Flute History
Neanderthal Bone Flute ca. 50,000 B.C.
The first flute was the "Neanderthal Bone Flute", it was found by Dr. Ivan Turk of the Slovenian Academy of Science. It is known as the oldest musical instrument. It was made from the femur of a cave bear.
Keyless cylindrical flute, ca. 1550
1619-20 - Praetorius' Syntagma Musicum portrays three Querflotten, with 2-octave ranges.
1636 - Flutes in the keys of "D" and "G", were invented with a new cylindrical bore, made of wood.
1670 - The flute got turned into three-piece, and 1-keyed flutes in "D" started to appear. With more changes: conical bore (flute tapers down to middle, placing the holes closer together) and smaller finger-holes.
Hotteterre fingering chart, 1707
1720 - 2 keys were added, and the middle joint was divided in half.
1722 - Famous flutist and composer Quantz added tuning cork in headjoint and C# key on footjoint.
1726 - E-flat & D# keys were added on footjoint by Quantz.
Borkens, 1735
1760 - G#, B-flat, & F keys were added to the flute by Florio, Gedney, & Potter.
Boxwood flute with three corps de rechange, 1760
1782 - J.H. Ribock adds closed C key.
1790 - 4 keyed flutes appear in the symphonic music of Mozart and Haydn.
1790 - 4 keyed flutes appear in the symphonic music of Mozart and Haydn.
Classical flute,1795
1800 - B-flat lever was added for 1st finger of right hand, and started appearing in the Beethoven's symphonies.
Grenser Classical Flute, 1800
1806-48 - Claude Laurent invents 3, 4, and 7 keyed glass flutes.
1808 - Rev. Frederick Nolan invents open holes (on the rim only) .
1810 - George Miller starts making metal bores, in London.
1812 - Tebaldo Monzani puts knobs on the mouth-hole.
1814 - James Wood creates three tuning slides, in London.
1808 - Rev. Frederick Nolan invents open holes (on the rim only) .
1810 - George Miller starts making metal bores, in London.
1812 - Tebaldo Monzani puts knobs on the mouth-hole.
1814 - James Wood creates three tuning slides, in London.
Late classical flute, 1818
1821 - Rudall & Rose start making 8-keyed flutes, which start to become popular in England.
1822 - The Nicholsons (father and son) adjust the key positions and make a flute with a more narrow bore.
1824 - Maker Pottgiessen invents the ring and crescent key.
1822 - The Nicholsons (father and son) adjust the key positions and make a flute with a more narrow bore.
1824 - Maker Pottgiessen invents the ring and crescent key.
Boehm old system flute, 1829
1829 - Boehm begins developing a completely new fingering system, because this figering-holes are too far apart. He built his own machine for boring holes, pillars, posts, and flat gold springs.
1830 - Boehm's new model is finished.
1831 - Boehm presents his new model in performances, at paris and london.
1830 - Boehm's new model is finished.
1831 - Boehm presents his new model in performances, at paris and london.
Boehm new system flute, 1832
1832 - Boehm is inspired by hearing Charles Nicholson play the flute virtuoso, he then changes from standard covered holes to open holes, producing clearer tone and better intonation. He also adds a thumb crutch for the left hand.
Godefroy cocus wood flute with Dorus G# key, 1832
1834 - The Boehm Flute gains popularity with French and German flutists.
1837 - Auguste Buffet improves on Boehm. He changing axles, hole placements, lugs, rods, and sleeves.
1838 - Buffet and Coche, add D# trill key and G# key.
1839 - Flutemaker Ward manufactures the Boehm flute in London.
1840 - Rudall and Rose begin manufacturing Boehm flutes in London, and Clair Godfroy starts manufacturing the Boehm flute in Paris.
1846-47 - Boehm experiments with a cylindrical bore based on a "parabolic curve". He also enlarges the embouchure to a quadrangular shape, producing a fuller and clearer tone. Pads are improved by covering the inside of closed keys with felt and the rims of open keys with skins, which are held together with screws and washers.
1846 - Boehm experiments with different metals. He choose silver, because he finds it to possess the best tone quality, while being the least fatiguing to play.
Rudall, Rose, and Carte with Dorus G# key,1847
1847 - Boehm sells rights of manufacture to Rudall & Rose and Clair Godfroy/Louis Lot in Paris.
1847 - Boehm Flutes are imported to New York City.
1849 - Composer Briccialdi adds the B-flat key, for the thumb.
1847 - Boehm Flutes are imported to New York City.
1849 - Composer Briccialdi adds the B-flat key, for the thumb.
Rudall and Rose, 1851
1855 - Boehm Flute wins gold medal at Paris Exhibition.
1877 - Boehm finishes his "modern silver flute". The Macauley Flute is silver, with a gold embouchure. It also has gold springs and a B foot.
1877 - Boehm finishes his "modern silver flute". The Macauley Flute is silver, with a gold embouchure. It also has gold springs and a B foot.
Macauley flute, 1877
End of 19th Century - The flute appears with an expanded technical capacity in the orchestral scores of Brahms, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky. Virtuosic showpieces started to become the fashion for flute solos. Flutes are able to play music which had been too technically demanding for pre-Boehm instruments. Composers these days demand for flutes that can play in excess of three octaves.