Auxiliary Instruments Of The Orchestra - Alto Flute

History and Use

The alto flute is the next lowest in pitch after the flûte d'amour. Unlike the standard 'C' flute, the alto flute is a transposing instrument, in G. It was sometimes referred to as the 'bass flute in G' or 'flute en sol' prior to the mid-20th century. The alto flute was invented by Theobald Boehm in and around 1855-56, where he applied his Boehm System to earlier low-pitched flutes which simplified the fingering system, and allowed players of his 'C' flute to play both without learning a new set of fingerings.

Boehm envisioned an instrument that was similar to the C flute with the same auditory qualities, but with it's own unique timbre, and an independence from the C flute. Boehm was seeking a deeper and richer sound than had been achieved by the flûte d'amour or by attaching an extension to the foot of a C flute. He managed this by increasing the dimensions but keeping the proportions of his new flute the same as the C flute, in relation to length and bore. The new flute was first constructed in England in 1891 by Rudall Carte & Co in London.

Some of the earliest major works to feature the alto flute is Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Holst's The Planets. Compositions which employ the alto flute benefit from warmer and richer tones from the flute section, as well as broadening the timbrel palette with the instrument's unique sound.

Note Production and Construction

The alto flute has the same system for playing notes as the standard C flute. The lower pitch is achieved with a wider and longer bore than the C flute. Due to the larger size, extra levers are in place to reach the further spaced tone holes. To assist smaller players who would struggle with the size of the instrument, there is a version with a curved headjoint (seen in the image above). This makes the instrument feel lighter to the player by moving the instruments centre of gravity closer to the body, and also requires less of a stretch for the arms. Where practical however, players usually opt for the straight version as it provides better intonation.

Selected Pieces

Gustav Holst - The Planets Suite - Saturn

This piece features the alto flute (referred to on the score as 'bass flute in G') throughout most of the piece, where it plays in time with the C flutes. Although the instrument doesn't have a solo part in this piece, it does provide the flute section with a richer and fuller timbre, and this is especially evident during the opening to the music where the flautists alternate between two notes, with a light accompaniment from the harps, and an excursion from the double basses after a few bars. Listening very carefully to this opening section, it is possible to distinguish the alto from the other flutes, and appreciate the subtle depth it gives to the sound.

Harvey Sollberger - Hara

This is a contemporary piece for solo alto flute. I chose this as in much of the music which features alto flute it is difficult to hear the individual instrument clearly. Of course here I had no such trouble, and was able to hear a plethora of sounds and techniques used on the instrument. The music featured a lot of the extended techniques I have heard previously in contemporary music for C flute such as key taps and harsh 'blowing' noises. I was surprised to find that the alto flute sounded very similar to the C flute in this composition; without knowing it was an alto flute I probably wouldn't have been able to discern the difference. I attribute this to the fact the composition uses the entire range of the instrument's pitch options, much of which it shares with the C flute, rather than residing mostly in the very lower end of the instruments range.