Composer

:

Jacques Hotteterre

Genre

:

Miscellaneous

Style

:

Prelude

Compose Date

:

1719

L'Art de préluder, Op. 7 is a collection of preludes for the flute composed by Jacques Hotteterre. It was published in Paris in 1719 and is considered one of the most important works for the flute from the Baroque era. The collection consists of 31 preludes, each in a different key, and is divided into two parts. The first part contains preludes in major keys, while the second part contains preludes in minor keys. The preludes are notated in French tablature, which was the standard notation for the flute at the time. The preludes in L'Art de préluder are characterized by their improvisatory nature and their use of ornamentation. Hotteterre was a master of ornamentation and his preludes are full of trills, mordents, and other embellishments. The preludes also feature a variety of rhythms and tempos, ranging from slow and stately to fast and lively. One of the most notable features of L'Art de préluder is Hotteterre's use of the "style brisé," or broken style. This technique involves breaking up chords into arpeggios and playing them in a flowing, melodic manner. The style brisé was a popular technique in French Baroque music and Hotteterre was one of its most skilled practitioners. L'Art de préluder was premiered in Paris in 1719 and quickly became popular among flutists. It was considered a groundbreaking work for the flute and helped establish the instrument as a solo instrument in its own right. The collection has since become a staple of the flute repertoire and is still studied and performed by flutists today.

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