Story of the Flute
his family at Lausanne, probably at the end of 1835. He there continued his endeavours to improve his flute. In the course of one of these attempts the tube over which he had spent so many hours cracked, and in a fit of despair he threw it into the Lake of Geneva. Though much cast down, he set to work on another, but before it was finished he had to abandon it, owing to his intellect giving way. In 1836 he became absolutely insane, and had to be put into an asylum, where (with the exception of a brief interval in 1839) he remained till his death, the exact date of which is unknown. He is said by some authorities to have committed suicide, but of this there is no authentic evidence. Truly a sad end to an honourable man and an enthusiastic musician!
Let us now glance rapidly at the career of his rival. Theobald Böhm was born at Munich on April 9th,Böhm 1794, the son of a working jeweller and goldsmith. From an early age he displayed a penchant for the flute, and in 1810 he made himself a four-keyed flute. As he was originally intended to follow his father's occupation, he had already acquired considerable mechanical skill, which he subsequently largely developed. He took lessons on the flute from Johann Nepomuk Capeller, who was first flute in the King of Bavaria's Court orchestra and who had made some improvements on the flute. Bohm appears to have made rapid progress in the world; he soon became second flute in the Court orchestra, and was first flute in the Isargate Theatre in Munich from 1812-17, acting52
