In celebration of flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal’s 100th anniversary on 7 January 2022, this is his complete recorded legacy of flute music, the FIRST EVER release of his CBS, RCA and Sony Classical recordings on 56 CDs. This spectacular set is being released in collaboration with the Association Jean-Pierre Rampal and its director Denis Verroust, who contributed a new essay to this set.

The legendary French flute virtuoso - “L’Homme à la flûte d’or” - broke through barriers with his astonishing talent, flair, and commanding stage presence, attaining the kind of visibility only ever previously enjoyed by pianists and violinists. Rampal was the father figure of the flute renaissance in the 20th century, which restored the instrument to the exalted position it held during the 18th. Following the Second World War, Rampal began turning out 78-rpm discs and became perhaps the most recorded classical instrumentalist in history, working with more than 20 different labels before signing with CBS as an exclusive artist.

Alongside his numerous classical recordings, Rampal became famous for exploring non-traditional flute repertoire as well as for being a proud trailblazer in crossover. His CBS recording of the French jazz pianist Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano, released in 1975, made the Billboard chart of top-selling albums for ten consecutive years, only the second time that milestone had been reached (the first was Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon).

Rampal played for many years on what is probably the most famous flute in the world, the first gold instrument by the legendary Parisian flute maker Louis Lot. Soon he was dubbed “L’Homme à la flûte d’or” – “The Man with the Golden Flute”. Jean-Pierre Rampal became permanently associated with gold: not only for the flute he held in his hands, but also for the sound with which he captivated his listeners and, not least, for the sales figures his countless recordings chalked up all over the planet.

This incredible box set celebrates his storied and prolific career, with 56 CDs and a hard cover bound book, covering the Man with the Golden Flute’s legendary recorded legacy.