Theobald Boehm
Author: Chris MindelPublished on: Dec 1, 2001
Theobald Boehm was a Bavarian flute virtuoso born in 1794. He was a genius at the flute and sought to play to the best of his ability. In 1831, he heard a performance of Charles Nicholson of England. Nicholson was one of the most famous of the early nineteenth century flautists. He made and marketed his own design of flute, of which even his had special qualities. So Boehm heard Nicholson play - big deal, right? Actually it is.
Boehm had spent his life playing the flute of the day, always seeking to play and sound better. He actually studied acoustics at the University of Munich, to better understand how his instrument was producing sound. But it was hearing Charles Nicholson play that pushed him over the top, so to speak. Indeed, in Boehm’s book, The Flute and Flute Playing, he states, “Had I not heard [Nicholson], probably the Boehm flute would never had been made.” And it was this Boehm Flute that changed the world.
But what is the Boehm Flute? Well, the Boehm system sort of compromised the tuning of the instrument a little, and added a lot of new keys and key actions, to make the flute easier to play. With only a few minor modifications, the flute that Boehm made is the flute that is still used today. (You must picture it’s predecessor. The flute used in common practice before Boehm’s had only eight keys. His flute was a huge leap forward in flute technology.)
And there you have it. Boehm, a musical genius, built his own flute, which revolutionized the music world. But, as is often the case, revolutions spread. In 1844, Hyacinthe E. Klosé and Louis-August Buffet adapted some of Boehm’s fingerings and revolutionized their own instrument: the clarinet! Yes, a Boehm clarinet was patented in 1844. It too has gone through some modifications to get to the clarinet we know today. But the Boehm foundation was there!
But the revolution didn’t stop there. The Boehm system spread to oboes and tried to get to bassoons. The bassoon was the Boehm system’s only hold out. Boehm himself worked on the bassoon (in fact, Boehm had the desire for his revolutionary system of fingering to spread to and improve all woodwinds), but it didn’t go over well with critics. It looked a lot different that what they were used to, and the sound wasn’t as woody (as much more metal was, indeed, being used).
‘So, how does this impact me, the saxophonist,’ you are asking yourself. Well, around 1840 or so, a man by the name of Adolphe Sax was looking around for a fingering system for his new invention. He based the fingering largely on the Müller clarinet (circa 1812), but he also used a lot of the design of the keys from (fanfare) the Boehm system. Yes, this is why reed players can switch between flute, clarinet, and saxophone. And, to an extent, oboe and bassoon. All because one man wanted to make a better flute. And there you have it. I guess Mr. Boehm got his wish after all. Without his fingering system, the woodwinds wouldn’t be as special and beautiful as they are today.
Suggested Reading
Boehm, Theobald (trans. Dayton Miller), The Flute and Flute Playing. Dover, New York, 1964.