Pars-pro-Toto Playing (textbook with CD)

Clarino print 2003:

"The ultimate guide for all those for whom it is not enough to play "normal" music on a "normal" flute, but who want to experiment with the individual parts of the instrument and find out which sounds can be produced with it - a must for all those who want to seriously engage with the music of the late 20th and 21st century. (...) The accompanying CD is especially nice, as it clearly shows the (not yet so experienced) flutist how the playing on parts actually has to sound. The second parts of some duets are also available as karaoke tracks."

Üben & Musizieren 3/2004:

"(...) Numerous illustrations as well as detailed descriptions of finger position, blowing technique and fingering try to make the introduction to this new way of playing easier.

The joy of making music should not be neglected. With "Melodic change exercises", "Simple monophonic exercises and folk songs" as well as "Duos with parts and complete flute as 2nd voice", the author places great emphasis on playing practice. The CD proves to be a helpful companion. (...) "

Neue Musikzeitung No. 11 / 2006:

"If you can already do everything as a flutist and/or are looking for new paths besides the well-trodden paths of the music industry and enjoy experimental music a lot, then you should delve into this volume by Andreas Mazur. (...) What sound possibilities open up there ! In words, pictures and sound (CD) A. Mazur presents his newly found technique before eyes and ears. Fascinating, stimulating, expanding the flutistic horizon. Only, as I said, you have to have a lot of desire and time to familiarise yourself with the material."

Schweizer Musikzeitung 2003:

"Andreas Mazur's study book is about unconventional playing techniques on individual components of the flute. (...) What is special about Pars-pro-Toto Playing is the unfolding of special timbres that differ from the complete flute. (...) Nevertheless, these combinations are in no way to be regarded as substitutes for the instruments of other cultures, they rather build a bridge between them by forming a synthesis between "extended playing techniques" and "ethnic timbres". (...) The duos with parts in the first voice and the full instrument in the second voice are suitable for teaching. Simple monophonic exercises and folk songs train the ear; a tonal orientation is given by the enclosed CD with intonation exercises and duets. (...) All in all, "Pars-pro-Toto-Spiel" can be considered a refreshing study book for the flutist who wants to expand the tonal palette of his flute with imagination."

FLUIT 2003-3:

"(...) In this very original book - with CD - Andreas Mazur has done his very best to convince the reader/player with the help of photos about hand positions and a completely new notation. The book is not so much meant for small children (although teachers probably put the head and foot pieces together again in order to reinforce the embouchure while playing on such a simple little instrument at the beginning), but has a very dignified, methodical approach. This results in duets [of components] as well as complete flute: I have never heard GREENSLEEVES in this way before! Modern techniques are also possible once [the player] has been won over to this use of the flute. (...) "

Peter Sculthorpe (Australian composer, 1929 – 2014)

e-mail dated from October 27th, 2007:

„Dear Andreas,

Thanks so much for your letter and "Das Pars-pro-Toto Spiel, mit CD". (...) It"s a terrific book and I really love the CD. What beautiful sounds you make!

"Greensleeves" is just wonderful, like nothing I ever heard before. Also, I especially like the "Erweiterte Spieltechniken" later on the CD. Congratulations! (...)“

Sénanque:

Das Orchester 2/2007:

"(...) The Pars-pro-Toto Playing techniques used and the shakuhachi-like timbres they produce fit well with Mazur's Provençal memories and imaginings:
simple medieval monastic architecture, gentle wind sounds, psalm-modulating monks' chants. The technical instructions are easy to understand. However, since the practical implementation is not easy, it is recommended to purchase [Mazur's] compendium Das Pars-pro-Toto-Spiel Neue Klänge auf Teilen der Flöte (Frankfurt/Main 2003) (...) Sénanque is an original but very special piece. It demands a high sensitivity to sound, a willingness to experiment and a lot of patience."

Revue Musicales Suisse No. 6 / Juin 2006:

"In his solo composition Sénanque, the flautist and composer Andreas Mazur (*1968) musically describes his mood impressions during a short summer stay in the Cistercian monastery of the same name. These can be found, for example, in wind noises produced by breathing in and out through the foot part of the flute, or in the imitation of the monks' chants, which Mazur colourfully shapes with partly modified harmonics. (...)
The varied composition of the Pars pro Toto sounds with the usual "extended playing techniques" creates an atmospheric sound picture."


Neue Musikzeitung 3/2008:

"This solo piece attempts to describe a landscape in Provence around the monastery of Sénanque. Mazur uses the "Pars-pro-Toto Technique" he developed to depict it, i.e. separate or differently combined parts of the flute in a special blowing technique. Thus, the work begins with the footpiece, then foot and middle parts up to the complete flute. These playing techniques are explained at the beginning of the booklet. It is a solo piece that is certainly interesting for curious but very accomplished players."

Fauré Trois Mélodies:

FLUIT 4/2021
 
"(...) Technically, the songs (about two minutes each) are not very complicated.
Of course, it is a challenge to transfer a song to the flute and to keep thinking of the long bows. Mandolin is the most difficult, with long passages in tied
semiquavers and a whole lot of accidentals.
It's nice to be able to play these songs in this instrumentation, for those who have who haven't played alto flute that often, very suitable for beginners."

Flute rarities:


FLUIT 4/2021

Anton Ortner: Romance in F sharp minor for flute and piano 1847

"(...) The piece indeed begins with a very virtuosic cadenza in which the flutist can immediately show what he has to offer. This fierce entry is followed by a very calm cantabile piano part. A beautiful contrast, in which the other side of the flute playing can be heard immediately. Much drama follows, but the piece ends dolce in F sharp major. This romance is definitely worth an introduction, a nice challenge to show the possibilities on the flute."



Ernesto Köhler: Ruslan and Ludmilla, Concert Fantasy for Flute and Piano op. 95

"(...) There are some technical challenges in this fantasy: very fast (chromatic) staccato runs, long passages in tied thirty-second notes, large tied leaps and cadences. In addition, the piece also contains very expressive parts. A beautiful piece for the opera lover."

TRAVERSIÈRES MAGAZINE TM 141 / 2022

"The German flutist Andreas Mazur has been working for many years both on the reissue of repertoire scores, especially of pieces from the 19th century, and on interesting arrangements. He offers this work to the publisher [Edition] Kemel Niedernhausen. In this issue we present four pieces from the repertoire for flute and piano, all in the style of the brilliant fantasies of the 19th century, which is the repertoire of our instrument. These brilliant concert pieces are all in several parts, sometimes with a cadenza and a virtuoso finale, and can be integrated into a programme in sonata formation.
They are playable from the end of the second cycle, with the exception of the Great Italian Fantasy by Terschak, which requires a very high level of technical mastery."