David Lasocki

The Recorder and Other Members of the Flute Family in Writings from 1100 to 1500 David Lasocki

Surprisingly little systematic research has been done until now on the recorder and other members of the flute family in the writings of the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance (approximately 1100 to 1500). This new study, by an internationally renowned scholar of woodwind instruments, surveys the surviving writings (literature, dictionaries, treatises, inventories, and purchases) in twelve languages: Latin, Greek, French, Occitan (Provençal), German, Dutch, Catalan, Spanish, Old English, Anglo-French, and Middle English. In contrast with earlier studies, which extrapolated backwards from much later usage, the study begins with the earliest names linked to a description or depiction and traces them forwards from their first occurrences in history. The resulting evidence shows to what extent the panpipes, recorder, tabor pipe, other duct flutes, and transverse flute had clearly differentiated names in the various languages. It also suggests the musical and social contexts in which the instruments were used. Finally, the study supplies an answer to the commonly asked question: Why does the recorder have a special name in English that does not include the word "flute," as in other European languages?