Charles Nicholson (1795–1837), was a

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-born flautist and composer, who performed regularly in London. He was soloist at many of the

Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a membe ...

Concerts from 1816-1836, and first flautist with the principal theater orchestras. He toured extensively in Britain, but never on the Continent. Besides giving classes to many students, he wrote tutors for flute-playing which were published throughout the 19th century. Nicholson used a flute made by George Astor & Co., a London-based firm operating from c1778 to c1831. His father, also a celebrated flautist, modified the instrument, lining the headpiece with metal, enlarging the

embouchure Embouchure () or lipping is the use of the lips, facial muscles, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument. This includes shaping the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument or the mouthpiece of a brass instrument. The word is of ...

and toneholes with a view to making the flute's tone more powerful, yet still delicate, permitting the usual fingerings in the third octave, facilitating glides and

vibrato Vibrato (Italian language, Italian, from past participle of "wikt:vibrare, vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch (music), pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. ...

s. Once his

bravura In classical music a bravura is a style of both music and its performance intended to show off the skill of a performer. John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, ''A dictionary of music and musicians (A.D. 1450-1889)'p. 271-272/ref> Commonly, it is a virt ...

style on the modified flute had become accepted in London, he licensed several London flute makers such as ''Clementi & Co.'', ''Astor'', ''Rudall and Rose'', and ''Potter'' to produce the 'Nicholson's Improved'. The structure of his new flute favoured flat keys such as E flat, A flat, and F and C minor. Nicholson's variations on ''

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'', in F minor which he wrote in 1836, are typical of the 'National Melodies' in the

adagio Adagio (Italian for 'slowly', ) may refer to: Music * Adagio, a tempo marking, indicating that music is to be played slowly, or a composition intended to be played in this manner * Adagio (band), a French progressive metal band Albums * ''Adagi ...

style in which he excelled. These remained important features of English flute-playing until after 1890. Even though

Ardal Powell Ardal Powell (born 1958) is a maker and player of historical flutes and a publisher of books on music. He specializes in the study of baroque and classical flute as well as the impact that construction, playing technique, performance and repert ...

regards Nicholson as ''"the first native professional instrumentalist to achieve star status in Britain"'', Nicholson's present renown owes less to his personal style of playing than to

Theobald Boehm file:Theobald Böhm.jpg, Theobald Böhm, photograph by Franz Hanfstaengl, ca. 1852. Theobald Böhm (or Boehm) (9 April 1794 – 25 November 1881) was a German inventor and musician, who perfected the modern Western concert flute and improved ...

's being greatly impressed by the flute's powerful tone on a visit in 1831. Writing to Mr. Broadwood in August 1871, Boehm notes: ''"I did as well as any continental flutist could have done, in London, in 1831, but I could not match Nicholson in power of tone, wherefore I set to work to remodel my flute. Had I not heard him, probably the Boehm flute would never have been made."'' He also says ''"I was struck with the volume of the tone of Nicholson, who was then in the full vigour of his talent. This power was the result of the extraordinary size of the holes of his flute, but it required his marvellous skill and his excellent embouchure to mask the want of accuracy of intonation and equality of tone resulting from the position of the holes, which was incorrect and repugnant to the elementary principles of acoustics"''. From all accounts Nicholson had uncommonly large hands, and had even larger holes on his personal flute than those on the flutes bearing his name. Boehm promptly designed and marketed a new flute, embodying the earliest recognizable features of the modern flute.

References

External links

The Flute Book - Nancy Toff
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson (flautist), Charles 1795 births 1837 deaths British flautists