Description
The pan flute is a flute constructed from a number of tubes of varying lengths, each closed at the bottom. Bamboo is often used as the material for the South American pan flute. Other pan flutes are made of wood, glass, or metal. The name pan flute comes from the Greek god Pan. A pan flute is played by blowing air over the tube against the rim. Each tube produces its own distinct tone. By tilting the pan flute, the flutist can, with some practice, lower the pitch slightly. The range depends on the number of tubes and can vary from an octave to about three octaves. The pitch depends (primarily) on the length and (to some extent) the diameter of the tubes. The pan flute can be slightly detuned by pressing small wax balls onto the bottom of a tube. A pan flute is relatively easy for a hobbyist to make themselves, from bamboo or, for example, PVC pipe. The pan flute is primarily played in Southeastern Europe (Romania) and South America. The shape of pan flutes varies depending on their region of origin. Originally, the pan flute was found in many parts of the world, as archaeological finds show, but in many areas it has fallen into disuse. Romania and the Andes are regions where this instrument has survived. In the 1970s, the pan flute gained wider recognition thanks to the Romanian pan flutist Gheorghe Zamfir, a student of the legendary Fănică Luca. While most people associate the pan flute with Romanian and South American folk music, this instrument is also adept at playing other musical genres. Musicians such as Simion Stanciu, Nicolae Pîrvu, and others have demonstrated that the pan flute is also well-suited for performances of classical music. Pan flutist Matthijs Koene demonstrated through various performances and workshops that modern avant-garde repertoire is also well-suited for this instrument. Several compositions were also written for him, and Koene developed a concise methodology that emphasized modern techniques such as microtonality, glissandos, effects like flatterzunge, multiphonics, whispertones, filtered noise, simultaneous singing and playing, slaptongues, pizzicato, vibrato, as well as the possibilities and impossibilities. Koene performed works by Gerard Beljon, Chiel Meijering, David Helbich, André Douw, Matthias Kadar, and Daan Manneke, among others.
