The Keyed Flute is a translation and study of J. G. Tromlitz's tutor for the 8-keyed flute, first published in German in 1800, a time when countless different kinds of flute were in use. It is the first serious 19th-century method book for the instruments, explaining in great detail how to play flutes of Tromlitz's own special design. Powell's study of the late 18th-century flute places the Tromlitz flute in its context. He offers a new approach to the instrument's history, relating the design and manufacture of the flute, its tone and intonation, to contemporary evidence of playing technique, performance practice, composition style, developments in the flute market, and the flute's important place in society. Documentation of the history of the flute in this period is the most complete to date, revealing a clear picture of Tromlitz's importance and of his contemporary influence. The edition contains information vital to the historically informed performance of classical and Romantic music.
