Taffanel, (Claude-) Paul

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Taffanel, (Claude-) Paul

Taffanel, (Claude-) Paul, eminent French flutist, conductor, and pedagogue; b. Bordeaux, Sept. 16, 1844; d. Paris, Nov. 22, 1908. He was a pupil of Doms (flute) and Reber (composition). From 1864 to 1890 he was a flutist in the Paris Opéra orch., and from 1867 to 1890, flutist of the Cons, concerts in Paris, which he conducted from 1890 to 1903. From 1892 until his death he was one of the “chefs d’orchestre” at the Paris Opéra; in 1893 he succeeded Altes as prof, of flute at the Cons. In 1879 he founded the Société des Instruments à Vent in Paris, which was active until 1892. Taff anel is considered as the father of the modern French school of flute playing. With Gaubert, he wrote Méthode complète de flûte. He also composed some fine chamber music for wind instruments and prepared effective arrangements for flute and piano.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire