# Mozart and the Surprize...My first lesson



## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

Some of you may know of my obsession with baroque music. I recently aquired a baroque flute which was made around 1832. It's in great shape with recent reconditioning. 
Well I don't have a clue with regards to playing this type of flute even though I build flutes so I decided to find a teacher.

I happen to live in an area that is teeming with classical music stuff. Pierre Monteaux School for Conductors http://www.monteuxschool.org/ is literally around the corner and Kneisel Hall is down the road. http://kneisel.org/
There are many world class musicians who either live here year round or at least part of the year. this is all new to me. Prior to my interest (2007) I had no clue how rich this area was.

Well I found a woman who consented to teach me classical flute as well as how to read music. She also said that she knows a few baroque flutists and will make introductions once they return to Maine.

My first lesson, which lasted more than two hours was great! Embochure, slurring, navigating around the flute and some basic reading was done. She said that our time was really several months worth of lessons BUT the highlight and most exciting part was....

She taught me a song written by W A Mozart!!!! Imagine my surprise when she took out sheet music and said that I would learn this song by the finish of our time!!! Of course I thought she was kidding.
The song is called _Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman. _

Prior to leaving home for the lesson I said to my wife " I hope she will teach me a song but I don't want to play Mary had a little lamb or anything like that" ! When I took a look at the sheet music with title I realized that this woman could see how _gifted _and _talented _I am.  I mean come on my first lesson and already she is teaching me Mozart!

Then wham!  like a club to the head of my ego she began to play. My ears could not believe what they heard

I laughed and said to her " You're kidding right?" Well she wasn't kidding

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star written by Mozart????????!!!!!!!! 
Oh well I bet next time I'll learn that Bach wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb...

Are there other songs in this vain that float around as simple lullabys or childrens songs written or adapted by more complex writers of music??
__________________


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Actually, the melody was an existing french folk song. Mozart took it and adapted it to a Theme and Variations for piano (originally).

I guess Brahms's Wiegenlied falls under there.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

hawk said:


> Some of you may know of my obsession with baroque music. I recently aquired a baroque flute which was made around 1832. It's in great shape with recent reconditioning.
> Well I don't have a clue with regards to playing this type of flute even though I build flutes so I decided to find a teacher.


A 1832 wooden flute??  That's like the Stradivarius version of a flute! That's amazing!

I would love to play something like that.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

The third movement of Mahler's 1st symphony is based on Bruder Martin/Frere Jacques.


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## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> A 1832 wooden flute??  That's like the Stradivarius version of a flute! That's amazing!
> 
> I would love to play something like that.


Hi Huilunsoittaja,

I actually have two old flutes made by the same company~Firth Hall and Pond from NY. I don't believe they are top of the line flutes but they play well to my untrained ears. I mentioned the one keyed baroque model and the other is a four key. I think the four key flute is rosewood and the baroue maybe boxwood.
I found the latter on e-bay and got it for a trade of one of the flutes I make. The other was a gift. E-bay seems to have many old flutes with quite a range in price~some very affordable. Might be worth a look.

The woman who is giving me lessons has loaned me a EF Dean flute. Do you know anything about the maker? She plays a gold flute which is really heavy but really nice!!


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