Solo pour la flûte traversière
© Arnaud Roberti
The rise of the Baroque transverse flute developed across Europe in the early 18th century. Driven by the maker, composer, and musician Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, it gradually replaced the recorder, thanks to the vast palette of colours and expressive possibilities it offers. Initially associated with intimate works accompanied by lute or theorbo, it gained new momentum from the 1730s onwards with virtuoso flautists such as Michel Blavet and Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin. These musicians expanded the technical possibilities of the instrument and influenced a generation of players, including Johann Joachim Quantz, author of the seminal treatise on Baroque flute performance.
Quantz would in turn become the teacher of Frederick II of Prussia in Potsdam, alongside Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, contributing to the flute’s widespread influence across Europe.
Anna Besson is an artist recognised for her mastery of both modern and historical flutes, as well as her ability to interpret repertoire according to its stylistic codes and techniques, from the late 17th century to contemporary creation. Regularly invited to perform at the Opéra de Paris and in chamber ensembles, she also maintains an active career as a Baroque flautist, appearing as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player with leading ensembles such as Le Concert Spirituel, Les Arts Florissants, Insula Orchestra, Le Concert d’Astrée, and La Chambre Philharmonique, as well as with the Nevermind Quartet.
A founding member of the ensemble a nocte temporis (dir. Reinoud Van Mechelen), she explores and expands the repertoire for tenor and flute from the 18th and 19th centuries.
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