Florio's Breathing Flute

Scholars lament that next to nothing has been discovered about the life and work of Pietro Grassi Florio (1738?-1795), one of the best-known names among flutists of the 18th century. In particular, it has never been clear what association he may have had with the invention of the six-keyed flute, the model of flute marketed under the name Florio, and the reintroduction of the C-foot. The present book blows open the research about Florio. It traces in detail: his move from Dresden to...
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Scholars lament that next to nothing has been discovered about the life and work of Pietro Grassi Florio (1738?-1795), one of the best-known names among flutists of the 18th century. In particular, it has never been clear what association he may have had with the invention of the six-keyed flute, the model of flute marketed under the name Florio, and the reintroduction of the C-foot. The present book blows open the research about Florio. It traces in detail: his move from Dresden to London, his employment as a flutist in London by the major opera houses and concert series, the music he performed in concert and at the opera (where "Florio's Breathing Flute ... merited much Applause"), the compositions he wrote and published, his reputation as a musician and as a person, his marriage to the daughter of a London woodwind maker, and the involvement of Florio and his wife with the six-keyed flute. The second part of the book contains 60 pages of musical examples, including many complete movements, illustrating the music that Florio both performed and composed.