An Organological Approach to the History of the Flauto Piccolo with a Pre- and Post-Beethoven Analysis, Including the Complete Study of Beethoven’s Implementation of the “Ottavino”

Rikki Wolpowitz

This thesis is an organological approach to the role of the piccolo in the orchestration of compositions from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century, classifying these periods as Pre-Beethoven, Beethoven, and Post-Beethoven. From research and review of the literature, composers and their compositions which specifically called for the use of the piccolo are tabulated and analyzed. The analysis is categorized into the evolution of the debutante piccolo, by observing its accomplishments by the following analysis of what the piccolo accomplished in that role: [1.] As an extender of range and dynamics; [2.] Programmatic effects achieved; [3.] Its inclusion in solo arrangements either within a movement or as the complete soloist; each of these concepts will be built into the Pre-, Beethoven and Post-Beethoven periods. For this thesis, the Pre-Beethoven period ranges from the possibility of Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643) for ‘Flautino,’ written in 1607 to Mozart, including the military music of the French Revolution. The Beethoven period is covered by a discussion of the role of the piccolo in Beethoven’s orchestration dividing his career into his early period that has not been previously examined in any detail in existing research literature. His middle and late period including a re-examination of his symphonic works related to the piccolo from this authors perspective including his symphonic works follows. These include the Fifth Symphony, the Sixth Symphony, Egmont, and the Ninth Symphony. After that, the document examines the post-Beethoven period until its maturity into a solo instrument as conceived by Tchaikovsky in his 4th Symphony.

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RESEARCH QUESTION

Firstly, are musical historians historically correct to credit Beethoven as the original composer to use the piccolo in his Fifth symphony, and can Beethoven, therefore, be credited for the eternal establishment of the piccolo in the symphony orchestra, ultimately being responsible for how the piccolo is used orchestrally today?

Secondly, was Beethoven’s use of the piccolo original in its history of acceptance and incorporation into orchestral compositions through an examination of works written before the nineteenth century?

Finally, how did the organological history of the developing “flauto piccolo” expand the possibilities for Beethoven and the composers' pre- and post-Beethoven both positively and negatively?

SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

The organological development of the piccolo was studied using three primary roles assigned for compositional evolutionary analysis: [1] an expander of range and dynamics, [2] its programmatic effects, and [3] an instrument’s primary role in a solo arrangement. Before Beethoven, only the first and second of these primary orchestral roles for the piccolo were established.

Evolutionary or revolutionary changes in the development of the piccolo were not inevitable. It took Beethoven’ s imagination, creativity, and innovation in his compositions for the "octave flute," to demonstrate its essential role. Beethoven’s first compositional use of the piccolo was in his Musik zu Einem Ritterballett in 1790, fifteen years before the Fifth Symphony in 1807|8. After that, the piccolo’s instrumental role became more innovative and frequent through the 19th-Century, having a new chapter in its place in the symphony orchestra.

As a history, repertoire, and identity existed for the piccolo well before Beethoven's birth, it is too simplistic to state that the piccolo's genesis comes from "Beethoven" - but despite a learning curve in the understanding of the newly developing wind instruments of the time - in the genius of Beethoven’s compositions are found dynamics and range extensions for the piccolo, never attained before. Beethoven is often called the “father of the orchestral piccolo.” However, despite this credit, he did not launch the piccolo as a full soloist member of the symphony orchestra, which was ultimately accomplished by Tchaikovsky in his Fourth Symphony’s Scherzo, the first piccolo solo in the symphonic repertoire

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