The Modern Era

Abstract The physical evolution of the flute since the turn of the twentieth century has had a direct effect on the music written for the flute ever since. Perhaps the most important factor is stability, for the absence of mechanical change is evidence of the Boehm system’s proven excellence and reliability. The stabilization of the flute mechanism has permitted all manner of experimentation with music for the instrument because composers are able to deal with a known quantity. In other ways, too, the histories of instrument and music are closely related. First, mechanization, which began with methods of manufacture, later influenced the musical employment of the flute. This is reflected not only in the high technical standards of the modern literature but also in such avant-garde techniques as key percussion. Second, just as there is international cross-fertilization in the flute manufacturing industry, there is cross-cultural interchange in musical composition and in music education. Third, composers’ interest in smaller and variable pitch intervals parallels manufacturers’ interest in microdimensions. Similarly, musical interest in tone and timbre is largely a result of flute makers’ earlier attention to this subject. And both groups are concerned with economy. Just as manufacturers aim to maximize production efficiency and cost effectiveness, composers have scaled down instrumental forces, resulting in a renaissance both of small chamber music and the use of the chamber orchestra for concerted accompaniment.