A Comparison Between the French and Italian Musick and Opera's (1709)
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As the name would suggest, A Comparison Between the French and Italian Musick and Opera's is a short set of criticisms comparing the current state of French and Italian Music, generally favoring Italian music in most instances. This work is a translation of François Raguenet's Paralèle des italiens et des françois, en ce qui regarde la musique et les opéra which was first published in 1702 before being translated by John Ernest Galliard in 1709. While the text focuses on comparing the strengths and weaknesses the two countries have in writing particular musical genres, the text also includes some discussion of the use of instruments by both countries, including the "flute."
François Raguenet (c.1660-1722) was a French medical doctor, priest, tutor, and music critic. He traveled frequently between Italy and France which, ultimately, led him to gain a great appreciation of Italian architecture and music. He frequently turned to his French and Italian musical backgrounds in his writings, including in his Les monumens de Rome (1700) and Paralèle des italiens et des françois, en ce qui regarde la musique et les opéra (1702). John Ernest Galliard was a German musician and composer of French descent. He spent the majority of his career in England and had the greatest impact in London where he served as a founding member of London's Academy of Vocal Music (founded 1726) and the Royal Society of Musicians (founded 1738). In addition to his translation of Raguenet's work, Galliard published two additional texts: Observations on the Florid Song in 1742 (a translation of Pier Francesco Tosi's Opinioni de' cantori antichi e moderni [1723]) and A Critical Discourse upon Operas in England (n.d.). |
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Terminology
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In his translation, Galliard makes two references to the "flute" - one in the work's eighth paragraph and the other in that paragraph's corresponding footnote (page 9-10 [page 415 of the modernized edition]). While it is difficult to discern which "flute" Galliard is referring to here at first glance, the text's numerous connections to France - with it having been originally written in French, the translator having a French background, and the subject matter of the text focusing on France - considered in conjunction with the the transverse flute's prominence in France at this time (spurred in great part by Hotterre's Principes de la flûte traversière, ou flûte d'Allemangne, de la flûte à bec ou flûte douce et du hautbois, divisez par traictez which was published in 1707) makes it extraorindarily likely that the instrument in consideration here is the transverse flute.
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Page 9 (left) and 10 (right) of A Comparison Between the French and Italian Musick and Opera's with both instances of the term "flute" marked in red.
Retrieved from the Library of Congress |
