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Flute octaves in UIL pieces

Posted by Flute Loops on 12/19/2024, 1:45 pm

We are reading through pieces for UIL. We have some pieces that we all enjoy and would be good for teaching certain concepts. Problem is that two of them have flute parts that are mostly in the staff, and they really get covered up by everything else even though we are a very small band.
Should I have one of them play an octave higher? I am concerned about it not being well balanced

Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces

Posted by MS on 12/20/2024, 3:34 pm, in reply to "Flute octaves in UIL pieces"

I've actually done the opposite with clarinets and flutes before and taken them down an octave because it was just too shrill for my taste.

Not a single judge said anything.

That being said, perhaps going up an octave could be more noticeable and create a color that is not intended for the piece.

Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces

Posted by observer on 12/20/2024, 9:55 am, in reply to "Flute octaves in UIL pieces"

A clinician at TMEA One year cautioned the orchestra to carefully follow the alternative bowing instructions in a Bartok piece. He explained that while it was tempting to use standard bowing, Bartok had a reason for requiring the alternative. That’s all I have to say about that

Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces

Posted by Mithrandir on 12/20/2024, 9:30 am, in reply to "Flute octaves in UIL pieces"

General rule for balance: Subtract before you add

Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces

Posted by Me on 12/19/2024, 3:00 pm, in reply to "Flute octaves in UIL pieces"

If the composer wanted it in the upper octave, they'd have written it there. You need to balance to the melody. If that's the flutes, everyone else needs to cut back on their volume.

Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces

Posted by OP on 12/20/2024, 8:49 am, in reply to "Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces"

Yeah, my inclination is to do my best, but I feel like the "if the composer wanted it argument" is kind of lazy. Plenty of pieces get put out with wrong notes. Is that what the composer wanted? I have talked to one band composer who told me and has since publicly stated there are certain things he wished he would have wrote or fixed on XX piece.
Again, I am with you on me needing to balance, but don't we "make adjustments" to pieces all the time?

Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces

Posted by Snerk on 12/20/2024, 4:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Flute octaves in UIL pieces"

Making an adjustment where you literally rewrite the melody line an octave higher because your ensemble can't balance isn't an artistic choice, it's a lack of pedagogy.

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