French flute innovations.

Rien de Reede's book on Parisian flutists of the second half of the 18th century provides biographical information on musicians active in Paris during the years surrounding the French Revolution. The book includes chapters on Pierre-Évrard Taillart and Félix Rault, both students of Michel Blavet, a prominent flutist, bassoonist, and composer. It also features an annotated lexicon with details on 126 individuals from various sources, as well as a bibliography. The book offers insights into the musical life, practices, and opinions of French and non-French musicians during this period, including the appearance of female performers, experiments with quarter-tone intonation, and the use of instrumental doubling. While the book does not provide much information on musical principles or techniques, it sheds light on the careers and experiences of the musicians documented. [Extracted from the article]