I’ve had an original Rudall for a few months now…but only really got to know it in the past two weeks. What a gem. But don’t ever make the mistake to force it into your own playing habits you accustomed on another flute…it won’t work! I’m totally amazed on what this flute has to offer, once one engages with it. Incredible. This is a huge insight for me as a flute maker, and player.
I’ll do a workshop this weekend, and I’ll use the Rudall for it exclusively. Can’t wait to see how far this goes…a whole new world actually. Impressive.
That’s what it says on my bumper sticker, too. Meanwhile, I’m still with my French flute. But I’m also still learning truckloads by it, so I’m not complaining.
(I once played a little pop music on it; then realized that the flute was older than the song. Then I realized that it was older than the genre, what, Beatles and all. Then I realized that it was older than rock & roll, jazz, blues and even some “classical” music. Then I realized that it still works, and is still actual in its own way. Humbling )
I do like the reports of the past few days about the old Rudalls and their peculiarities. Guess it would be benificial to modern flute making indeed if we could pinpoint what it’s all about. Gabriel, always interesting to hear
I’ll see if I can get a recording and maybe a few photos together in the next few days…interestingly enough, a headjoint from my own shop doesn’t change the Rudall’s characteristics at all, but the same headjoint changes an (original) Siccama flute’s characteristics a lot (positively). After all it’s just the embouchure hole, which proved to work nicely and improve a handfull of flutes before. But not the Rudall. Flute magic I guess…
It’s taking a while to get used to the embouchure, very different from the easy one on the average modern flute.
Is there such a thing as “the average modern flute?” What flute might that be? What are the parameters of “the average modern flute?”
Here’s a clue: Definition of parameter: “a variable, in a general model, whose value is adjusted to make the model specific to a given situation,” or “a constant property of a population.”
To what flutes are you referring when you say something like “the average modern flute?” Is “the average modern flute” easier to play, say, than the average old Rudall or Pratten?
Hi fluters,
I wonder how many of us are playing old flutes, i.e. antique ones made long before we all were alive, as their main instruments (if such a thing exists among us polyfluticious lunatics). What do they have to offer what others don’t have?
Come on, do tell!
Rama:
hmmm let’s see..they offer… cracks, broken keys, warped bores, strangled tenons, off pitched, unmodern tuning, false pride, denial; i guess they call all that ‘character’.
headaches, heartaches and broken dreams - there should be a country western song about them.
heck apart from that i think they’re great, …almost as good as a modern made one.
You forgot: Inexpensive. Quiet. Cheap. Easily available*. But… they are flutes, and we love them all, right?
Sometimes I think we’re spoiled. When I saw the “easy [embouchure] on the average modern flute” I immediately thought Olwell. Of course, his flutes are anything but average.
I play an eight-key made in London in 1882 by WD Cubitt, Son & Company. It has a great sound at a good volume, plays easily down to the low C, is quite lovely and simply better IMHO than any other flute I have ever played, and I’ve played plenty.
in reeding this im detecting a little bit of hoitility from the modern flute crowd
strange
its actually reminiciant of the mac / PC debate, im not sure which ones which though
Is there such a thing as “the average modern flute?” What flute might that be? What are the parameters of “the average modern flute?”
I must say yes. But I don’t mean it the way you do.
There are many modern flute makers, and so many different sounding flutes, some great, some a bit less.
I’ve played a few (do I really have to name them? Olwell, Grinter, Aebi, Lehart, Sweetheart, Ormiston, McGee, M&E, Murray, Copley, Doyle, Forbes, J. Gallagher, Lejeune, Seery, Di Mauro, maybe others?) and with the embouchure that I formed on my Lehart flute I could play all of them loud and easy on all notes, immediately. Some were easier than others of course, but when I was going to try a flute I expected to be able to get a decent enough tone out of it from the beginning.
This wasn’t the case with my “new” old flute. When I first blew in it, low D was really weak, and in general on all notes the tone didn’t pop out as i expected. I knew that old flutes didn’t respond in the same way as the “average modern flute” (YES!) but still I was quite shocked. I thought it was a matter of a couple of days, but after three weeks I’m still not consistent (some times I get that amazing strong and lovely sound, that is slowly getting even nicer, some times I just can’t). I’m happy it’s getting better and better. I see that Steffen (Gabriel) is experiencing something similar, with his Rudall still improving after months of playing it, and he isn’t a beginner for sure.
Good man Rama, I’ve always thought that you have impeccable taste.
In the interest of remaining on topic, I also love to play my Rudall & Rose, my Pratten in F & my Prowse. Oh yes, I’ve just remembered. I have a rather beautiful Eb Hawkes (post mounted, similar to that which DM has/had for sale recently(in Cocus)). It’s a full time job just to keep them played enough to keep them in reasonable condition.
)
