Friday, January 31, 2020

Contribution of Organizational Culture to Change management Essay

Contribution of Organizational Culture to Change management - Essay Example When considering the influence of culture in the change management process, certain factors often emerge that include the management or leadership style preferred by the workers. In addition, the workers may demand for an active participation in the change management process since such changes impact on their lives both at the office and at home. When effecting change in an organisation, the culture embraced by the management and employees is important in ensuring that the new plans introduced in an organisation achieve their goals.Among the organisational culture that is often adopted during the change management process is empathy. Empathy as a process associated with the management of organisational change creates a strategic environment for improved communication. In addition, empathy improves understanding that exists between the change agent and the personnel working for the organization. The change agent further need to understand their employee’s concerns by establishi ng an empathetic relationship with them. This is important especially during periods of effecting changes in the organisation.Developing empathetic relationships with workers assist managers to anticipate any discontent among their employees. In addition, it is the manager’s role to support their employee’s and makes them feel valued in times of making changes in an organisation. Empathy further allows the change agent to understand the employee’s needs and this helps the managers to plan for the change process.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

The Iliad of Homer :: essays research papers

Emotions in the Iliad, Emotions today The 'Iliad'; by Homer is a book that deals with many emotional issues. I am going to talk about a few emotional parts of the Iliad and compare them to the emotional life of today. I have chosen a section of the book and will talk about the emotions that come up there. The section that I have chosen to talk about is in book 18 when Achilles is very angry and very sad about Patroclus death. After that he wants revenge by killing hector.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First off, Achilles talks about how sad he is about the death of Patroclus. Achilles groaned and answered, 'Mother, Olympian Zeus has indeed vouchsafed me the fulfillment of my prayer, but what pleasure is it to me, seeing that my dear comrade Patroclus has fallen—he whom I valued more than all others, and loved as dearly as my own life? Here, Achilles talks about how much he loved Patroclus almost more than he loved himself. By what he is saying there, you can see that he is very sad, but that he will not just sit there, that something needs to be done. I think that in modern time, emotions haven't really changed. They are something that everyone has and I don't really think that they change from time to time. I still think that people still care about each other very much. Love is still very felt today. It I felt in the same way it always was. I think that when one that was close to you dies, you will have some sort of devastation. I think that one could be as devastated as Achilles was when Patroclus died, but I would think that it would be very rare. I would say that love is just as common today as it was back in that time. After that part, Achilles shows vengeance when he talks about how he wants to kill Hector. 'I will not live nor go about mankind unless Hector fall by my spear, and thus pay me for having slain Patroclus, son of Mencetius.'; There he is talking about how mad he is that Hector killed Patroclus. He is so mad that he wants to kill Hector for it. You see that it is a crazy plan because even his own mother says that he will die if he ends up succeeding with his plan. 'Thetis wept and answered, Then my son, is your end near at hand—for your own death awaits you full soon after that of Hector.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Living on Campus or Living Off Campus

Living on campus Living on campus Living off campus Living off campus VS. VS. Live on campus or live off campus Recently, one of the most popular issues that students are talking about is where to live in the next academic year. Some students believe that live on campus is a better choice because living in resident halls on campus is convenient and safe. Some other students think that live off campus is better, because it will have fewer restrictions and a better accommodation. Each choice has its own advantages and disadvantages. That’s why I was struggling for this issue for a long time.After careful consideration, I believe that live on campus is a better choice and I have a lot of reasons to support it. First of all, live on campus is safer. Living on campus will dramatically reduce the potential possibilities of accidents on the roads like car accident, robbery and sexual assault. There is a famous murder case, which generated international attention earlier this year. Wu and Qu, two 23-year-old electrical engineering graduate students of University of Southern California who come from China, were shot when they were driving home in a BMW sedan from the library around 1 a. m. on April 11. (nbclosangeles. om) The criminal’s motive of murder is robbery. Just because they lived off campus and had to drive back home, the two young lives stops suddenly in the most beautiful period of their life and left endless sadness to their friends and families. According to a survey from Trinity College, 60. 2% of students indicated that they felt safe on campus and 28. 4% felt unsafe. (Grace Kim). There is another accident just happened around us. A friend of my parents lost his son in a car accident in America. He was a student of Indiana University and at one day he drove home, his car crashed into a big tree and caused a fire.He was burned to death in the car. Safety is always the most important thing for college students, especially for international stu dents, since their parents are thousands miles away and worries about them all the time. Because of safety, living on campus is better choice than living off campus. Besides the reason of safety, resident halls also create a perfect environment to live and study. Taking the example of Michigan State University First, the resident halls supply various kinds of services, which are all very useful and necessary.When you have any troubles and questions, you can go to the front desk to ask for help; When people are ill, they can go to the health center, the nurses and doctors there will give people prescriptions and suggestions for health in time; When you miss lunches or even hungry at midnight, small cafeterias, like the Sparty’s will offer warm food, drink and snacks for you. The staffs in resident halls are always friendly and patient, which make us feel warm. Second, there are a lot of resources in resident halls. Since I don’t know them very well, I interviewed the re sident assistant in our floor.Her name is Doneisha Parker and she is a sophomore in accounting major. She briefly introduced the 23 resources of resident halls on campus and focused on 3 most useful ones. Math Learning center (MLC), which can give you math tuition on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Writing center, which can give you suggestions for the papers you are working on by appointment. Yoga and Zumba classes three times a week are good for your health and beauty. All of these resources are very helpful and they are free. Third, people can have their individual place for rest and study between classes.In college study, there is always a large amount of time between classes. People live on campus can go back to their dorms for rest, study, or entertainment. People live off campus, however, have to stay in libraries or some other places during these breaks. According to a study, which investigated the relationship of loneliness, social support, and living arrangements with academic persistence decisions of 401 college freshmen, freshmen living on campus had higher GPAs (M= 2. 85, SD = . 73) than those living off campus (M = 2. 59, SD = . 2)(Nicpon 345-358) Another reason that makes me believe that live on campus is a better choice than live off campus is that we can meet more people and have more friends. There are so many chances to meet new friends if you live on campus. First of all, you will know the people live on the same floor with you since you meet with each other everyday. Also, you will know a lot of people from the activities and clubs in resident halls if you participate in actively. For example, the Hubbard hall in Michigan State University has an international Club.This club organizes activities and meetings every week and creates a perfect environment for communication between students from different countries. What’s more, having meals in cafeteria, studying in public area are also the chances to meet people and make new frien ds. If living off campus, however, most of these will be impossible. Because of the safety, the great environment and more chances to make friend, I prefer to live on campus when I become a sophomore. I hope that I can have a great time on campus. Works Cited Grace Kim, Safety and Education at Trinity College, 20 December 2004Nicpon, Megan Foley, et al. â€Å"The relationship of loneliness and social support with college freshmen’s academic performance and persistence. † Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice 8. 3 (2006): 345-358 Doneisha Parker, Personal Interview, 22 October 2012 Nbclosanglas. com: Police: Forensic Evidence Tied USC Murder Suspects to Earlier Crimes, by Melissa Pamer and Samantha Tata, May 19, 2012 http://www. nbclosangeles. com/news/local/Police-Forensic-Evidence-Tied-USC-Murder-Suspects-to-Earlier-Crimes-152147955. html

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Human Conscience And Destiny In Oedipus The King By Sophocles

Among the Greek tragedies, there can probably be found something deeper and more elaborate, than â€Å"Oedipus the King† by Sophocles, but there is not a single one, in which the philosophical depth and tragic strength would be combined with such incomparable sophistication, noble grace and structural perfection. The image of a monstrous Sphinx with the face of a woman, wings, sharp claws, the body of a lion and mysteriously dangerous speech penetrates the whole tragedy as an incorporation of destiny and unknown future. The following research represents a critical analysis of the Sophocles’ tragedy, dealing with various issues raised in it. It gives a detailed analysis of different problems evoking throughout the tragedy on the basis of the†¦show more content†¦He saved people from the deathly and truly intimidating allurement of the monster and solved its riddle. This is what he is like at the beginning of the tragedy. He is described as the savior of humanity from the dark forces of the Destiny, a hero of mind and will. The people believed that he would conquer the monster and he himself believed in his own strength. The people considered him a wise deity and he himself thinks so. However, Oedipus is a human being and nothing more. The victory of mind and will over Sphinx as a symbol of Destiny is temporary. Although, Sphinx ran away and left the people in peace, it pierced the heart of the hero and would soon once again give him unsolvable riddles. This is the core of the tragedy. Although Sphinx no longer exists, it is still inside the soul of its conqueror. It is more intimidating than any carnivorous animal as now he is elusive and bodiless just like a phantom. Sphinx is the mystery of life and every human conscience. The prophet Tiresias has a full right to mock the savior of people by saying that he should no save himself. Let him know who his mother and father are and what the meaning of life is. The meaning of life lies in the victory of his spirit over Destiny and victory of Destiny over spirit (Bloom 65). Let every human solve the riddle of their ownShow MoreRelatedFate vs Free Will in Sophocles ´ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare ´s Macbeth1487 Words   |  6 Pagesthat has never been fully answered. In Sophocles Oedipus Rex and Shakespeares Macbeth, fate is determined by their own choices and free will, the character Macbeth knows of what lies ahead of him, making him alter the present to create his idealistic future, however instead he lives a life of ruins. As for Oedipus his entire actions are based on one prophecy he desperately attempts to avoid which later causes his unintentional demise. Oedipus by Sophocles and Macbeth by Shakespeare are both tragicRead MoreAn Analysis of Fate vs. Free Will in the Theban Plays1392 Words   |  6 Pagesheart of the matter in Sophocles Theban Plays. Sophocles dramatizes the struggle between fate and free will, in one sense, but in another sense the drama might be better understood as the struggle between the will of the goods (which it is prudent to follow, according to Teiresias) and mans will (which is often imprudent). Sophocles characters are moved by their own wills, of course (eit her in accordance or in conflict with the will of the gods). Oedipus in Oedipus the King is determined to pursueRead MoreAntigone Vs. Jocasta Essay example830 Words   |  4 Pagesa woman is to find a mate in order to bring healthy offspring into the world. Conservative thinking tells women to cook, clean, take care of the family, and to perform other miscellaneous domestic chores. Yet, Sophocles also defines the place of a woman in his tragedies: Oedipus the King and Antigone. Women were respected as very powerful and dignified individuals, but at the same time were forbidden to meddle with the affairs of men as they, figuratively, were to stand behind men at all timesRead MoreThe Tragic Flaw Of Oedipus And Hamlet1829 Words   |  8 PagesThe tragic flaw of a human being is usually checked with the method he or she reacts with to the circumstances that life throws upon him or her. Contemporary society appears to be fixated on giving gatherings of people cases of such individua ls who, in spite of the affliction of their lives, that still transcend. In fact, maybe nobody is more fit for indicating triumph over struggles than Sophocles and William Shakespeare. In both Oedipus and Hamlet, for example, the primary characters struggle withRead MoreAutonomy in Hamlet and Oedipus952 Words   |  4 PagesFor their injustices, Oedipus must be exiled from Thebes: Socrates must drink hemlock and die. Discuss the extent to which Oedipus’ and Socrates’ final moments are determined by past acts of autonomy. Socrates is a character who is seen as person who dies for his ideals. He sees himself as a public servant who has lived his life helping the people of the city with his practice of philosophy and by living his life within the boundaries of the laws and justices of society. Socrates sees thisRead MoreHamlet And Oedipus The King1544 Words   |  7 Pagesand Oedipus the King. Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles and Hamlet was one of the famous dramas of Shakespeare. There were some similarities and several differences between the two tragedies. Although the plays were both set in different time periods, they had similar themes about fate and free will. Their plots were also analogous. However, the two main character had a major vital difference that Hamlet is a tragedy of inaction and Oedipus is a tragedy of action. Hamlet and Oedipus theRead More The Themes in Oedipus Rex Essay2792 Words   |  12 PagesThe Themes in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, contains one main theme, which this essay will consider. The theme is the general doctrine or belief implicit in the drama, which the author seeks to make persuasive to the reader (Abrams 170).    In â€Å"Sophocles’ Moral Themes† Robert D. Murray Jr. cites a critic who is strictly moralist in the interpretation of the theme of Oedipus Rex:    Let C. M. Bowra speak for the moralists:    The central idea ofRead MoreEssay on Tragic Flaws in Oedipus the King3561 Words   |  15 PagesOedipus the King, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy, presents tragic flaw(s) as the cause of   the near-total destruction of the life of the protagonist. This essay examines that flaw. In his essay â€Å"Sophoclean Tragedy† Friedrich Nietzsche agrees that there is an â€Å"error† within the protagonist, but refrains from specifying exactly what it is: The most pathetic figure of the Greek theatre, the unfortunate Oedipus, Sophocles takes to be a noble man called to error and alienation in spite ofRead More Mythology in Oedipus Rex Essays3980 Words   |  16 PagesMythology in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   E. T. Owen in â€Å"Drama in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus† comments on the mythological beginnings of Oedipus Rex:    Professor Goodell says: â€Å"Given an old myth to be dramatized, Sophocles’ primary question was, ‘Just what sort of people were they, must they have been, who naturally did and suffered what the tales say they did and suffered?† That was his method of analysis (38).    The Greek Sophoclean tragedy Oedipus Rex is based on a myth fromRead More Mythology in Oedipus Rex Essay examples4094 Words   |  17 PagesMythology in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In â€Å"The Oedipus Legend† Bernard M. W. Knox talks of the advantages accruing to Sophocles as a user of myths in his dramas:    The myths he used gave to his plays, without any effort on his part, some of those larger dimensions of authority which the modern dramatist must create out of nothing if his play is to be more than a passing entertainment. The myths had the authority of history, for myth is in one of its aspects the only history of an

Monday, December 30, 2019

The Stonewall Riots of 1969 Jumpstarted the Gay Movement...

There are certainly various points in history that can be construed as trailblazing for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. One event in particular, however, sparked awareness and a call to action that previously could never have been conceptualized in the United States. This unforgettable incident, the Stonewall riots of 1969, altered the public’s view of the gay community and arguably jumpstarted the next revolution in an entirely new civil rights movement. In the wee hours of June 28th, 1969, members of the gay community were forced to enter a string of intense protests when the New York City Police began to raid the Stonewall Inn, a popular hangout spot for drag queens and members of the LGBT community, in Greenwich†¦show more content†¦#2 The late Harvey Milk once said, â€Å"If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.† The concept of one’s â€Å"coming out† story is often thought of as a single life-changing moment in which all instances and experimental experiences from one’s life prior to affirming a new identity are deemed insignificant when one permanently takes on the role of said identity, which is also referred to as â€Å"passing.† However, many researchers argue that this is simply not the case. Antithetically, some individuals contend that nobody is ever truly â€Å"out,† as he or she will be forced to continue affirming their identities t o nearly everyone he or she encounters throughout life. In â€Å"Epistemology of the Closet,† an in-depth analysis of the preconceived notions that accompany coming out, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick radically asserts that the closet is the single delineating obstacle representing gay oppression and that there really is no such thing as a â€Å"stable† identity. Accentuating the fact that there is a clear distinction between the private and public sphere, cleverly, Sedgwick also relates ideas regarding the closet and gay disclosure to Jewish identity, explored heavily in the Book of Esther. This is perhaps one of the most noteworthy aspects of her essay, as Sedgwick takes a predominantly intersectional approach in her study, linking one’s

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Bracero Program - 2140 Words

The Bracero Program The extraordinary Mexican migration that delivered millions of immigrants to the United States over the past century is one difficult to ignore. At times the border did not exist, however in more recent times the US has created policies to curb Mexican migration into the states. The relationship the US has with it’s southern neighbor has always been a complicated one. Both countries have a relationship like no other two countries in this world, in which depending on the time period is a give and take relationship. Each group of immigrants have their own story about coming to America, but none quite like the stories of Mexican immigrants. The Bracero Program, planted the seeds of Mexican migration between 1942 and 1964. An estiminated 4 million of Mexican men were contracted to work in the United States as part of a war effort called the Bracero Program.Of the millions U.S. Mexicans, who self-identified as being of Mexican, trace their family’s arrival to the United Sta tes to a Bracero.Cheap and foreign labor has always played an important role in the development of agriculture in the United States. And for the first time, an official program for migrant farm workers was developed and Mexican ‘Braceros’ - Bracero loosely translates into â€Å"arms†- flocked to the United States in order to harvest crops. The most important concept to understand about the Bracero Program, was that these men were not seen as humans, but instead as commodities that should beShow MoreRelatedEssay on Bracero Program692 Words   |  3 PagesThe Bracero Program The Bracero Program was a temporary contract labor program initiated in 1942 by the United States and Mexico. Designed originally to bring a experienced Mexican agricultural laborers to harvest sugar beets in Stockton, California, but soon spread to most of the United States and to the railroad industry. Although the railroad program ended in 1945, after World War II the agricultural program continued until 1964. Originally, the program was designed to protect the illegalRead MoreThe Bracero Program Essay1167 Words   |  5 PagesThe Bracero Program War creates all kinds of hardships on everyone involved whether it is overseas on the front line or right in our own backyard. During World War II one hardship faced in the United States was the lack of laborers to work the land and other taxing jobs here in the United States. The solution, bring migrant workers from Mexico to complete the work; otherwise known as the Bracero Program. What is the American and Mexican history leading up to the Bracero program? Were these workersRead MoreThe Benefits Of Mexican Government Essay1945 Words   |  8 Pagesinitial concerns. After the signing of his agreement the recruitment stations were created. The braceros were recruited in Ciudad Juarez across from El Paso, Texas. The recruitment sites became crowded of Mexicans who were unemployed and wanted to go to the U.S. to work. Although the braceros that were chosen were those who had agricultural experience many other Mexicans who were unable to obtain a bracero permit bribed the official s into selecting them. Many individuals who were not able to obtainRead More Cesar Chavez: A Great Organizer and Leader Essays2055 Words   |  9 Pagesprevious to 1964 were often unsuccessful because of the Bracero program that was implemented by both the United States and Mexican governments. Farm owners encouraged this program because of labor shortages during wartime, but by the 1950’s the Bracero workers were being used to undercut wages and break strikes by the migrant workers. This caused migrant workers to keep a low profile because anyone who went on strike could be replaced by a Bracero (Tajada-Flores). Cesar Chavez was an advocate of nonviolenceRead MoreLiterature Review : Wage Suppression / Bracero Program1424 Words   |  6 PagesElsa Gomez Pena Professor Murshid POSC 349B 02 November 2015 Literature Review: Wage Suppression/Bracero Program In a capitalist society, profit maximization is the primary concern of firms and corporations. Because wages are a deduction from profit, one often reads in our texts and other articles inspired by Marx that wage can never be low enough for capital. These kind of statements are supported by empirical evidence, in particular, by various companies’ and economic policy makers’ major effortsRead MoreBracero Movement1324 Words   |  6 PagesSteinaker 1 Sydney Steinaker Professor Chicano Studies 24 January 2012 Bracero Movement The United States always has a way of blaming Chicano people for the rising unemployment rates, when in reality the United States is the one who wanted Chicano people to work. After World War II the United States needed more manual labor which then provoked the emergence of countless Mexicans into the U.S.. They were known as Braceros, which were Mexican laborers that were allowed into the United States forRead MoreMexican Immigration And The United States1676 Words   |  7 Pagesagricultural economy in the United Stats continued to develop across the country. The second wave of immigrant influx occurred during 1942 to 1964, with the introduction of the Bracero Program, recognized as the first governmental action taken to regulate Mexican immigration into the United States. (Zong Batalova, 2014) The word â€Å"Bracero† was a term coined to the migrant workers, describing â€Å"strong-armed men† from the Spanish word â€Å"brazo† which translates to â€Å"arm.† Although this act was seemingly portrayedRead MoreThe Mexican Revolutionary War On America845 Words   |  4 Pagesthat created the Bracero Program. (?) This program contracted experienced workers to work only temporarily in the United States, leaving their families behind in order to get ahead in life and be able to provide for their families. Despite past events in Mexican immigration 4.6 millions of Mexicans still came to America through the Bracero Program between 1942 and 1964, this helped out the United States economy tremendously. As stated by Kelly Lytle Hernandez â€Å"the Bracero Program within the contextRead MoreImmigration Policies During Mexican Immigration Across The Border From The Mid 20th Century Into The 21st Century1627 Words   |  7 Pagesborder from the mid-20th cen tury into the 21st century? This report is centralized around two main arguments. The first argument accounts for the ineffectiveness of the United States’ original 20th century Immigration and Nationality Acts and work programs for Mexican migrants, as they contributed to the gradual rise in Mexican immigration trends from the 1940s-1990s. This is validated by the negative effects of the numerical restrictions of the policies and the lack of control over illegal businessRead MoreStrawberry Fields by Miriam Wells1172 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernment plays an immense role on how things are structured in the fields in order to make a profit based on capitalism. Wells’ argument of capitalism being an unjust system due to politics affecting the class structure and workforce through the Bracero program, enactment of the Alien Land Law, and the return to sharecropping is quite strong even though there is a weakness in her argument due to her straying from the topic at hand and not offering an argument for the capitalist side. Wells establishes

Saturday, December 14, 2019

J.S. Bach Flute Sonata in B Minor the Development of the Baroque Flute Free Essays

J. S. Bach Flute Sonata in B minor (BWV 1030): the development of the Baroque Flute, the flautists and the music Johann Sebastian Bach (J. We will write a custom essay sample on J.S. Bach Flute Sonata in B Minor: the Development of the Baroque Flute or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. Bach) is no doubt one of the greatest composers of all times. He composed many works for flute including works for solo flute, flute with harpsichord and/or continuo and, two flutes and harpsichord. However, there has been a controversy, over the flute works, whether they were composed solely by the composer, assisted by someone or under the guidance of J. S. Bach. In addition, some scholars doubted that some of works are not written for flute and they are actually transcribed for flute by the composer. Especially, the Sonata in B minor (BWV 1030) raises most number of controversies. The J. S. Bach flute compositions are standard repertoire for the flute even today. As a professional flute player, it is very important to have comprehensive knowledge on the background of these works because they directly affect the way of interpreting them. By reviewing the development of Baroque flute and analyzing the time period of the compositions would greatly help flutists to have a deeper understanding on these important repertoire in flute especially the B minor sonata (BWV 1030). The development of the instrument, Baroque flute, plays no doubt very important role on influencing the work written for it. The difference in range, tonality, mechanisms greatly affect the compositions written for it. Unlike other wind instruments, the Baroque flute was developed later than others. Since it is made differently, it is definitely impossible to apply the styles of other instruments on the Baroque flute. Some research suggested that J. S. Bach has little familiarity of the flute and flute players because, although the style of the compositions are similar to the other pieces of the composer, the flute works do not show that he understands the characteristic and the quality of the instrument. 1 And, the lack of knowledge of the flute would probably be because the composer did not listen much works for flute and meet flutists in where he worked. As mentioned above, the development of Baroque Flutes has great impact on how the pieces were written for it. Consequently, it is impossible to overlook this element when doing this research. â€Å"Flute† is a general term for a large and diverse woodwind instrumental family of which players blow air across the surface of any hollow object to produce sound. The appearance of the instrument, not only in western music, is found all over the globe like di-zi in China. 2 In Western music, flute plays an important role from ancient Greek music to contemporary music nowadays. The design, uses and playing styles keep changing even today. As one of the oldest instruments in Western music, â€Å"flutes† first appear in a picture of a shepherd playing the flute from the sermons of St Gregory of Nazianzus in a manuscript of early eleventh century. 3 It is mostly associated with nature and pastoral life. In Renaissance, flute was one of the instruments in mixed ensemble. More importantly, it played a notable role in sacred concerti or sacred symphonies. Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630), one of J. S. Bach’s predecessors, composed seven ensemble works that featured a transverse flute which is always assigned to the second voice. This tradition went on to the Baroque era and solo flute works became more popular from 1670. There were large changes in its mechanisms. The new instrument is now built in three or four sections instead of one piece; it is modified from a large cylindrical bore to a conical bore in which the diameter of the headpiece was greater than the foot piece which improves the tuning of the upper notes; most importantly, one key was added in the foot piece so there is an extra note which the little finger of the right hand cannot reach originally and it produces the new note d#’. These inventions are very important. However, there is a common misunderstand, however, regarding â€Å"the flute† as a single instrument. In fact, it refers to an instrumental family in the Baroque Period. There are, generally speaking, eight different kinds of flutes including concert flute, descant flute and flute d’amour. Different kinds of flutes appeared in different pitches. 5 In the music that Bach wrote for flute, he did not, like all the composers at that period of time, specify the type of flute they writing for. In addition, there is a possibility that different flutes were used in different performances. All flutes were written as if they were in the key of D especially in the first quarter of the 18th century. As a result, it is difficult to judge which flute the composer had in mind from the music. 6 In the journal â€Å"J. S. Bach’s Compositions for Solo Flute: A Reconsideration of Their Authenticity and Chronology† by Robert L. Marshall, he suggests: â€Å"It is still widely believed that Bach wrote eight works for the solo flute. But the view that has prevailed among Bach specialists for the past fifteen years is that the rather similar Sonatas for flute and harpsichord obbligato in G Minor (BWV I020) and E Flat Major (BWV io31) were probably composed by someone else-most likely Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach–and that the Sonata in C Major for flute and continuo (BWV 1033) was written by one-or two-of Bach’s students (one of them, again, might have been Emanuel Bach), presumably in part under the composer’s active supervision and intervention. † 7 This suggestion probably comes from the lack of normal musical style in his writing. Moreover, his writing shows no understanding of the qualities of the instrument. However, this argument seems invalid when considering the type of flute Bach was written for. The first flute solo work by Bach, Partita in a minor (BWV 1013), was written between about 1720 and 1730. He was one of the first German composers who started composing music for solo flute. This may be stimulated by the new four-piece design of the Baroque flute. The instrument has an advanced feature to have an extended footjoint giving the note c’ however, Bach did not use this new feature in his B minor flute sonata (BWV 1030). Also, its middle joint has different length and can be replaced so that the pitch of the instrument can be altered to accommodate different pitches in different areas. Moreover, it now has a clearer and accurate tone. Fast passages and big leaps can now be played with ease. 8 This is probably one of the reasons why there are more compositions for solo flute. In addition to the development of the instrument, flautists’ involvement plays another crucial role in flute music composition. Bach first work with flute players in Cothen. The Prince of Cothen happened to be a keen musician ho was not in favor of elaborate church music, so Bach concentrated on instrumental music. Interestingly, the flautists were considered assets to the court because the salaries of the flautists in the courts were around three times higher than other musician. And, in this Cothen period (1717-1723), flute appeared as a solo instrument in his Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (1719) and the B minor Suite for f lute (BWV 1067). 9 Later, the â€Å"violinlization† of music in Paris was taken place of which a style characterized by constant semiquaver and arpeggiated passagework in Dresden. This style was achieved by the new Baroque flute. Bach moved to Leipzig in 1723 and he met new flautists there and started composing a large amount of flute chamber music. They begin with the Flute sonata in E minor (BWV 1034) dated c. 1724. Then, the later works are the C major (c. 1731), Eb major (1730-34), B minor and A major sonatas (c. 1736). These pieces seem match well with the larger-bored four-joint flutes with the most effective range. 10 However, two of Bach’s flute chamber works do raised some questions with the fact that if they were written for flute because there is more than one score written by the composer and they seem not written for flute. They are the sonata in B minor (BWV 1030) and sonata in G minor (BWV 1020). The sonata BWV 1030 is the most important one. There are two scores written for the keyboard part, one in B minor and the other one in G minor. Some Oboists claimed that the G minor is the original version of the sonata for oboe and it is transposed for flute later in B minor. However, there is evidence that flute was a transposing instrument and there is no reason for Bach to write two separate version of music for different instrument. But, as mentioned before, Baroque flute is a family of instruments. There is a possibility that the piece is written for flute but that is not the concert flute. Every instrument’s ideal sound is to emulate the â€Å"singing quality† of the human voice – the music was written in a range that more suitable in lower range flutes. The sonata in B minor (BWV 1030) particularly has a strong vocal quality which may suggests that the flute part is actually written for the flute d’amour. Like his Church Cantatas, the flute obbligatos part is intended for the d’amour. 11 Flute d’amour is an alto instrument tuned to D at French Chamber pitch. It sounds a major or minor 3rd below the normal pitch of harpsichords, and played at transpositions. But, this is a French tradition of transposing the pieces in the â€Å"Clef francoise† with the G on the bottom line. As a result, Bach wrote two separate scores for the flute and keyboard parts in his flute sonata in G minor based on the â€Å"Clef italienne†. It is understood by the flautists who worked with Bach and they should recognize it at a glance. 12 To conclude, the B minor flute sonata (BWV 1030) by Bach is written for flute, Flute d’amour precisely. It raised much doubt about this because the composers of the time did not specified what kind of flute they wrote for. And, nowadays, with misunderstanding that â€Å"Baroque flute† is a term for a single instrument, people may suggest that this flute piece is not suitable for a particular Baroque flute. However, with a clearer picture of the development of the Baroque flute family, the intention of Bach to write two separate scores and the common practice of the flautists those days, the Sonata in B minor should probably be intended for the Baroque flute, the flute d’amour. How to cite J.S. Bach Flute Sonata in B Minor: the Development of the Baroque Flute, Essay examples