How I Stayed in Shape

How I Stayed in Shape by twentieth-century French flautist Marcel Moyse is his final collection of flute studies, created for intermediate and professional flute players, including musicians with limited practice time and everyone who loves the flute. Rooted in the French School tradition, this volume brings together Moyse’s pedagogic and artistic experience with a focus on thoughtful, music-centered practice.

Edited by Nikolaus Delius and presented in French, German, and English, the book uses examples drawn from classical flute repertoire together with Moyse’s detailed commentary to address essential areas of playing. Rather than functioning as a conventional song collection, it connects practical study with the ideas of a distinguished performer and teacher.

Moyse focuses on formation of tone, intonation, articulation, and phrasing, connecting technical work with musical expression rather than treating technique as an isolated exercise. His observations offer a window into the approach and practice habits of one of the major flute figures of the twentieth century, making the volume useful for focused practice, flute lessons, teaching reference, and performance preparation.

Study Content

The source does not provide a fixed study count or a list of individual titles. The musical material consists of studies and repertoire examples discussed within Moyse’s text, with comments that keep attention on tone, expression, phrasing, and the music itself.

For daily flute practice, lesson reference, performance preparation, or gifting to a flutist interested in Marcel Moyse and the French School tradition, How I Stayed in Shape combines practical study material with the perspective of a celebrated performer and teacher. Its trilingual presentation makes Moyse’s commentary available to a wider international readership while preserving the musical values at the heart of his teaching.