The Division Flute (1706)

The Division Flute is a collection of solo pieces and of divisions for recorder and continuo published in 1706. It is the time-values of the notes that are divided in the divisions, resulting in variations, usually on a constant ground bass, which was frequently (though not always) a traditional one, eg: "Faronel's Ground", which is the famous tune "la Folia", while the ground of "Paul's Steeple" is based on the "passamezzo antico". 

Originally, divisions were improvised, and the term does in fact apply also to the spontaneous ornamentation of vocal parts. But the element of improvisation is still very apparent even in the divisions that have been written down, and there is nothing against embellishing the solo part further, and even additional divisions can be improvised. Moreover, the dividing need not be restricted to the melody part but can extend to the ground itself: In "Faronel's Ground",the bass has been left unchanged in bars 65-80,while bars 17-24 of ""Paul's Steeple" appear as in the original. Otherwise, in our edition, bass has also been changed to avoid rhythmic monotony, in line with the custom of the period, and any continuo player wishing to do this differently is welcome to do so. 

All the ornament signs and nearly all the slurs are suggestions added by the editor. Some evident mistakes in the original were corrected. 

Hans-Martin Linde

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*Baroque Sonata* for Treble Recorder and Continuo.

1. Faronels Ground
2. A Division to a Ground
3. Paul's Steeple

Score 18 pages. 2 parts @ 4-7 pages ea.