Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-20
A REED THAT CHARMS.
HoWsthe Modern Flute WaSsYVUfFed
From the Old instrument
eTHEeBALDBOEHM's PAnEHTWoRK:

1QEUOAIUsDVEaW . fAI1ENI WVkh.
Des1sssN Psrfection That On d IL
tained on the German Tuba
WHAT CONSTITUTES GOOD YIfYINH
81. WRITTEN FOE THE DIs11foRs
Paper No. q.
Even Apollonius might command shfs
Tho music winding through the Stops, up
springs
Tomake the playervery rich.
-Caso G,ndy Wsndous.
From time to time various attempts had
been made to improve the German flute in
| order to raise 1t from its ignominious posi-
tion. In disregard of all natural and
acoustic laws the tube had been fitted with
keys until it became evident to makers that
to improve 1t was impossible. singularly,
by the triumph Of German genius and in
ventive skill, the instrument was produced
to deal the death-blow to the German flute.
In the year 1888 there lived at Munich, in
Bavaria, musician, Theobald Boehm, first
flute at the Boyal Theater and futist to the
King. As, in his youth, he had been taught
the trade Of silversmith and mechanical
worker, he at an early age made attempts to
solve the problem Of improving the German
flute. Having for some time employed
other makers to develop his ideas in that
direction, he at last determined to found q
factory Of his own. The result of years
work was the production Of an instrument
which, for quality Of tone and compactness,
met with general favor. With flute thus
constructed on the conical bore he went to
Paris, and later to London, on professional
visitA At London he was impressed with
the powerful tone of Charles Nicholson, at
that time the most prominent dutist in
England.
Picking Up Points From Otherh
subsequently, on being introduced,
Boehm discovered that the secret of his
heavy tone lay in the largeness of the holes
of his flute. The faulty intonation and
quality of tone were overcome by Nichol-
sons extraordinary talents and command Of
his embouchure At the same time Boehm
became acquainted with one Gordon, q
Swiss by birth and pensioned officer of the
Royal Guard Of Charles K. Gordon was a
dilettante and had made several Intellectual
attempts to improve upon the old flute.
From diagrams in my possession his last at
tempt seems to have had some merit, but
was altogether too complicated an affair to
be of any practical utility.
After examining those flutes Boehm con
cluded that time spent trying to improve
the old flute was wasted, and he resolved to
construct one upon entirely new principles
With that object in view he returned to
Munich and directly began the fulfllment
of his plans After examining different
systems Of lingering he decided that ring
keys were superior to any. Success crowned
his efforts and in . short while he had ac-
quired facility in playing at concerts and
performing his orchestral work.
Approved by tho Academy.
In 1888 and 1885 he again played at Lon
don where the full tone and pure information
of his instrument were perceived aud ap-
preciated. The year following his flute was
exhibited with short explanation of its
system before the Academy of Sciences
(Paris). Savart, the Professor of Acous-
tics, received Boehm rather coldly, for he
declared that 1t was impossible to play tho
scale upon the hute and have it perfect
When he heard Boehm accomplish that
fact he introduced him personally to the
Academy. The report rendered by tho
Committee Of Examination was 80 favorable
that shortly after the instrument was
adopted exclusively by the distinguished
players of Europe.
In London Boehm met with as much suc-
cess as in Paris; and Gordon, on renewing
his acquaintance, was converted to his sys-
tenn. Shortly after Gordon went to Munich
and induced Boehm to make a tube for him |
without holes, as he believed that the
Boehm system could be 30 simplified as to
require only eight KEYS On Gordon re. |
jecting his own system Boehm allowed him |
the freedom Of his workshop, and placed |
two Of his most skillful workmen at his |
disposal. Boehm had never patented his |
invention (until 1S47), but left it open for |
outside improvement If any could be
found
Striving After an Impossibility.
After years labor at Munich. Gordon
produced an instrument, which he named |
Tia flute diatonique." That was an error,
as only the old flutes without keys are dia-
tonic; all those with KEYS, chromatic. With
that flute he visited Paris, but as far as
can learn It was never used by anyone, on
account Of its utter impracticability, for
Boehm bad warned him that to make an in
strument with eight keys and 13 holes, and
have it practical, was an impossibility,
With Gordon it had become q sort of
monomania to which he adhered till the
end of his life, o very sad end it seems, as it
is reported that he threw his flute into the
lake of Geneva, and died In q madhouse,
The honor of inventing the. Boehm flute has
been erroneously attributed to Gordon by
some English authorities, how falsely and
ungenerously the most too partial will OBJ
serve by reading Dr.. Schafhantl's report to
the London Industrial Exposition 1851)
concerning the origin Of the Boehm flute.
At one period it had reachedtthe nature Of
a heated controversy. which was finally SET
tied by the publication of Boehm's letters in
London. As Gordon was dead, he could
not, as he undoubtedly would have done if
living, give the honor of the invention to I
its rightful owner.
Making Keys and Making Notes.
Boehm's system Of lingering was valuable.
In his opinion so far as it improved the
properties of the flute; that being
the fine fundamental principle of all wind in
struments, the mechanism OF keys being Of
no Importance. Boehm, himself stated that
ito construct keys was an easy matter, but
10 make notes q difficult one" However
his system Is so simple that it Is in itself
great invention, as with 1t the fingers do
not move out of their natural position, and
there is no sliding from keys to finger
ing, as on the old flute. Ali that is obvi-
ated by combination Of keys working on
steel shafts, and when in repose all the
keys are open except D sharp. On the old
flute the holes and keys are not where they
should be, but are placed in !
positions to suit the fingers
Boehm could never understand how It
Lo4 Q,,kN IL IL