Lot produced. The seamed tubingis exceedingly thin (about 0.008" on thehead and 0.011" on the body), the headtaper is a Lot version of Boehm’s“parabola,” and the lightweight goldembouchure appears to emulateBoehm’s work. The flute can only playone or two notes but these extremelycompact tones are so filled with inten-sity, warmth, and vibrancy that theyseem to pierce the back wall of thecollection.

The Lot silver flute continued to gainpower, depth, and flexibility as can beseen in Helen Vanenza’s No. 339, GuyCollin’s No. 506, Peter Spohr’s No. 560,and most clearly in Lot No. 600,Taffanel’s favorite flute, which TonyBingham was kind enough to allow me

to play in his shop in London. The LotNo. 600 is one of the first with largeholes in the foot (as we use today)giving it a more open sound. The tubingis standard thickness (c. 0.014"), and theflute has an extremely rich, dark,powerful sound with tremendous tonalflexibility and a striking homogeneityacross the range of the instrument.

One might imagine that the Godfroycompany was devastated by the loss ofLouis Lot, but we must recall that theystill retained the combined talents ofVincent Godfroy, Claude Rive, andAugust Bonneville, among others. Thosewho are fortunate enough to own silverinstruments by this team know very wellhow these flutes can combine thesuperb qualities of a Louis Lot with amore open, flexible tone center thatcan, in many cases, seem quite modern.A hallmark of this design was the use ofa simple conical head in blatant disre-gard of Boehm’s parabola. A beautifulexample of this type is Godfroy No.1051 from c. 1865 in Mark Leone’sremarkable collection. Mr. Leone, hiswife, and their son live in a beautifulhome in Brookside, New Jersey, filledwith innumerable rare flutes in theiroriginal cases, all of which he hasrestored to excellent playing condition.Other excellent silver Godfroys, Nos.1080, 1314, and 1503 are found inthe select but very interesting collectionof Phil and Phyllis Unger of Allenhurst,New Jersey. Mr. Unger combines theexpertise of an experienced dealer withthe passion of a true collector. It waswith great pleasure that I spent anafternoon at their home measuringLots and Godfroys. Still other excellentsilver Godfroy examples are No. 940 inthe Miller Collection and Peter Spohr’sNo. 908.

Two of Mark Leone’s flutes from thesame time period remind us that theFrench were not alone in their ability toproduce first-class silver flutes. An earlyexample of Boehm’s collaboration withCarl Mendler plays with great vibrancy,flexibility and power, and plays intervalswith an almost liquid connection whichcan only be produced by a great hand-worked tube. An early cylinder flute bythe New York maker Alfred Badgershows that he was able to produceinstruments which could compete withthe best European makers.

After the expiration of Boehm’spatent in 1862 and the death of VincentGodfroy in 1868 the world of Frenchflutes became more diverse as Rive andBonneville left to establish their owncompanies, and other makers began toenter into competition. The collectionof performers Andrew Sterman andAnn Cecil-Sterman of New York Citycontain remarkable examples of earlyRive and Bonneville flutes, instrumentswhich are distinctive for their use of aconcave (trumpet-bell-shaped) headtaper in true defiance of Boehm’sparabola. The Stermans’ flutes are all inactive use, and playing on them is apleasure surpassed only by the warmthand friendship I have received fromtheir owners. A later, stunning,Bonneville from this collection showsan eventual return to the Boehmparabola. This flute, from the pinnacleof Bonneville’s career, combines almostall of the great qualities of the earlierFrench instruments with an unsur-passed level of flexibility.

My continuing research into thedevelopment of the cylinder flute hasleft me with an ever-increasing appre-ciation of the work of TheobaldBoehm, Louis Lot, Vincent Godfroy,and the many other great Frenchmakers active in the second half of the19th century. It has also augmented myadmiration for the one man who wasable to assimilate and expand uponmany of these early achievementsduring the 20th century, Verne Q.Powell. ❑

Gary W. Lewis holds a D.M.A. in fluteperformance from the University of Oregon andhas studied flute with John Solum, John Krell,Richard Trombley and Burnett Atkinson, andflute repair with Robert Gilchrist. He is currentlyprofessor of flute at the University of Oregonand continues to study early cylinder flutes. Hemay be reached at lewis.gary@att.net.

The unusually beautiful lip plate of silver LouisLot No. 506. The flute is owned by Guy Collin.

PHOTO: GARY W. LEWIS

6 — NYFC Newsletter

In the tradition of my annual spring“Letter from Paris,” I now send you greetings from New York, where I

have spent most of the last year at mydesk. East 79th Street is not quite asscenic as the rue de Rivoli, but theresearch for my biography of GeorgesBarrère has continued even as I’vecome to the final stages of manuscriptrevision. The frustration level has gonedown significantly, and there have evenbeen some nice surprises. A few ofthose came leaping off the screen ofmy computer—and although I ap-proach the Web with a healthy degreeof skepticism, it has directly or indi-rectly led to some amazing discoveries.

Googling GeorgesEvery so often, I do Google and

Yahoo searches for “Barrère,” and 99out of 100 hits are useless or repetitive.But occasionally I’ve gotten very lucky.One Google search led me to anadvertisement for the Barrère LittleSymphony’s April 7, 1926 concert inToledo, Ohio. This gem was posted onthe website of Zonta, a professionalwomen’s organization (http://www.zontatoledo1.org/OurHistory.htm). Iquickly fired off an email to thearchivist and president, Claire Kirsner,who agreed to look in theorganization’s archives for a program,contract, or other information. She wassuccessful, and also provided fascinat-ing background information.

The afternoon of the concert,Barrère gave a lecture on “ModernMusic and Composers” at Lasalle andKoch’s, an elegant department storebuilt around the turn of the (last)century and done in the manner ofPrintemps in Paris. “The inside wasalmost an exact copy,” Claire ex-plained. “In fact I remember going withmy grandmother to have their ‘high tea’on a Saturday in the fountain room”—the very room where Barrère gave hislecture. “Of course we all wore whitegloves and a hats.” The programconsisted of the Schubert fifth sym-phony, three pieces by Albeniz, TheWhite Peacock by Griffes, and Pierné’sFor My Little Friends.

Nicest of all, though, was the noteshe sent: “I hope you will use this as Iknow our club would be honored, first,

Filling the holes in theSwiss cheese

Although I am not supposed to bedoing more research, Swiss cheeseholes inevitably surfaced as I wrote,and I have been able to fill quite anumber through Google searches. Forexample, I wanted to identify all themembers of the jury that awardedBarrère his first prize at the Conseva-toire; the official log lists only their lastnames. Most were easily identifiedbecause they were prominent compos-ers or professors at the Conservatoire,but others were a little more challeng-ing. For instance, who on earth wasWettge? I typed “Wettge” into Googleand voilà! Several seemingly reputablesites on band history (http://www.ac-nice.fr/etabs/camus/activite/atelier/informat/gendarme/la_musique.htm andhttp://www.worldmilitarybands.com/french2.html) identified him as GustaveWettge, the music director of the GardeRepublicaine from 1884 to 1893.

Another source of excellent bio-graphical information on now-obscureFrench musicians is Hector, the websiteon the history of the Société desConcerts, the leading orchestra in Parisin the nineteenth century (http://hector.ucdavis.edu/sdc/). This marvel-ous website, developed by KernHoloman at the University of California,Davis, to accompany his new book on

that it comes from our wonderfularchives and second that we were ableto help you.” This is typical of thegenerous assistance I have received notonly from the official and unofficial“Watsons,” my many friends andcolleagues who have been delegated tosearch their local archives, but the evenmore numerous strangers who havedone the same.

This advertisement ran in the Toledo Times on March 28, 1926. Another Toledo paper, theBlade, wrote, “It is an occasion for enthusiasm when Barrère is to visit this city again.”

by Nancy Toff

Letterfrom

CO

URTESY

ZO

NTA

ARCH

IVES

May 2004 — 7

the Société, has detailed biographicaldata on every member and gave meinformation on such figures as JulesDanbé, who ran a Paris concert serieson which Barrère played; GeorgesMarty, who conducted the Concerts del’Opéra, where he also played; andviolist Anton Seitz, who wrote severalworks for the Société Moderned’Instruments à Vent. I needed the firstname of one D. Thibault, who con-ducted the orchestra at the CasinoMunicipale de Saint-Malo, whereBarrère played one summer; conve-niently, he was the 2e chef of theSociété des Concerts, and I learned thathis first name was Désiré.

eBayLike many people, I keep a list of

regular searches in my Favorites file oneBay: Barrère, of course, but alsoDamrosch and other keywords. At itssimplest, eBay has found me severalBarrère programs and flyers—most ofwhich I’ve bought for less than $2.00.But it has also given me importantclues.

Indirectly, eBay helped me solve anart history mystery. The clipping files atthe New York Public Library contain ablack-and-white photostat of an oilportrait of Barrère, harpist CarlosSalzedo, and cellist Horace Britt. I hadnever been able to find the original,and I couldn’t read the artist’s signa-ture. About a year ago, I got a noticefrom eBay of an item relating to WalterDamrosch. The item for sale was apainting by Wayman Adams, who haddone portraits of Damrosch and othermusicians of his era. I thought he mightbe the painter of this work, and did aGoogle search for him. I had noimmediate luck, but one Web pagementioned that one of his studentsin upstate New York was a painternamed Maltby Sykes. Thinking thatSykes might have known Barrère atWoodstock or Chautauqua, I did aGoogle search on him, and that led meto the Auburn University art museum inAlabama, of all places (www.julecollinssmithmuseum.com/recaqu.html).Eureka! The first thing that popped upon the screen was the color painting ofthe Barrère-Salzedo-Britt trio.

I then wrote to Michael De Marsche,

the museum director, for more informa-tion. It turns out that Sykes had beenstudying with Diego Rivera in 1936,when the trio was playing a series ofconcerts in Mexico City—where they,along with Copland, were madehonorary professors at the NationalConservatory—and Sykes had paintedtheir portrait. His wife later became aSalzedo student. Apparently the now-elderly widow had found the paintingrolled up in a projection screen in acloset and donated it to the museum,since her husband had taught atAuburn for many years. Any flutists

traveling through Alabama should besure to stop at the Jule Collins SmithMuseum of Art to see M. Barrère.

The New York TimesMy newest toy is something called

The Historical New York TimesBackfile, which is available in theresearch divisions of the New YorkPublic Library and many universitylibraries. This is a digitization of theentire text of the Times back to itsfounding in 1851—including advertise-

(Cont’d on next page)

Nancy Toff bought this program—probably from the late 1930s—on eBay for $1.00plus shipping. Besides Barrère, it is signed by several members of the Little Symphony:violist Frank Clawson, concertmaster Mischa Elzon, trumpeter Frank Elsass, clarinet-ist Fred Van Amburg, and flutist Paul Siebeneichen.

8 — NYFC Newsletter

ments. It is fully searchable by wordand/or date. I got something like1,200 hits for Barrère—some of themduds, of course, but many of them puregold. This not only saved me crankingthrough microfilm to get reviews ofeach concert—though I’ve still had todo that for the other New York news-papers, such as the World, Tribune,and Sun—but also yielded items thatI never would have found even usingthe New York Times Index or thePersonal Names Index to the NewYork Times.

For example, Barrère’s name turnedup often in the society pages—heplayed for the afternoon musicalesof various rich ladies, even fortheir daughters’ weddings. Thesewomen were of course some of hispatrons. He also put his East 36thStreet apartment up for summersublet—which gave me a usefuldescription of the place. A legalnotice yielded the interestinginformation that he was involvedin a real estate investment com-pany that was forced to liquidateits assets in 1926. And he evenappeared as the poster boy for aNew York City real estate company.

Questions, I’ve got questionsSome recent discoveries have

come the old-fashioned way, bycorrespondence—though emailaccelerates the process greatly. Icertainly have not written to everypotential archive to get the pro-gram of every one of Barrère’sconcerts; when he was on theroad, he repeated programs overand over, so I have a pretty goodidea of his repertoire. But therewere a few holes I really wantedto fill. An email to Ken Crilly, theever-gracious music librarian atYale, found several programs thatBarrère played with the NewHaven Symphony; the archivist ofConverse College produced all butone of Barrère’s programs at theSouth Atlantic Music Festival inSpartanburg, South Carolina,between 1907 and 1929 (includingone at which the Australian flutist

John Amadio was the soloist); AliceKogan Weinreb, a flutist in the NationalSymphony, consulted David Bragunier,the NSO tuba player and self-appointedarchivist, and was able to find theprogram of Barrère’s 1936 performancewith the orchestra in Providence,Rhode Island.

I had several questions for theIndiana University music library—Ineeded to check the dedication of awork that was only in that library, tophotocopy another piece, and to findabout a concert that the Trio de Lutèceplayed there in 1915. Flutist DavidLasocki, head of reference, was onsabbatical, but head librarian Mary

Wallace Davison took up the challengeand also contacted the universityarchivist. She emailed the classicresponse: “I have some good and somebad news.” The one score was avail-able for copying; the second was lost.But then, she wrote, “The spectacularnews I’ll need to mail to you.” Iremained in suspense for several daysuntil the mail delivered a press releasefor the Indiana Union EntertainmentSeries on which the Trio de Lutèceappeared. It described the costs, howmany tickets were sold, and the factthat the Trio played to a standing roomonly audience. It also gave the com-plete program.

Reading the newspaperOn February 23, 2003, I turned to

the “Arts Briefing” column in theTimes and saw a notice I’d beenwaiting for for years: the FelixSacher Foundation in Bern, Switzer-land had acquired the EdgardVarèse archive, and it would beopen to researchers in August. Ihad been trying for twelve years togain access to this archive, whichhad been held by Varèse’s executor,the composer Chou Wen-Chung—who had steadfastly denied accessto me and to many other scholars. Iwas hoping to find not just themanuscript of Density 21.5, but alsocorrespondence between Varèseand Barrère. They had known eachother since Varèse was a student atthe Schola Cantorum in Paris in1904, and it seemed inconceivablethat they had not corresponded.

More than one piece fell intoplace: in August, the SacherFoundation had ordered a copy ofthe catalog I wrote for the Barrèreexhibition in 1994 (Georges Barrèreand the Flute in America, publishedby the flute club), and Dr. Felix Meyer,the director of the foundation, hadwritten me with several queriesabout Barrère’s performances ofDensity. Now I knew why.

I immediately wrote to Dr. Meyer,who confirmed that he has twomanuscript versions of Density. Healso sent me transcripts of twopostcards from Barrère to Varèse,one of which was truly extraordi-

In the 1940s, classical musicians were a marketablecommodity. This advertisement ran in the New YorkTimes on May 19, 1940. At the time, Barrère lived in asix-room apartment at 365 West End Avenue.

Letter (cont’d from previous page)

May 2004 — 9

nary—a teasing, personal missive thatclearly demonstrates the high comfortlevel of that friendship.

Keep those cards andletters coming

I now have a database of more than550 letters to or from Barrère—whichpleases me greatly, since Barrère’s ownpapers disappeared after his death. Justsince January, fourteen letters havesurfaced: four in the New York PublicLibrary’s office records; two in theWhittall collection at the Library ofCongress; one, to oboist MarcelTabuteau, dated 1920, in the privatecollection of a former Tabuteau student(an item previously unknown even toTabuteau’s biographer, Laila Storch,who forwarded it to me); two in theVarèse collection; and five in anothercomposer’s archive in Switzerland. Iowe most of these discoveries to thesharp eyes of helpful librarians andfellow researchers, who are welltrained to watch for Barrère anywhereand everywhere.

The Library of CongressTrue confessions: I haven’t been at

my desk the entire time; I have made afew more visits to the Library ofCongress while in Washington onbusiness. About two years ago, one ofthe NYPL music librarians posted onthe listserv of the International Associa-tion of Music Librarians a list of themanuscripts I was trying to find—pieces Barrère premiered or otherwiseplayed with his various groups. I gotabsolutely zero response from theEuropean librarians I was hoping tohear from.

But I did receive an email fromArthur Ness, a lutenist in Boston,because one item I was looking for wasa Suite for flute and piano by thelutenist Susanne Bloch (daughter ofErnest); Barrère had premiered it at theLeague of Composers in New York in1933. I had written to Susanne Bloch(who died in 2002) several times overten years, but all my letters had goneunanswered. Mr. Ness put me in touchwith a “family historian” working onthe Blochs. I was a little afraid that shewould be a commercial genealogist, but

(Cont’d on next page)

Recent CDs byNYFC Members

� Celestial Sounds for Flute and Harp—Patricia Davila, flute;Elaine Christy, harp. Beloved Christmas songs with a twist for year-round listening. Order from Patricia Davila, 201-529-2337 (phone),pattyflute@aol.com (email), or through website:www.christydavila.com.

� Enchanted Love for Flute and Harp—Patricia Davila, flute;Elaine Christy, harp. Flute and harp selections of Debussy, Schubert,and Handel for your wedding ceremony. Ordering information sameas above.

� Flute Bass-ics (Summit Records)—Multi-flutist Chip Shelton withbassist Ron Carter. Jazz selections composed by the flutist. Purchaseinformation, visit http://www.chipshelton.com and/or http://www.summitrecords.com.

� A Flute Renaissance—Uptown Flutes with Carla Auld, EliseCarter, Patricia Davila, Karen Demsey, Jeanne Fessenden, JohnMcMurtery, Rebecca Vega, and Virginia Schulze-Johnson, director.Flute choir works by Lombardo, Bach, Hoover, Schocker, andBoone. Available from any member of UpTown Flutes or from theirwebsite: www.depts.drew.edu/music/beyond.

� High Art (Albany Records)—Sequitur’s flutist Patti Monson in worldpremiere recordings of works by Steven Burke, David Lang, HaroldMeltzer, Mathew Rosenblum, and Randall Woolf. Order from www.albanyrecords.com, www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com.

� In the French Style (Connoisseiur Society)—Trudy Kane, flute;George Darden, piano. Kane’s transcription of the Fauré Sonata,the Gieseking Sonatine, and the Franck Sonata. Available from LittlePiper, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Flute World, etc.

� Palisades Virtuosi in Recital—Margaret Swinchoski, flute;Donald Mokrynski, clarinet; Ron Levy, piano. Works by Bloch,Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Scriabin, Gaubert and Danzi. Visitwww.digitalsoundboard.net or www.palisadesvirtuosi.org.

� Tribute (Genuin Musikproduktion)—Don Bailey, flute; DonaldSulzen, piano. Sonatas of Muczynski, Poulenc, Martinu; Boulanger’sNocturne, Ravel’s Habanera, Hoover’s Kokopeli, Gieseking’sSonatine. Visit www.donbailey.net for more details and orderinginformation.

� Works for Flute by People I Know—Petina Cole, flute. Selectionsinclude works by Katherine Hoover, Daryl Kojak, and WalterSkolnik. Order from www.handelwithcare.com.

10 — NYFC Newsletter

Photos by Peter SchaafFair Play

Letter (cont’d from previous page)

I wrote her anyway…and she immedi-ately wrote back that the person whoknew the most about the SusanneBloch papers was Betty Auman at theLibrary of Congress. I had to laugh,because I have known Betty since thefirst day I set foot in the LC musicdivision in 1975, and I had just hadbreakfast with her about three weeksearlier. We had talked about themissing French works, but I hadn’tthought to ask her about Bloch.

Even with that entrée, it still was noteasy to see the manuscript—it was intransit from Susanne Bloch’s RiversideDrive apartment. When I next got toWashington, the collection was sittingon three skids in the LC sub-basement.Betty told me that the movers hadrepacked the boxes, so the labeling

was non-existent; we’d just have to dig.“Coal miner gear probably not re-quired, but some not-unrelated equiva-lent (i.e., jeans, khakis you don’t mindgetting dirty)” was advisable. I arrivedsuitably attired, and fortunately, wefound the manuscript midway throughthe first skid. We also found Bloch’s1933 diary—but the first third ismissing, probably in another box. I’mconfident it will surface immediatelyafter the book is published.

Of course, no good deed goesunpunished. In gratitude to the ever-helpful LC music librarians, I agreed tostay late and help Wilda Heiss (one ofthe “Watsons”) with some questions shehad about the collection of Ary vanLeeuwen, former principal flutist of theCincinnati Symphony. When I emergedat 6:00 pm, intending to stroll over toUnion Station for the 7:10 train, I found

that the cloakroom had closed at 5:30,not 9:30, as posted, leaving my coatand bag locked within. The coat-checkoperation had been outsourced, andthe company had changed the lock soit was not on the LC master key. It tookthree large LC police officers and themoving of a wall partition to liberatemy coat so I could leave…and return tomy manuscript.

The book will be published byOxford University Press in the spring of2005, in time to commemorate thecentennial of Barrère’s arrival in theUnited States. ❑

Nancy Toff is back at her desk, finish-ing her manuscript and maintaining theflute club’s archives and website. In herspare time, she is vice president and editorialdirector of school and young adultpublishing at Oxford University Press.

More photos at www.peterschaaf.com/proofs/flutefair2004

�

May 2004 — 11

Most of us play the flutebecause it is a gratifyingexperience—whether we enjoy sharing our music

or just derive physical pleasure fromplaying. However, I have often felt theneed to offer the world more than justa musical “performance.” Creatingmusical beauty and expressing emotionare certainly good enough reasons toperform, but maybe there was someway to use music to help others.

I thought about becoming certifiedas a music therapist. But that wouldhave required a few years of collegecourses (even after my 28 years ofteaching music in the public schoolsand side career as a private fluteteacher!) and an enormous amount offunds. Then I came across an articlein a medical journal on the “Music forHealing and Transition Program” orMHTP (www.mhtp.org). I was immedi-ately intrigued and hoped that I haddiscovered the vehicle for which I hadbeen searching.

Working with people has been anintegral part of my life for as long as Ican remember. I was a “candy striper”in 8th grade at a local hospital, begangiving flute lessons as a junior in highschool, and began my career as a musiceducator at age 21. I also spent mysummers hiking and biking all over theworld and as the cook and housemanager for Eleanor Lawrence’s summermusic festival and master classes onCape Cod. A year of apprenticeship influte repair made me realize that Ineeded to work with people and not ata workbench with tools.

When I received the MHTP brochure,it began with this mission statement(also on its website): “The Music forHealing and Transition Program is acourse of study which, in recognition ofmusic as a therapeutic enhancement tothe healing process and the life/deathtransition, prepares musicians to servethe ill and/or dying, and all those whomay benefit, by providing live music asa service to create healing environ-ments. Our graduates are Music Practi-tioners. To advance our student interns

in the development of their skills, weaffiliate with health care facilities andcommunity organizations.”

It is a two-year program whichincludes five Modules (weekendcourses) that are spaced approximatelythree to four months apart, allowing forextensive reading and practicing. Afterfinishing the 5th Module, each studentis required to complete 45 hours ofclinical work in a medical facility,which means playing at bedside. Thecost of each course ranges from $375to $500 plus the nominal registrationfee of $100. The courses are offered at12 different sites all over the US. Ibegan Module I in Hillsdale, NY, butwill be continuing the rest of mycoursework in Manchester, NH, whereI intend to retire in a few years.

How does music influence healing,and what scientific evidence is there tosupport this? The research is extensiveand ongoing, but studies show that“music can lower blood pressure, basalmetabolism and respiration rates. It canincrease production of endorphins(which reduce pain) and salivaryimmunoglobulin (which speeds heal-ing, reduces infection and controlsheart rate).” Music can “aid digestion,reduce stress and is becoming a part oftherapy in drug and alcohol detoxifica-tion. It can also help Alzheimer’s andcomatose patients and aid those withlearning disabilities.” The statistics arenumerous and hopeful. The reading listin the student handbook and referenceson their website are fascinating andworth a look just for one’s own enlight-enment in this field.

I signed up for Module I this pastOctober in Hillsdale, NY, anxious tofind out more about the MHTP andwhat it had to offer. I was assigned amentor who would answer any ques-tions I had and guide me through theprogram. Karen is a retired policeofficer who uses her clarinet andgreyhounds in therapeutic settings upin Portsmouth, NH. Our initial emailand phone exchanges were helpful andencouraging, and I was thrilled to havesuch an interesting and knowledgeable

music practitioner (MP) to coach mealong in the process.

There were 12 of us enrolled for theweekend, and I was the only flutist.Other instruments included harp (Celtic,healing, lap), dulcimer, guitar, recorders,and voice. The choices seemed to bebased on portability and a sound thatwould be conducive to healing atbedside. We were all required to bringmelodies to play on our instruments—melodies with which we felt a connec-tion, preferably playable from memory.I was paralyzed with fear!

There were very few situations in mycareer as a performer where I had toperform from memory and it was onlyafter many long hours of practicing. Iam what is referred to as “papertrained”—a term used at the BoxwoodMusic Festival I attended in Nova Scotiaduring the summer of 2003. Music wastaught aurally and I was reduced to“beginner” status, which I found to bea very humbling experience. But armedwith my new keyless Irish flute, Istruggled through a week of “learningby ear” and discovered that deep withinI had plenty of melodies waiting toemerge.

By the end of my MHTP weekend,I had volunteered to play about 12melodies that I had no idea werehibernating in my fingertips: themesfrom symphonies and operas, “AmazingGrace,” “Can You Feel the Love To-night,” lullabies, show tunes, and ofcourse flute repertoire. I actually hadmore repertoire stored away from mybackground as a professional musician.Many of the students were amateurmusicians, some very accomplished butsome just beginning to learn theirinstrument. We shared personal stories,talked about expectations, and bondedas a group in just a few hours. It was avery nurturing and positive environmentto live in for two days and I am lookingforward to the next four Modules. ❑

Linda Schepps is a professional flutistand music educator in the Teaneck, NJpublic schools. A member of the NYFCsince 1972, she plays principal flute withthe Bergen Philharmonic and maintainsa private flute studio in her home inClifton, NJ.

Music for Healingby Linda Schepps

�

2003–2004 Concerts

84th Season

Katherine Saenger (klsaenger@yahoo.com)

May 9, 2004 concert

2003 NYFC ANNUAL ENSEMBLE PROGRAM

Greetings! Our May 9th meeting will feature aconcert by participants in the NYFC’s ensembles program,the annual meeting of the club, and a post-concert recep-tion (organized by Bea Strauss).

This issue (a 12-pager!) features three articles. First,NYFC archivist Nancy Toff describes her latest finds (amysterious painting, a lost Barrère program found on eBay,a postcard from the Varèse archives) in her “Letter fromNew York.” Next, Linda Schepps, a NJ-based flutist andeducator, writes about her experiences with a “Music forHealing” program. Maybe not for everyone, but a must-read

for players looking for different (and deeper) satisfactions from performing.Finally, Oregon-based Gary Lewis, a flutist and professional flute restorer, de-scribes his ongoing attempts to figure out what it is that makes certain vintagecylindrical flutes so good.

George Kimmel, the NYFC membership secretary and winner of the Flute Fair2004 Michael Parloff raffle lesson, is this month’s member profile subject.

As this is the last of the newsletters for the 2003-4 NYFC season, I would liketo thank the year’s interviewers, article/feature writers, and proofers for their manycontributions. This select group includes Nadine Asin, Cathy Comrie, Robert Dick,Katherine Fink, Patricia Harper, Svjetlana Kabalin, Gary Lewis, Patti Monson, JaynRosenfeld, Linda Schepps, Nancy Toff, Linda Wetherill, and Barbara H. Williams.

Graphic designer Alice Barmore (the behind-the-scenes half of our newsletterteam) and I will be continuing our newsletter duties next year. Any ideas orsuggestions? Let us know.

Hope to see you on May 9th, and best wishes for a good summer.

Sunday 3:00 pm • Kaplan Space at Carnegie Hall (57th St. & 7th Ave.)

The New York Flute Club Park West Finance Station P.O. Box 20613 New York, NY 10025-1515

From theEditor:

From theEditor

October 19, 2003 • Sunday 5:30 pmFLUTISTS OF THE NY PHILHARMONIC

November 23, 2003 • Sunday 5:30 pmFULA FLUTE ENSEMBLE from West Africa

December 21, 2003 • Sunday 5:30 pmCHRISTOPHER KRUEGER, Baroque FluteSaint Peter’s Church, 346 W. 20th at 8th Ave.

January 18, 2004 • Sunday 5:30 pmARIFE GÜLSEN TATU, Turkish National Artist

February 29, 2004 • Sunday 5:30 pmHARVEY SOLLBERGER 65TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTEwith Harvey Sollberger and assisting artists

March 14, 2004 • Sunday, All DayFLUTE FAIR 2004 — A DAY AT THE OPERALaGuardia High School of Music and Art andPerforming Arts

April 18, 2004 • Sunday 5:30 pm2004 NYFC COMPETITION WINNERS

May 9, 2004 • Sunday, 3:00 pm2004 NYFC ANNUAL ENSEMBLE PROGRAMKaplan Space at Carnegie Hall

Concerts are at CAMI Hall, 165 West 57th Street(across from Carnegie Hall), unless otherwise noted.All programs are subject to change. Tickets $10, onlyat the door; free to members. For more information,visit the NYFC website at www.nyfluteclub.org or call(212)799-0448.