Claudio Vellutini

The concept of music embodiment has become a focal point in music research, offering insightsinto how musicians learn, relate to their instruments, and use their bodies as mediators with theenvironment. Embodiment replaces the traditional Cartesian divide between body and mind withan integrated view of human experience. Rooted in Merleau- Ponty’s philosophy, embodimentemphasizes the role of body schema in developing a “sense of ownership” and conscious action.In music education, Jaques-Dalcroze’s “Eurhythmics” pioneered an embodied approach,highlighting the importance of movement and spatial awareness in acquiring musical skills.More recently, researchers such as Arnie Cox have underscored the role of sensorimotorprocesses in musical cognition, emphasizing imitation and deliberate gestures as central tolearning.Despite its growing prominence, embodiment has seen limited application in instrumentaltraining. This dissertation examines its potential for flute practice, focusing on how embodiedawareness can address technical challenges and improve musicianship. Flute playing inherentlyinvolves unconscious processes, such as breathing and sound production, which can be betterunderstood and refined through an embodied lens. The long-standing parallel with singing—afoundational model in flute pedagogy—offers a framework for easily understandingembodiment, given the voice’s intrinsic connection to the body. By examining the physiologicalsimilarities in breathing mechanisms and sound emission, this research aims to validate thecomparison and define its practical implications for flute practice. Moreover, building on LindaKaastra’s definition of embodied practice as awareness of typically unconscious processes andon Luc Nijis’ idea of instrumental incorporation, this study investigates how flute playing canintegrate body schemata and refine gestures specific to the instrument. Additionally, insightsiiifrom motor skill acquisition theories in sports provide a framework for addressing the physicalityof musical performance.Through self-observation and notation, I analyze my practice to cultivate awareness anddevelop exercises addressing instrumental challenges within embodied practice. This researchproposes a model for uncovering unconscious processes, enhancing movement awareness, andempowering flutists to use technical tools creatively. By integrating embodiment into flutepedagogy, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of practice and artistic growth.

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Pablo Casals (1876-1973) ranks amongst the most influential figures in the history of the violoncello. Casals never held a permanent teaching position, neither did he commit his teaching philosophy to paper. This thesis examines three selected aspects of expressive tools: intonation, vibrato, and portamento – as interpreted by Casals – and defines how they are reflected in methods of two cellists with first-hand access to Casals's knowledge: Diran Alexanian (1881-1954) and Maurice Eisenberg (1900-1972). The first chapter presents two extensive biographical accounts of these authors. Alexanian taught at the École Normale de Musique and was succeeded by his student Eisenberg. Both cellists spent their later careers teaching in the USA. Their relationship to Casals is discussed as well: Alexanian was Casals's trusted colleague, while Eisenberg his favourite student. Alexanian's method Traité théoretique et pratique du violoncelle was published in 1922 and Eisenberg's Cello Playing of Today first appeared in 1957. All subsequent chapters contain a historical overview of the expressive tools under consideration, how Casals contributed to their development, and how the methods of Alexanian and Eisenberg discuss Casals's contributions. Each chapter contains a critical discussion of the tools' applicability to the playing of today. The second chapter provides an analysis of Casals's expressive use of intonation, discusses its practical relevance and how it is often erroneously taken for a tuning system. The third chapter introduces how vibrato developed from an occasional ornament to a crucial component of sound production and how Casals brought the "continuous vibrato" to cello playing. The fourth and final chapter offers a detailed discussion of Casals's right-hand technique and his use of portamento. My research demonstrates that not all of the content of Alexanian's method identifies with Casals's ideas – Alexanian never studied with Casals and had his own strong views. Alexanian's treatise, however, forms a bridge between two different eras, before and after Casals's hugely influential contribution to cello playing. In comparison, Eisenberg's method is in total accordance with Casals's ways of playing and his presentation of methodology is more comprehensive. Eisenberg's method presents the definitive written legacy of Casals's ideas.

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