Theobald Boehm

See also: Böhm

Theobald Boehm (April 9th 1794 - November 25th 1881) is a Musicien - Flûtiste at the Court of Bavaria -, Compositeur, factor of musical instruments, acoustics expert and inventor Bavarian.

Wire of a goldsmith, it is in particular known to have developed the Flute such as we know it today.

Between 1821 and 1831 it gives Concert S in Europe, often interpreting its own compositions and playing on flutes made in its own workshop of Munich. During one of its voyages to London, it meets the English flutist Charles Nicholson whose play all in power allures it. It then decides to create a new system which would make it possible to produce a sound as powerful as the English flutes with very large holes of play of the time, while improving the accuracy of the instrument, which was problematic since always.

It develops then in 1832 first flute “System Boehm” (in opposition to the systems preceding, known as “simple systems”), which is adopted by famous flutists of the time, but also meet a strong opposition, in particular that of Jean-Louis Tulou of the Conservatoire of Paris.

In 1847, it builds its first metal flute, whose body is with cylindrical borer and the conical head. It is this instrument which will give rise to the modern flute.

The Boehm flute has a mechanism more complex than the preceding ones, because the holes are not placed any more at places easy to reach by the fingers of the musician, but on their optimal site in term of acoustics. They are then stopped by key . The tacts are more rational (B flat, F naturals or C naturals in particular are facilitated considerably) and make it possible to play more easily in all the tonalities. The third and fourth octaves are easier and righter than previously.

The Système Boehm was applied with more or less success to other wind instruments of the family of the wood, in particular the Clarinette.

Theobald Boehm is also at the origin of inventions in variés fields;: the manufacture of Piano S and that of musical boxes, chimneys of Locomotive with vapor, and a Telescope to locate fires.

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