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:
•
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)
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; Acrostic 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.
Illustrated with more than thirty engravings, photographs and line
drawings. First published 2006. Fourth impression 2018. Paper
bound. 234mm by 156mm. 368 pages. Price £30 (30 GBP).
ISBN 978-0-946113-07-1
To order, please email Robert@bigio.com
Readings in the History of the Flute
Monographs, essays, reviews, letters and advertisements from nineteenth-century London.
Selected and edited with an introduction by Robert Bigio.