Theobald Böhm (Boehm): Flute Inventor

Theobald Böhm or Boehm (April 9, 1794 – November 27, 1881) was a German inventor and Bavarian court musician. He is credited for inventing the Western concert flute and its improved fingering system known as the "Boehm System."

Boehm was a virtuoso flautist and composer for the flute. He was born in Munich, Bavaria. He learned goldsmithing through his father's trade. He made his own flute and played in an orchestra at the aged of 18. At 21, he became the first flautist in the Royal Bavarian Orchestra.


He experimented by constructing flutes from different materials, especially with changing positions of the instrument's tone holes. He began improving the flute in 1832 after studying acoustics at the University of Munich. He patented his new fingering system and published Über den Flötenbau ("On the construction of flutes") in 1847.

In 1851, his new flute was first displayed at the London Exhibition. Twenty years later, in 1871, Boehm published Die Flöte und das Flötenspiel ("The Flute and Flute-Playing"), a treatise on the acoustical, technical and artistic characteristics of the Boehm system flute.

Boehm's fingering system has been adapted to other instruments, such as the oboe and clarinet.

For listening pleasure of those interested, here's Mozart's Magic Flute Overture conducted by James Levine / Metropolitan Orchestra 




Resources:

1.  Böhm, Theobald; Dayton Clarence Miller. The flute and flute-playing in acoustical, technical, and artistic aspects. Dover Publications, 1964.
2.  Sadie, Stanley, Ed. Philip Bate/Ludwig Böhm, Boehm, Theobald in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, volume 3, pages 777 - 778
3.  Welch, Christopher. History of the Boehm flute. London: Rudall, Carte & Co., 1883.

Video Credit:

Mozart Magic Flute Overture. YouTube, uploaded by xxx.  Accessed April 9, 2011.

Image credit:

Theobald Böhm, photograph by Franz Hanfstaengl, ca. 1852.  en.wikipedia.org / public domain.



This post was originally published April 9, 2011, at my former website InventionsDiscoveries.com. / Tel