Readings in the History of the Flute
- Staff Pick
Staff Pick
“Don't Judge a Book by its Cover”
The very splendid cover photo of Charles Nicholson would seem to indicate that this is a book full of heavy-weight articles about the flute from nineteenth century London. And indeed it is. It also contains enough gossip, satire and genuinely funny material to fill a copy of 'Hello' magazine. 'One man in ten' seemed to have played the flute at that time and the interest in it appears insatiable.
This is the age of the development of the Boehm flute and the stand-off between its advocates and the opposition verges at times on the vitriolic. Famous names grace the pages: Nicholson, Richard Carte, John Clinton, and W.N James are all represented and the amount of print generated by them and others is extraordinary. This is the nineteenth century equivalent of a very big Twitter storm. An article in The Musical World journal from 1843 makes this observation:
Flute Mania: A flute is a musical weed which springs up everywhere. The preference of our amateurs for this instrument can only be accounted for by the easiness of attaining to a certain point of proficiency upon it; though to play well and in tune, even a simple melody is a degree of merit not reached by one out of twenty who attempt it.
The miscellaneous articles are also very entertaining. Here is some advice from 'Mr C Sharp' to 'Mr Phunniwistl' on how to play a flute solo which begins:
'As soon as your turn arrives, you will of course keep the audience waiting some little time in expectation - it does them good, whets the appetite and makes them curious; stay until they get tolerably fidgetty, and then make your appearance. Now mind! a grand concerto always begins with a row - or else it cannot be grand; so tell your friend who 'just scored it' for you, not to spare the brass! Well then, you commence with a crash....
The second part of the book contains the long articles about flute construction including one by Boehm himself complete with diagrams. All of this was overwhelming to some at the time. Here is Mr Anti Monotonous writing to the Musical World also in 1843:
'I am rather suprised that you should allow so much space in your valuable work to be occupied with a discussion on the 'Boehm Flute' which seems interminable and can lead to no good.'
You will learn a lot from this book, but it will also make you smile.
From the Publisher
Monographs, essays, reviews, letters and advertisements from nineteenth-century London. Selected and edited with an introduction by Robert Bigio.
It was estimated in 1829 that one man in ten in London played the flute. Players, teachers, composers and makers competed for their share of the vast market for anything to do with the flute. Much of the published history of the flute in the nineteenth century is based on the works in this collection, which includes descriptions of newly-invented flutes, arguments about their relative merits and some extraordinary battles between rival makers and players.
This collection contains the full texts of these most important nineteenth-century works on the flute.
With a Miscellany of essays, letters, reviews and advertisements from the daily press and from musical journals plus personal letters from George Rudall and John Clinton to Theobald Böhm: George Hogarth on the flute; Philo-Flauto; Letter from an amateur flute player; Charles Nicholson appointed Flutist to the King; The death of Nicholson; Bucher and Boehm; Richardson and Card; ‘My Dear Phunniwistl’; The Paris Conservatoire and the Boehm flute; Prowse and the Nicholson flute; On the Tone of the Flute; Monzani and Wylde; Flute-mania; Hodgkinson; Review of Clinton’s Boehm flute tutor; Carte’s advertisement; Card’s advertisement; crostic on Richardson’s name; The Boehm flute controversy; Advertisements by Prowse, Ward and Clinton; More Boehm flute controversy; Review of Carte’s Boehm flute tutor; ‘To Make a Flute Solo’; Clinton’s letter to Boehm; Siccama’s advertisement; Carte’s advertisement; Rudall’s letter to Boehm; Carte and the metal Boehm flute in Newcastle; Madame Dulcken and Mr. Carte; Richardson and Pratten; The flute controversy continues; Card’s Melodion; The Great Exhibition; Review of Clinton’s Practical Hints; Clinton and Carte caution flute players in advertisements in The Times.
Contents
- Charles Nicholson “A Word or Two” to Mr. W. N. James (1829)
- W. N. James Mr. James’s Answer to Mr. Nicholson (1829)
- William Annand A Few Words on the Flute (1843)
- Cornelius Ward The Flute Explained (1844)
- John Clinton A Treatise Upon the Mechanism and General Principles of the Flute (1851)
- Richard Carte Sketch of the Successive Improvements made in the Flute (1851)
- John Clinton A Few Practical Hints to Flute Players (1855)
- T. C. Skeffington “The Flute” in its Transition State (1862)
- Theobald Böhm Essay on the Construction of Flutes (1847, first published in 1882 with notes by W. S. Broadwood)
Item Details
Category: Flute Reference BooksPublisher: Tony Bingham Edition
Our Stock Code: 927734
Media Type: Paperback (368 pages [score])
