A Plea for the Tenor Recorder in C

Already in 1732 the famous English woodwindmaker Thomas Stanesby Jr. published a pamphlet in which he explained why the tenor recorder in C should be the most important recorder. In the 18th century the alto recorder in F was the most important member of the recorder family (common flute). Apart from the original music for this instrument, also music originally written for flute, oboe or violin was arranged or at least transposed (often a minor third or pure fourth up), in order to fit the range of the alto recorder. The result was that in solo sonatas the basso continuo part became very high after the transposition. This is not a problem for a keyboard player but for a bass instrumentalist (cello, viol or bassoon) this could be a problem.

On the continent recorders in F and in C, in Italy sometimes in G were very common, in England there were more sizes for example in B flat and in D. Especially voice flutes (in D) were popular because these instruments were tuned in the same key as the baroque flute. This was very practical for music with (many) sharps. Tonalities with (many) flats were easier on recorders in B flat (fourth flutes).

Stanesby plead in favour for the tenor recorder because this instrument has several advantages:

1. the instrument is tuned in C which means that it is a very good compromise between the keys in which recorders were tuned. All keys are practically playable in tune.
2. the instrument comes closer to the fingerings of the baroque flute than the voice flute. For example: the fingering of the low d on a tenor recorder is 0123456, on a baroque flute 123456 (baroque flutes do not have thumb holes and this fingering is the bottom tone on the transverse flute) and on a voice flute 01234567.
3. because a tenor recorder sounds an octave lower than a soprano recorder there is no big gap anymore between the bass of the basso continuo and the upper voice.

In the Renaissance (15th and 16th century) the tenor recorder was part of the recorder consort often playing middle parts, sometimes upper parts or bass parts. There was still recorder ensembleplaying in the Baroque but less than in the Renaissance. Sometimes baroque recorder consorts were integrated in orchestras (Lully).

Apart from ensemble playing the separate members of the recorder family were used for solo playing. This was the result of the change in recorder construction from the Renaissance (instrument made in 1 piece, straight bore, strong low register - limited range of one octave and a sixth) into the Baroque (instrument made in 3 pieces, reversed conical bore, relatively weak low register - often brilliant high register with large range of two octaves and a fifth).

The music of the Baroque was more focused on solo playing. In the 20th and 21st century the tenor recorder is a very popular instrument especially because of the warm sound.

There is a big misunderstanding about the performance of French music of the Baroque on the recorder. Until now the voice flute was used as a "French" model next to the common alto recorder.

From the historical point of view this is not completely correct:

1. Voice flutes are typical English instruments. Only English original instruments are known (Bressan, Stanesby). Sometimes Voice flutes after Denner appear. These are high tenor recorders in C, pitch A=466 Hz (Choir pitch). Of course these instruments can be used as voice flutes. There are French tenor recorders (Hotteterre, Dupuis, Rippert, Bizey). These instruments have the advantage that in general they have the same fingering as the baroque flute (see above).
2. There is no French music for voice flutes. Suites by Dieupart are published for English instruments (voice flute, fourth flute), probably made by Bressan. Dieupart and Bressan knew each other.

Of course the use of voice flutes in French music is legitimate in our time but the historical correctness stays doubtful.

The baroque tenor recorder was used as a solo instrument (violin and flute music), as an ensemble instrument (a.o. Faber, Gautier de Marseille, Mancinelli, A. Marcello, A. Scarlatti, Witt) and as an orchestral instrument (a.o. Lully, Vivaldi). The amount of works with tenor recorders is larger than the amount of original works for voice flute (only 6).

Sascha Mommertz