The Gilbert Legacy

From the Publisher

With Gilbert’s untimely death in May of 1989, I recognized the importance of sharing the work: to pass on his teaching and to honor his memory. With overwhelming encouragement from colleagues and many of Mr. Gilbert’s students, I made necessary changes and decided to publish the work myself to protect the copyright. In 1990, I founded Winzer Press and published the book under the title: The Gilbert Legacy; Methods, Exercises, and Techniques for the Flutist. As work for a fourth printing progressed, it became clear that major revisions were needed—editing, updating—essentially a facelift for a book that took shape between 1982 and 1987. During this process, questions arose that required additional research, steering me to excellent online resources including recent dissertations, websites, and books that covered the history of British orchestras. 

A primary goal in producing this revised and expanded edition of The Gilbert Legacy is to clarify and elaborate on his appointments with the Hallé and London Philharmonic Orchestras. Since the 1980s, I have learned an astonishing amount about Geoffrey Gilbert: the remarkable details of his life, the merits of his contributions to British orchestras and to chamber music—through his work with the Wigmore Ensemble—all leading to his enormously successful career as a brilliant and influential orchestral principal, flute teacher, and conductor. Expanded materials offer detailed information covering Geoffrey Gilbert’s life, as provided from recent research and deepened through documents in the Gilbert Family Archives.

New and amended sections found in the front of this book include the dedication, an epigraph, two forewords—the first from Monya Gilbert and the second from Trevor Wye, a preface, and a revised introduction. Part I: The Life of Geoffrey Gilbert has been expanded from one chapter to ten chapters. Part II: The Teachings of Geoffrey Gilbert opens with “Geoffrey Gilbert’s Approach to Teaching: A Philosophy of Compassion.” The following chapters explore Gilbert’s teaching methods and techniques, preserving Gilbert's own words and explanations as approved by him in the 1987 treatise. Edits have been made for clarity to improve comprehension while keeping the methodology intact. New appendices preserve Gilbert’s corrective (alternate) fingerings, provide foundational exercises based on Gilbert’s practice ideas for tone and articulation, share collective wisdom from flutists and teachers influenced by Gilbert, and add a few surprises. ​

The Gilbert Legacy provides a compendium of information suited to intermediate and advanced players seeking a natural and logical approach to playing the flute. Gilbert’s core fundamentals and beginning concepts have proven beneficial to flutists of all ages. His concise explanations along with his positive and insightful pedagogy are effective for all flutists who wish to improve. Through further preservation and clarification of Geoffrey Gilbert’s teaching methods in this new edition, The Gilbert Legacy continues to sustain his enduring legacy.

—Angeleita Floyd, November 2024

Contents

1. The Life of Geoffrey Gilbert
2. Introduction to Gilbert's Teaching
3. Principles of Fundamental Technique
4. Breathing, Blowing and Breath Control
5. Embouchure
6. Technique of Sound
7. Expressive Nuances of Sound: Dynamics, Tone, Color and Vibrato
8. Articulation
9. Techniques for Practicing
10. Conclusion

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