Richard Potter took out a patent in 1785 for his Patent German Flute. It proved a significant turning point in English flute development. I’ve gone through the Patent document thoroughly to draw out any points of interest. You can see it at:
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/PottersGermanFlutePatent.htm
When you see what young Potter, Richard’s son, left in his will, you’ll see why I want to be a flute maker when I grow up…
Terry
You may want to correct the year…
Whoops, thank you!
I sometimes wonder if I spend too much time in the 19th century. One possible clue to this is giving my birthdate to a nurse while in a narcotic daze as 1848. She generously ventured that I didn’t look a day over one hundred.
Terry
Thanks for putting this up. The flute you picture is an early one, where the keywork on low C jumps over the C# instead of going around, very cool. Other than that feature, did the Potter design stay the same over the 30 years that these mostly turn up from (1785 to 1815 or so) – or are there changes, in the transition from father to son?
I’m curious, Terry or anyone else who’s played these, where the early Potter’s fit in tonally. A nice bridge between the baroque era and 19th century? Obviously small tone holes, but the bore has more to do with it than anything (the toneholes on a small Rudall and Rose aren’t so different from a Grenser, for instance).
I’d like to look into that more myself. It struck me that the period they covered between them is really quite long - Boehm has invented his ring-key conical in 1832 before William Henry retires in 1837! But it’s made less easy because they didn’t employ serial numbers (although Richard, at least for a short time, did put dates on his earlier flutes). It’s possible that we can use scale length as a rough guide if we find that the scale length of their flutes changed much. But that’s getting a bit shaky. It’s later because it’s shorter. No, its shorter because it’s later!
I’m curious, Terry or anyone else who’s played these, where the early Potter’s fit in tonally. A nice bridge between the baroque era and 19th century? Obviously small tone holes, but the bore has more to do with it than anything (the toneholes on a small Rudall and Rose aren’t so different from a Grenser, for instance).
I’d say a nice bridge between baroque and small hole 19th century. Brighter than baroque, but still quiet. Evolution, not revolution. The dramatic change was definitely that wrought by Nicholson ushering in the large-holed flute.
Interesting and logical how instrument developments go together:
baroque flute and harpsichord
classical flute and fortepiano
Improved flute and pianoforte
Terry
Nicely put! I feel like a cartoon character where the light bulb appears over his head, and a sound effect goes “ding ding ding!”.
Heh heh, and given that Mrs Pratten played guitar, maybe I could add:
Perfected flute and Guitar
Irish flute and Bouzouki?
We get an idea of what her playing might have been like at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTfIVQx65ec
Terry
Amazing link Terry thank you
I think she must have been an amazing woman. Seems to have played guitar from a very early age, taught, composed for and performed on it, played and composed for concertina (as did Sidney Pratten himself), ditto the gigelira (early name for xylophone), etc, etc.
Copac gives 51 hits , picking one at random:
Main author: Pratten, Catherina Josepha, 1821-1895.
Title details: Fourteenth divertimento for the guitar in E on Irish airs / respectfully dedicated to the Right Honbgle Lady Grace Vandeleur by Catharina Josepha Pratten.
Published: London : Giulia Pelzer, [after 1898]
Physical desc.: 1 score (5p) ; 36cm.
Notes: Incomplete, lacks p1-4. Inside of front wrapper is an excerpt from a review dated July 1898. On back wrapper, under the title ‘An eminent guitariste’ , are some biographical information about the author, probably compiled by her sister, Giulia Pelzer, who also published the work.
Subject: Guitar music - England - 19th century.
Guitar [1]
Other names: Spencer, Robert, 1932-1997, [former owner.]
Pelzer, Giulia, 1838-1938.
Language: English
For local availability select a library name below.
Copies held by: Royal Academy of Music.
Terry