"Pentland Hills" is performed on an old boxwood flute with 6 keys by Goulding and Co. of London, c. 1815.

"Pentland Hills" from Charles Nicholson's "Beauties for the flute", Nr 23, Vol 2

A live rehearsal recording (for sound sample purposes only) intended to demonstrate the tone of this cocuswood Rudall Carte flute Nr 6729 dated 1925, restored by Arthur Haswell. I'm using a thinned grenadilla head joint by Robert Bigio due to ongoing problems with an old crack in the original RC head joint. Pete Churchill plays a late 19th century Bluthner grand piano, performed at the Zero Carbon House, Balsall Heath, UK, September 2022.

Faure "Après un rêve"

JS Bach E minor Sonata,  BWV 1034: 1st movement Adagio ma non tanto

S. Rachmaninov "Vocalise"(1915)

Debussy composed what later became known as ‘Syrinx’ for the French flautist Louis Fleury in 1913. This set me thinking about what it might have sounded like performed by English flautists of the time, those who favoured their wooden flutes over the silver instruments popular in France.

Well this is 2023, not 1913 but even so, I thought I’d just let myself be guided by my beloved 1925 Rudall Carte flute #6729 to get some kind of idea. It’s original headjoint is unplayable at the moment, so instead I’m using a beautiful one by Robert Bigio.

Claude Debussy's "Syrinx" played on Rudall Carte #6729 (1925)

Catch As Catch Can
Clare Beesley, Melody Yeomans and Giannantonio Ippolito - Renaissance flutes after Bassano by Giovanni Tardino.
Live recording,  19th November 2011, Chiesa di S. Antonio dei Portoghesi, Rome. 

Guretzch - Heinrich Isaac (ca.1450/55-1517)

Ricercata Prima by Giovanni Bassano from his Ricercate, Passaggi et Cadentie of 1585, performed on a copy of a Bassano tenor renaissance flute by Giovanni Tardino.

Ricercata Prima - Giovanni Bassano (Ricercate, Passaggi et Cadentie, Venice, 1585)

A live recording of Dowland's famous song set with diminutions by van Eyck from Der Fluyten Lusthof (1644).

John Dowland - Flow My Tears with diminutions by Jacob van Eyck, Der Fluyten Lusthof (1644)

I recorded this on a wooden 8 keyed Rudall Carte flute, number 864 (c.1820). Can you believe the flute was almost sent to the trash! Fortunately it was rescued by Dr Sylvia Kewish and I acquired it recently after its restoration by Arthur Haswell.

Hoffmeister - Theme and Variations

A short study from Langey's Flute Method Book performed on my RS Pratten's Perfected Flute, number 8819 9754, from the Boosey & Co. workshop, 24 Holles Street, London. According to Langwill, this address was in use from 1864-1874. It plays rather higher than Old Philharmonic Pitch at A=c.456Hz.

Otto Langey, Study Nr.61 "Andantino" from a Practical Tutor for the Flute in Four Systems (1889)

A short sound sample from Nr 51 of Drouet's 72 Studies on Taste and Style Composed Expressly for the Boehm Flute (n.d.)performed on my RS Pratten's Perfected flute, number 8819 9754, by Boosey & Co. It dates from the period 1864-1874 when the Boosey workshop was based at 24 Holles Street, London. It plays at high pitch: A=c.456Hz.

Louis François Philippe Drouet - Study Nr.51 Theme "Andante Grazioso" & Variations

Clare Beesley - Cantus
Melody Yeomans - Altus
Giannantonio Ippolito - Bassus

Renaissance flute after Bassano by Giovanni Tardino, Basel.

C3CD

Vincenzo Ruffo (c.1508-1587)La Disperata from Capricci a tre voci, Milan, 1564

"Doen Daphne d'overschoone maeght" ("When Daphne from faire Phoebus did flie") by Jan Janszoon Starter (c.1594-1626)with diminutions by Jacob van Eyck (c.1590-1657) from Der Fluyten Lusthof, 1644. Renaissance flute in boxwood by Giovanni Tardino after Bassano.

Doen Daphne d’overschoone Maeght

The fifth Ricercata of 'Il Dolcimelo' by Vigiliano, originally for 'recorder and other instruments', performed here on Renaissance flute. Recorded at the Maranathakerk, Den Haag, February 2020.

Ricercata per Flauto et altri Instrumenti (5) from Il Dolcimelo (1601?) by Aurelio Virgiliano

La Disperata by Vincenzo Ruffo (c.1508-1587) from Capricci a tre voci, Milan, 1564.
Clare Beesley - Cantus
Melody Yeomans - Altus
Giannantonio Ippolito - Bassus
Renaissance flutes after Bassano in A=440Hz by Giovanni Tardino.

La Disperata

Nicholson's variations on "Life Let Us Cherish" performed on my 200 year old Rudall Rose flute, Nr 864.

Charles Nicholson "Life Let Us Cherish" from A Selection of Beauties for the Flute

Another adventure with my "R.S. Pratten's Perfected" flute by Boosey & Co at 24 Holles Street, London. The serial number 8819 9754 is apparently rather unusual, pointing to a date of around c.1861. For me it plays anywhere from A=456Hz, slowly rising! Pitches of B and A are incredibly high and tone holes large for small fingers!

Clare Beesley

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