A “well-tempered flute” by T. Boehm – the final stage of its evolution and the standardization of its tuning system

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the development of the flute acoustic and tuning systems during the 18th-19th centuries. Based on the analysis of J. J. Quantz's treatise »Versuch einer Anweisung, die Flöte traversiere zu spielen« and the flute of its construction with two enharmonically unequal keys Es and Di s, the intonation and technological features of using pure tuning system in playing an instrument are revealed. Following Quantz’s ideas was another German musician, the Leipzig master instrument maker J. G. Tromlitz. He strongly recommended maintaining the dominant position of the pure tuning system while performing on the flute. The defining stage in the development of the flute design and the establishment of the well-tempered tuning system as the basis of its acoustic features was the reform of T. Boehm. The models of the inverse conical bore flute with open ring keys (1832) and the cylindrical flute with flap keys (1847) created step-by-step give evidence of the evolution of T. Boehm's views on expanding the sound dynamics and improving the intonation capabilities of the instrument.