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The Baroque
Between 16th and 18th
century the flute made an
important development.
The inner drilling,
being cylindric at first,
became a conic one for
the middle part and the foot
in the 18th century.
This change
is shown by a view
at the fingering tables
of flute methods.
At this time
the flute was already
made of three parts.
To adjust the tuning,
which differed between
different locations,
there were different
middle parts for every
flute.
Six key holes
allowed to play
the major scales.
The range included
all between the
d one and the a three.
Quantz
meant the e three to be
hightest usefull tone.
A bit later
a seventh hole was
added to this system
in order to make
use of other scales
possible.
This new hole (dis)
could not be reached
with the fingers without
help. So the first key
had to be invented.
As a result the flutes
were better tuned and
the range became
wider.
In the years
between 1720 and 1830
many musicians tried
to improve the flute.
New keys and holes
were added. Most
modifications leaded to
as many disadvantages
as advantages. So most of
them never became public and
were soon forgotten.
1751 the bass flute
was invented in France.
Taking todays nomenclature,
the instrument should have
called alto flute.
As the length of the
flute did not allow
the closing of the holes
with the fingers,
additonal keys hat to
be applied.
Possibly this had auch die Entwicklung
an influence on the
development of the
flute.
About 1770 people
tried to avoid
cross fingerings by
adding keys and holes.
It succeeded. The last
cross fingering remained
the C.
This last gap was closed
later on by
Johann Georg Tromlitz.
The so found mechanic
was very rickety and
did not work reliably.
To play fast and clean
with those flutes
was nearly
impossible.
The main disadvantage of
those former flutes was,
that the locations for
the keyholes hat do be found
bei considering the range
of the fingers. All
dimensions of the flutes
were based purely on the
experience of the
makers.
The most used material
was wood of the box tree.
This material swells from the
wetness of the spittle.
So the tuning is
getting worse in spite of
the technical enhancements.
Besides ebony, grenadill,
maple and
ivory were used.
Johann Sebastian Bach
wrote for the first time
music for the flute after
a visit of the opera
in Dresden (1730).
Probably he heard there
an impressioning flute
player.
Even after this moment
all of his music
was intended for recorder
or flute.
The cause for this
phenomenon were probably
musicians playing both
instruments.
Nevertheless it seems Bach
knew very gifted flutists
as his work includes
notes above the
f of the 3rd octave.
A milestone of
flute history
is the book Les Principles de
la Flute Traversiere (1707) by
Jacques Hotteterre
(le Romain). He is a member
of one of the most important
families of flutists.
The start of the
18th century was
flutes heyday. Responsible
for that were musicians
like the already given
Jacques Hotteterre,
John Loeillet
and Johann Joachim Quantz.
The flute being loved
at the french
court,
became capable for
all courts in Europe,
which was guided
by France.
Last update: 17.02.2010
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