Johann Joachim Quantz, for his Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte traversiere zu spielen (1752). Most of all for the entry:
- Musicians, old, their mistakes. –young, their mistakes. –great, their mistakes.
But here are some honorable mentions:
- Flute-makers, the mistakes made by most of them.
- Instrument makers, their mistakes.
- Music-lovers, their mistakes in judgment.
Oh come now, Mr. Quantz, tell us how you really feel.
No, seriously, in fact the index is actually really not that crotchety, and that’s not really why I love it (even if those headings are the ones that make me laugh the hardest). Really what I admire is the freewheeling style. Some more favorites:
- Acclaim, of listeners, what it is good for.
- Cadence, its origin. –Misuse. –Intention. –Errors. –Conclusion. –What accompanists should watch out for in regards to it.
- Natural gifts, often replace the lack of good instruction. –Must be well tested. –Are not enough in themselves to make a good musician.
Why can’t we do it like that today? (Or can we?)
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