Exploring the french flute school in North America: an examination of the pedagogical materials of Georges Barr�re, Marcel Moyse, and Ren� Le Roy

Abstract

The discussions that surround the topic of the French flute school and its approach to flute playing have yielded many conflicting assessments. Specifically, different opinions regarding who carried on the French school’s tradition of flute playing have produced different ideas about its lasting influence. At the center of this topic is a lack of clarity as to what constitutes the pedagogical approach that Paul Taffanel initiated and passed on to his flute students at the Paris Conservatory. In order to determine what this approach consists of as well as who passed it on, this study presents an examination of the teaching materials of Georges Barrère, Marcel Moyse, and René Le Roy. These three men were trained at the Paris Conservatory by Paul Taffanel and/or Philippe Gaubert before they went on to have influential teaching careers. The exercises and philosophies of Barrère, Moyse, and Le Roy are discussed according to the following topics: tone, articulation, phrasing and vibrato, and technical facility. The exploration of these materials demonstrates that the pedagogy that these three men disseminated throughout North America does indeed reflect the approach of Taffanel’s French flute school. As a result, it is evident that the French school continues to influence modern day flute playing, especially in North America, as seen in the perpetuation and evolution of the philosophies, ideas, and exercises used by Barrère, Moyse, and Le Roy.