Michel Blavet

Michel Blavet (March 13, 1700 – October 28, 1768) was a French flute virtuoso.

Blavet was born in Besançon, France. Although Blavet taught himself to play almost every instrument, he specialized in the flute (which he held to the left, the opposite of how most flutists hold theirs today) and bassoon.

The son of a wood turner, Blavet was famous for maintaining impeccable intonation, even when he played in difficult keys, and for the beauty of his tone.

By the time he was forty years old, Blavet had been both the principal flute in both Louis XV's personal musical ensemble, the Musique du Roi, and the Paris Opera orchestra. Blavet turned down a post in Frederick the Great's court (which Quantz eventually accepted after the pay had been increased significantly).

Blavet wrote primarily for the flute; his surviving works include a concerto and three books of sonatas. All of his works are written only in the easiest keys, since he wrote them for amateurs to play.

Media

External links

• Free scores by Michel Blavet in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)
• Michel Blavet at flutehistory.com