Post by davidbadagnani on Mar 30, 2006 7:51:46 GMT
I just saw an amazing performance (in Columbus, Ohio) of contemporary music for flute, alto flute, bass flute, and contrabass flute by the Swiss flutist Matthias Ziegler. Ziegler has equipped all of his instruments with an adjustable membrane that allows these western flutes to buzz like a dizi (it sounds very similar). He got the idea from the dizi, which he said wasn't suitable for western music because he felt its intonation didn't work for the music he plays.
So Ziegler actually drilled holes in his metal flutes and installed membranes. The thing is, he doesn't use bamboo dimo membranes, but instead he told me that the material he finds works best is mylar (the very thin kind used for applying imitation gold leaf; with the "gold" removed). He never has any problems like dizi players have with their bamboo dimo. Also, he's got a metal cover over his membrane, which opens and closes via a string that is controlled with the left thumb (the only finger that isn't used in the playing of the western flute).
Anyway, I wonder if this mylar membrane could be of use for dizi players. I guess it wouldn't be much more of a compromise than using nylon-wrapped steel qin strings instead of silk ones.
So Ziegler actually drilled holes in his metal flutes and installed membranes. The thing is, he doesn't use bamboo dimo membranes, but instead he told me that the material he finds works best is mylar (the very thin kind used for applying imitation gold leaf; with the "gold" removed). He never has any problems like dizi players have with their bamboo dimo. Also, he's got a metal cover over his membrane, which opens and closes via a string that is controlled with the left thumb (the only finger that isn't used in the playing of the western flute).
Anyway, I wonder if this mylar membrane could be of use for dizi players. I guess it wouldn't be much more of a compromise than using nylon-wrapped steel qin strings instead of silk ones.
