Welcome! This is the open access to our new platform for the recorder. It offers a variety of articles that have been published in the German recorder magazine Windkanal, a quarterly periodical dedicated to the exciting world of the recorder since 1997.
The Recorder Player’s Wimbledon
A report on the Moeck SRP Recorder Playing Competition 2011
by David Bellugi
Like for the previous competition, the passionate listener David Bellugi has provided us a report of the competition as well as an interview with Eva Fegers, the winner. The article gives us insight into the work of some of the talented young recorder-playing performers of today.
a survey on the complete works for the recorder by Nik Tarasov
Johann Sebastian Bach is surely the most famous composer to have specified the use of the recorder in his compositions. However, nothing in the large quantity of literature on Bach makes the tracing of these works particularly easy. Nik Tarasov’s paper therefore provides a practical and up-to-date guide to one of the most important chapters in the recorder repertoire, listing Bach’s compositions in complete chronological order.
To access the two-part article please use the following links:
Who thought somebody would ever have the idea performing with a recorder in a heavy-metal band!? Nik Tarasov spoke with Lauri Õunapuu, the recorder-playing member of the Estonian band Metsatöll.
The interview was published in German translation in Windkanal 2010-2.
To access the original version in English please use the following link:
Horst Geldmacher during a live-performance in the 1950s.
(Photo: Düsseldorfer Stadtarchiv)
Unique jazz-recordings including the recorder
These soundfiles provide the additional material to two articles on the earliest sources of German jazz-recorder playing.
The articles were published in German in Windkanal 2008-1:
The article "Günter Grass & Jazzblockflöte" ["Günter Grass & the Jazz-Recorder"] by Nik Tarasov relates to autobiographical information of the famous German author Günter Grass. In his book "Beim Häuten der Zwiebel" (2006) (”Peeling an Onion“) he recalls his time as a member of a jazz trio with the artist and recorder player Horst Geldmacher.
The article "Der Mann mit Namen 'Flötchen'" ["The Man Called 'Little Flute'"] by Wolfgang Mönninghoff provides a portrait of the hitherto unknown German recorder player Horst Geldmacher. He must have been one of the first performers who used the instrument for jazz music.
The soundfiles Through correspondence with Günter Grass (who formerly played the washboard in the above-mentioned jazz-trio) and with the former banjo and guitar player Günter Scholl, Nik Tarasov was able to unearth some live recordings from the 1950s, which are a good example of the musical qualities of recorder player Horst Geldmacher’s jazz trio.
Here are two titles of acceptable sound quality. Please click on the link under each song-title:
I've Found a New Baby (1926)
Jazz standard by Jack Palmer & Spencer Williams. Live performance by Horst Geldmacher (recorder) and Günter Scholl (guitar-banjo). The duet of the recorder and the whistled melody makes an especially nice effect. (Date and location of recording unknown.)
Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin (1911)
Horst Geldmacher (recorder) & accompaniment (guitar-banjo, washboard, piano). Recorded during the 1950s, location unknown.
"The Joy of Making Music" – David Bellugi speaks about his enthusiasm for different ethnic flute cultures.
The interview with David Bellugi was published in German translation in Windkanal 2005-1.
For the complete text of the original interview by Nik Tarasov, in English, please open this link:
A two-part article published in German in the printed issues of Windkanal 2004-3 & 2004-4 provides an insight into original recorders from the Renaissance and the Baroque, preserved today in the major museums of Bologna in Italy.
For additional material including photos and unique soundfiles with English commentary please use this link:
Life Between the Revolution of the Computer and Early Music – Jef Raskin, the "Father of the Macintosh".
A translation of the interview with Jef Raskin was published in the printed issue of Windkanal 2004-4. To access the original version in English please use the following link:
