Charles Nicholson (flautist)
Encyclopedia
Charles Nicholson was a Liverpool
-born flautist and composer, who performed regularly in London. He was soloist at many of the Philharmonic Society 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
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
s.
Once his bravura
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 Roslin Castle
, in F minor which he wrote in 1836, are typical of the 'National Melodies' in the adagio style in which he excelled. These remained important features of English flute-playing until after 1890.
Even though Ardal Powell
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
'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. he also with boehms help made the ringklappnflote
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-born flautist and composer, who performed regularly in London. He was soloist at many of the Philharmonic Society 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
The embouchure is the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece of woodwind instruments or the mouthpiece of the brass instruments.The word is of French origin and is related to the root bouche , 'mouth'....
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
Portamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
and vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
s.
Once his bravura
Bravura
In classical music, a bravura is a virtuosic passage intended to show off the skill of a performer, generally as a solo, and often in a cadenza. It can also be used as an adjective , or to refer to a performance of extraordinary virtuosity. The term comes from the Italian language for great skill....
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 Roslin Castle
Roslin Castle
Roslin Castle is a partially ruined castle near the village of Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located around 9 miles south of Edinburgh, on the north bank of the North Esk, only a few hundred metres from the famous Rosslyn Chapel.There has been a castle on the site since the early 14th...
, in F minor which he wrote in 1836, are typical of the 'National Melodies' in the adagio style in which he excelled. These remained important features of English flute-playing until after 1890.
Even though Ardal Powell
Ardal Powell
Ardal Powell is a maker and player of historical flutes and a publisher of books on music.Powell received his MA degree in English in 1989 and PhD degree in Music in 2004 from Magdalene College. Both degrees came from Cambridge University...
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
Theobald Boehm
Theobald Böhm was a German inventor and musician, who perfected the modern Western concert flute and its improved fingering system...
's being greatly impressed by the flute's powerful tone on a visit in 1831. Writing to Mr. Broadwood
Broadwood and Sons
Broadwood and Sons is an English piano manufacturer, founded in 1728 by Burkat Shudi and continued after his death in 1773 by John Broadwood.- Early history :...
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. he also with boehms help made the ringklappnflote