Not sure if any of you have seen this yet.
Looks like in fabulous condition. 2 head joints (not sure why)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Wooden-Wood-Irish-Monzani-Keyed-Flute_W0QQitemZ120004982680QQihZ002QQcategoryZ10183QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
I’m only just learning the history of early flutes but aren’t Monzani pretty rare?
Whats the short story?
I have one of the same vintage that’s quite nice. It also has two headjoints – nominally one for D and one for Eflat, or one for 440 one for 455, something like that. The second one isn’t in tune, but I haven’t messed with the cork, which is probably I haven’t found decent tuning for it. I should, but it’s really my wife’s flute and she’s not interested.
Still like Andrews Ivory Monzani the best…
Do you own that Jon?
That is freaking beautiful!
No, it is andrew Kirby’s flute.
Monzani flutes (and Henry Hill, his principle partner in crime) are very very nice indeed. Nicholson played one for a time, according to his own account in his precept lessons.
I had a boxwood Monzani (my first “real” flute in fact). They play wonderfully well.
Two head are generally Eb and D.
The tuning, though, can be wonky, with bottom Ds sometimes horribly flat.
Most of the early ones did not have tuning slides, and Monzani was the one to patent the female silver-lined socket with the male headpiece tenon corked. Very sweet set up, but can crack the wood around all that silver.
His tuning slide are sweet, too. That this flute on auction has both in interesting, and the keys are square and round. Very interesting.
Monzani flutes are very very elegant. Theobald Monzani was an interesting man indeed, a player of some note in the late 1700s, according to several references.
If anyone wins it here, let me know. I’ll pass along copies of a letter written by the man about his musical career, to have his signature would be neat.
Good luck to whomever!
dm
Here are some example of a Monzani’s from Andrew’s collection:
This one was made by Hill:
This one was made by Ward:
Here is another Monzani with the two heads:
Well doesn’t that just beat the heck out of ‘the claw’, ‘overlapping hurley sticks’ or other foot arrangements. I love it!
Indeed, Monzani (hill) work is beautiful
Worth a note, too, to any potential purchaser:
Many (nearly all, though not all, I think) Monzani flutes have an integral foot. That means there is no joint there, but the RH and foot are one solid piece. That means if you are bothered by the foot keys in your way, and like many Irish players roll the foot joint way to clear the keys, you’ll be out of luck.
The space between the short-F and the foot keys, especially on Monzani flutes, is terribly small (for those who place their hands perpendicular to the flute…if you are angled downward, as was the custom, then you should be fine).
Anyway…worth a note.
what are monzani’s in good condition fetching these days? I recently saw a 9 key (Bb touch) that looked cool… Didn’t play it so can’t speak for it…
Is it gone? It gives me an “Invalid Item” error page.
Yes, original post, with link to eBay, was last year.
Interestingly this discussion led me to this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160134270610&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm37%26satitle%3D160134270610%2B%2B%26fvi%3D1
This is a Monzani I sold a year or so ago, the pictures and wording in the listing are my own. I sold the flute to a professional player in France. I am sure that this must be a fraudulent sale.
it has to be, the guy doesn’t accept paypal.
Oh, didn’t notice. Thanks.
Actually, there is a nice looking Monzani flute on ebay right now.
M 
That’s the fake sale!
…just a thought…has anyone contacted ebay to put them in the picture???
Cass.
oooopppps!
I guess I’ve had too much 4th of July! Old threads / new threads, I wasn’t reading carefully enough ~
So, was that a nice playing flute? It’s very pretty!
M
Yes it was a lovely player, and hopefully still is! The flutist who puchased it was most happy. The keywork was especially nice. It had a very nice quality feel to it that is difficult to discribe but unmistakable when you hold it.