Contextual Associations

The soprano (or ‘descant’ in British terminology) recorder is an end-blown duct-flute aerophone originating in Europe. Pictured and described here is a modern soprano recorder the design of which was based on Baroque era instruments. Throughout the course of the Baroque era recorders in general evolved from being consort instruments (their primary setting in Renaissance times) to becoming more of a solo instrument specified by composers in their compositions. A large body of solo, concerto, and chamber music works was written during the Baroque era for the recorder. When written for by Baroque opera composers, the recorder was often associated with “supernatural, pastoral, love, or funeral scenes.” (Carroll, p.122) Many instructional tutors were published during this time, which suggests there was also a considerable market of amateur recorder players. Recorders are played today by amateur enthusiasts, college students in early music ensembles, and a small number of professional concert and recording artists. There was also a period in the later half of the 20^th century when inexpensive soprano recorders (such as the second recorder pictured it the photo gallery, which is made from plastic) were used as part of music education programs in American public schools.

Description

This replica of a Baroque period soprano recorder is made of wood in three sections connected by tenon-and-socket joints, one located just above the topmost finger hole and the other above the bell section. Its external profile is more ornate than its Renaissance period predecessor, often with bulges at the section joints. Internally, the tapering bore of Baroque recorder is slightly more pronounced than that of its Renaissance counterpart. It has ten holes drilled in it, one being a thumb hole on the reverse side, the other nine being fingerholes (the bottom two fingers each operate two, slightly smaller, closely positioned holes). The blowing end of the mouthpiece section is nearly entirely stopped with a wood plug (fipple) save for a narrow channel/duct that is left open between it and the inside wall of the body. Once this is completed the craftsman can carve the characteristic ‘beak’ shape of the mouthpiece and chisel a deep cut into its upper side to create the sharp edge against which the airstream is directed.

Player - Instrument Interface and Sound Production

The player blows into the tip of the beak and the airstream is channeled through a duct and directed against a sharp edge chiseled into the side of the instrument. The soprano is the next to smallest, second highest pitched member of the recorder family, tuned in C with a range of C5 to D7. It is fully chromatic over this range, but intonation becomes an issue the further away a key is from C. Notation is written in the treble clef often at an octave below sounding pitch. Notes in the second octave are attained through a combination of increased airflow and the opening of the thumbhole. The playing technique involves coordination of finger work (including cross fingerings) and tongued articulations, which can be executed with great speed by accomplished players. The instrument has a narrow dynamic range.

Origins/History/Evolution

The immediate precursor of the Baroque soprano recorder is the Renaissance soprano recorder. Changes to the design of the latter appear to have taken place in the second half of the 17^th century, possibly in France and probably in response to the recorder being used increasingly as a solo instrument. Throughout the course of the 18^th century the transverse flute steadily came to replace the soprano recorder, which became obsolete by the end of that century. Around 1925 an interest arose in period instrument performance, recorders being one of the first families of instruments to be revived. By the middle of the 20^th century the early music movement was in full swing and a number of workshops were producing replica instruments such as the one pictured here.

Bibliographic Citations

Campbell, Murray, Clive Greated, and Arnold Meyers. 2004. Musical Instruments: History, Technology, and Performance of Instruments of Western Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Carroll, Paul. 1999. Baroque Woodwind Instruments: A guide to their history, repertoire and basic technique. Aldershot: Ashgate.