The Art of Flute in Britain

Robert Bigio-Rudall Rose and Carte-The Art of Flute in Britain looks at the life of the original firm, Rudall & Rose, producers of simple-system flutes of the highest quality.  Moreover, the firm went on to buy the British rights to manufacture Boehm’s 1847 cylindrical flute, which is the basis of the instrument most flute players use today. Rudall, Rose & Carte dominated flute making in Britain for a century and a half from their founding in 1822.

For much of their existence almost every professional flute player in Britain played on one of this firm’s instruments. Richard Carte, a brilliant businessman, joined the firm as a partner in the early 1850s.  He transformed them from a small business producing high-quality flutes to a hugely-successful concern that produced and sold flutes and most other instruments as well as publishing books and music. Robert Bigio-Rudall Rose and Carte-The Art of Flute in Britain

In addition, he pursueded them to also begin production of Theobald Boehm’s early conical flute. This book is a comprehensive history of the firm and contains detailed descriptions of the many innovative instruments they made. There are hundreds of colour photographs of flutes, alto flutes, bass flutes and piccolos, each shown in at least two views, and where necessary in three or four views with photographs of details.

The book includes a lavishly-illustrated Gallery containing hundreds of photographs:

Simple-system flutes by George Rudall and by John Mitchell Rose before they formed their partnership; by Rudall & Rose; by Rudall, Rose & Carte; and by Rudall Carte
Advanced simple-system flutes, including Carte’s ‘Old System’ and flutes made to Clinton and Siccama systems Boehm flutes with ring keys, both conical and cylindrical
Modern-style Boehm flutes
Carte’s 1851 Patent flutes
Carte’s 1867 Patent flutes
Radcliff flutes
Unusual flutes, including those made to special order for the inventors Mathews, Martin and Welch

Robert Bigio

Robert Bigio was born in the Middle East but raised in Vancouver, Canada. He earned a BMus from the University of British Columbia prior to relocating to Britain, where he achieved a PhD from the University of London. Robert embarked on a professional flute-playing career spanning numerous years, eventually transitioning into flute making.

Renowned for his expertise, he is also recognised as an accomplished author and scholar in the realm of flutes and their manufacture. He served as the editor of the British Flute Society’s journal for a five-year period. Robert has penned two notable flute-centric books: “Readings in the History of the Flute,” an assemblage of writings from nineteenth-century London encompassing monographs, essays, reviews, letters, and advertisements; and the freshly published “Rudall, Rose & Carte: The Art of the Flute in Britain.”

https://www.bigio.com