"It was estimated in 1829 that one man in ten in London played the flute. Players, teachers, composers and makers competed for their share of the vast market for anything to do with the flute. Much of the history of the flute in the nineteenth century is based on the works in this collection, which includes descriptions of newly-invented flutes, arguments about their relative merits and some extraordinary battles between rival makers and players."--Publisher's description.

Teachers and flutists at all levels have praised Nancy Toff'sThe Flute Book, a unique one-stop guide to the flute and its music. Organized into four main parts--The Instrument, Performance, The Music, and Repertoire Catalog--the book begins with a description of the instrument and its making, offers information on choosing and caring for a flute, sketches a history of the flute, and discusses differences between members of the flute family. In the Performance section, readers learn about breathing, tone, vibrato, articulation, technique, style, performing, and recording. In the extensive analysis of flute literature that follows, Toff places individual pieces in historical context. The book ends with a comprehensive catalog of solo and chamber repertoire, and includes appendices with fingering charts as well as lists of current flute manufacturers, repair shops, sources for flute music and books, and flute clubs and related organizations worldwide. In this Third Edition, Toff has updated the book to reflect technology's advancements--like new digital recording technology and recordings' more prevalent online availability--over the last decade. She has also accounted for new scholarship on baroque literature; recent developments such as the contrabass flute, quarter-tone flute, and various manufacturing refinements and experiments; consumers' purchase prices for flutes; and a thoroughly updated repertoire catalog and appendices.

The second edition of Susan J. Maclagan’s A Dictionary for the Modern Flutist presents clear and concise definitions of more than 1,600 common flute-related terms that a player of the Boehm-system or Baroque flute may encounter. Fully illustrated with more than 150 images, the entries describe flute types, flute parts; playing techniques; acoustics; articulations; intonation; common ornaments; flute-making and repairs; flute history; flute music books, and many more topics. Unique to the second edition are entries on beatbox techniques and muscles of the face and throat. Entries now also feature bibliographic cross-references for further research. Carefully labeled illustrations for many flute types, parts, mechanisms, and accessories help make definitions easier to visualize. Appendixes provide further information on such subjects as flute classifications, types of flutes and their parts, key and tone hole names, head joint options, orchestra and opera audition excerpts, and biographies of people mentioned in the definitions. Contributed articles include “An Easy Guide to Checking Your Flute Tuning and Scale” by Trevor Wye; “Flute Clutches” by David Shorey; "Early Music on Modern Flute” by Barthold Kuijken; and “Crowns and Stoppers” and “Boehm Flute Scales from 1847 to the Present:The Short Story” by Gary Lewis. Maclagan’s A Dictionary for the Modern Flutist, second edition is an essential reference volume for flutists of all levels and for libraries supporting student, professional, and amateur musicians.