Jacques Hotteterre (1673-1763)
Premier livre de Pièces pour la Flûte traversière
(First Book of Pieces for the Transverse Flute)

Jacques Hotteterre, called le Romain, is one of the most illustrious figures in the history of the transverse flute. At the same time a distinguished performer, an enlightened teacher and a recognised composer, he brought to the Baroque flute full respectability through his Livres de pièces (Books of Pieces), L 'Art de Prélude (The Art of the Prelude) and his Principes de la Flûte (Principles of the Flute). There are various confusions relating to Jacques Hotteterre, to whom the invention of the three-section Baroque flute is often wrongly attributed, whereas he was only its populariser.

Member of a great family of instrument-makers originating from Couture-Boussey in Normandy, Hotteterre was born in Paris on 29th September 1673. His father, Martin (1648-1712), was then a well known master in