I think many young amateurs and experts alike who are desperately looking for a new flute, and have absolutely no idea what type of flute to buy or spend alot of money and waiting time for. Someone please finish this list for me and other people wanting to know what these famous players play.
Kevin Crawford:Grinter
Brian Finnigan:Wilkes
Michael McGoldrick:LeHart
Liam Kelly: _______
Tom Doorley: ________
Grey Larsen: ________
And any other wonderful player who deserves a place on this list is very welcome to be added. Thanks!
Kevin Crawford:Grinter
Brian Finnigan:Wilkes
Michael McGoldrick:LeHart
Liam Kelly: Sam Murray
Tom Doorley: Olwell (previously Seery)
Grey Larsen: Antique Firth and Pond
However, it should be noted that some of these flutes (I know of at least one in these examples) are sponsored, meaning, it might not have been what the player would have choosen himself. I don’t think it means too much though, because players like these would not play a flute which didn’t meet their standards even if it’s sponsored.
Thank you very much for that link Kevin, it really helped. I noticed that the two main flutes famous players play are Olwells and Murrays, both of which wouldn’t be my first pick… I’m amazed at how many of these players play them actually. Wouldn’t they want to be different than one another? Maybe just a different opinion. Btw, you don’t have to answer that question.
I’ve re-read, but perhaps I’m misunderstanding: it sounds like the second sentence contradicts the first. I can easily agree with the second sentence, but I can’t imagine any player of high caliber playing flutes in concerts & recordings because they’ve been sponsored - trad music is hardly pop music or NASCAR racing. (Imagine Irish Band X wearing jumpsuits with big “Generation” patches on the back…)
What would be the motivation of a top-level player to playing anything less than their ideal flute? It seems unlikely that the price of a flute would buy an artistic compromise from one of these players.
In other music industries, where there’s actual money (read: real motivation) to be made by performers, sponsorships are more common, but in my (admittedly, more limited than others perhaps) experience, the quid pro quo was promotion in return for an instrument of the quality they would have chosen anyway.
[preach]One shouldn’t be influenced a players choice of Olwell or Grinter based on whether or not they paid in cash for their flute, but one should be influenced by their playing…[/preach]
It is all preferance if you prefer the sound of Doorley try a Pratten stye Flute if you like the sound of Crawford try a Rudall but that doesn’t mean that will be your ideal Flute.
When the topic of who plays what comes up it usually turns into another matter.
Heinrik’s point is that the name of the flute is of lesser importance than the skill of the player.
There have been numerous debates about the role of the instrument in the sound. The debate turns more into how the fact is stated but it is general consensus that the player makes the sound. Give Crawford a Rudall or a Pratten and though there maybe detectable differences in sound, it’s going to sound like Crawford. I’ve witnesed it myself. His cocus Grinter and my bamboo Olwell are very different flutes yet he effortlessly made his own sound on both.
If there is a particular sound you’re after (like that of a specific player), getting the same make of flute is only a material step towards that goal. It ultimately comes down to you.
However, I also think that players’ sounds can be influenced by the flutes they play (or maybe played when they were learning). i.e., You got a leaky flute, you learn to whomp the bottom D, or play around it. You got a flute you could put a good hard edge on, you worked toward a good hard edge. You got a flute with a great high register, and you learn to exploit that.
IMO, it comes down to knowing an instrument really well and being able to play it to its limits … but I think it seems inevitable that an instrument’s strengths and weaknesses also shape the player, at least to some degree.
BTW, did I hear Liam Kelly has retired his Murray for (I think I recall) a Grinter or a Wilkes? He definitely sounds different to me on the ‘Spirit’ CD, and sounded different when I saw them this spring (but I couldn’t get a close enough look to see for sure). Maybe I’m on crack, I don’t know, but … while he still sounds like Liam, to me he doesn’t sound like Liam on his Murray.
I believe the topic of how the flute doesn’t really matter in one’s playing to be very debatable. The statement that the name itself doesn’t matter is entirely true, but when it is said that the differently hand-made flutes do not make a difference, one should probably question reason why all of these wonderful flute players don’t buy factory-made polymers or cheap Pakistani made flutes? I firmly believe that, after much experience, different flutes have very different tones. The style of breath of course takes part in this as well, but the first declaration is most likely, (though it varies with every player) more or less equally important. Even though style in fingering and ornamentation attempts to conceal the tone, it is always possible to discern the quality of the flute.
I don’t know exactly how these deals look. But I know that a lot of players has recieved freebees which they then have played exclusively after that. If they hadn’t been given them, they might as well have choosen to get another flute, or stick with the one they already had. I don’t know if anyone recieves any money to play certain instruments, I sort of doubt that. One of the most obvious examples are Lunasas use of Chieftain whistles. I hesitated to bring this up at this time when the Phil H bashing goes on at the whistle board, I’m one of Phils defenders by the way. Kevin Crawford plays Grinter flutes and Chieftain whistles exclusively, because the makers sponsored him with these instruments, if they didn’t he might as well have played Burke whistles and Hamilton flutes.
He wouldn’t play Grinter and Chieftain if these weren’t up to his standards, but the point is that he might as well have played something else that were also up to his standards.
I don’t think flute players are attempting to “conceal the tone” at all. That’s nonsense. There are all sorts of reasons why a player is attracted to a particular flute, whether it be cost, availability (new or used), or based on their opportunity to try someone else’s from a particular flutemaker.
BTW, the flute players on WFO1 & 2 were NOT picked at random, but certainly without regard to what instrument they preferred. Instead, they were suggested either by a consensus of forum opinion or by referral by other flute players. Yes there are a number of Olwells (more on WFO1, I think) and Murrays (mostly on WFO2), which I also found an interesting coincidence. However, plenty of Rudalls and similar as well. Just the luck of the draw, as to who was available and willing at the time they were contacted.
Could it possibly be that these high-level fluters gravitate towards the flutes that they find it easiest to obtain the sound they want from? Everyone has made good suggestions about experience and availability, but I think that someone who plays well and knows what they want to sound like would play similarly on any flute, but would jump for the particular flute that amplified or simplified them getting where they want to be.
Just for the record, your quote of mine seemed to be not in full meaning, for I stated that the ornamentation and fingering attempt to conceal the tone (personification), which is completely contrary to the player himself concealing the tone. Nevertheless, I completely agree with djm, for different flutes do very much have different sounds. The experienced player always knows what he is seeking in a flute, and he wouldn’t be happy with another.
And tone isn’t a characteristic of one’s personal playing style, just as articulation, phrasing, etc. ? Then the context is the same, and the statement is still nonsense.
