Foreword

Summary

A book like this may well seem unnecessary to many people, especially since the Royal Prussian Chamber-Musician Quantz, a worthy musician, and one of the foremost and greatest flute-players of his time, published an Essay on a Method of Playing the Flute several years ago. But although a lot of good and useful things about the flute, and about music in general, are contained in this Essay, he himself admits that it is inadequate for private instruction on this instrument without a teacher who has the requisite knowledge. But where are such teachers to be found? I am firmly convinced and know from long experience that they are rare; and since the book itself is not supposed to be sufficient for private instruction, the written as well as the oral method of instruction is bound to be deficient, if not completely, at least in part. This is the reason, then, that this instrument is almost always played so very improperly.

On the other hand I do not take it to be absolutely true that Quantz's book is not sufficient for private instruction, for I do think that a good deal of use can be drawn from it even without a private teacher, if only what is contained in it is not applied in the wrong way.

It is true that one individual cannot discover everything; however Quantz has certainly paved the way and shown the thoughtful student a path down which he may travel.