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Paris copy or independent school? Exploring the Belgian flute school in the Belle Époque.

During the Belle Époque (c. 1870 - 1930), the Paris Conservatoire was one of the most influential music institutions in Europe. The French flute school, which is still famous today, has its origins there. It seems obvious that in Belgium, which is a stone's throw away from Paris, the conservatories in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp, all established decennia after the Conservatoire, emulated the famous Parisian concept and performing style. But was this really the case, or did they perhaps take a different path? What exactly did the flute education in these three institutes look like? What flute types did they use and what repertoire did they play? How did they interpret the music? How do we, nowadays, deal with this cultural heritage, and how can we adopt the music practice of that time in our interpretation of the works? Answers to these questions are sought from both a theoretical and a practical angle. For this purpose, historical documents on flute education, flutists and historical performance practice are collected and analyzed, and the theoretical knowledge is transferred to flute playing.

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