953

Rudall Carte & Co., Ltd

7585

London, England

Stamp: On upper body: (crown) / RUDALL / CARTE & Co Ltd / 23 BERNERS STREET / OXFORD STREET / LONDON / 7585

Marks: No marks visible under keys.

Manufacture Date: Made by Fred Handke June 27, 1932, per Carte record books (ledger info via Robert Bigio at www.bigio.com).

Hallmarks: No hallmarks.

Comments: Robert Bigio comments on this flute: "7585. 27 June 1932. Thinned cocuswood Boehm, silver keys, shut G#, middle and foot in one, low pitch. Made by Handke. Sold 1 December 1932 to C.A. Allen. If this is your flute, it is very interesting indeed. A thinned-throughout flute was the most expensive instrument made by Rudall Carte, and Fred Handke, in my opinion, was the best craftsman ever to have made a flute. I have a few of his instruments, which I bring out every so often to show myself what great craftsmanship should look like. There are a couple of pictures of Fred Handke in my new book on Rudall Carte. See my website for details. You may be interested to know that Albert Cooper thought Handke was the best, too, as did all the Rudall Carte workers." We completely concur with Robert Bigio's comments. These thinned wood flutes have a bright, clear tone, fast articulation, comfortable hand position, and an aura of excellence which is highly inspiring. This is one of the finest playing and feeling of the great genre of Rudall Carte wooden flutes, including the later Flutemaker's guild instruments. In short, one of the finest wooden Boehm flutes ever made.

Material: Made of thinned cocuswood with silver keys and fittings. Headjoint lined with silver tube. Springs of blue steel. Pad washers French-type screw-on, probably white metal.

System: This is the rare and exquisite fully thinned flute with one-piece body and foot that was the highest quality instrument from Rudall and Carte. It is a standard Boehm, with offset G, closed G#, C foot, and B-C thumb trill. The headjoint is silver lined.

Condition: This flute is in exquisite, fully original condition. The headjoint has a lateral crack well below the embouchure (repaired here), ensuring that any future cracking will not threaten the blowhole. There are no other cracks, dings, repairs, or blemishes throughout this lovely instrument. There was a crutch holder, which has been removed and lost, however the original crutch remains.

Pitch: Pitched at c.A=440, which was probably actually A=439, the lowest of three pitches offered by Rudall Carte.

Sounding Length: Sounding length 599 mm.

Measurements:

Weight: 482 g.

Case: In modern one-piece case.

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953.full

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953.01

The great Rudall Carte maker Fred Handke built this flute in 1932 (thanks to Robert Bigio for the ledger details).

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953.02

Bathed in elegance, this exquisite flute shows silver work of the highest skill. Although the entire instrument is a showpiece, there is nothing showy about it. Every circle and angle bears an aristocratic presence; a perfect marriage of form and function. Note that Handke continued to use the shoulder clutches for the right hand.

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953.03

One can be certain that these keys will function perfectly, so precise and substantial is their construction. The silver is neither scrimped nor squandered, giving further elegance to this finest of instruments. The G keys are offset, and the trill key closes the thumb for the old B-C trill.

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953.04

The C# touch, always a moment of inspiration for flutemakers, is uniquely beveled and handsomely proportioned. Like everything else on this flute, the left-hand mechanism is designed to support a belief in the beauty of life, especially when manifest with a companion as perfect as this flute.

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953.05

Like an expensive watch, the parts of this flute all fit together with room only for a touch of class. The arms for the C and C# show hand-crafted elegance beyond the call of duty. The transition from round to triangular on the C# is exquisite; the three -part C touch features a slightly tapered roller, a unique hourglass spacer, and the return to straight angles with a bold perfection. The C# is faceted to snuggle the C arm, and includes the tiniest of notches to give a comforting welcome to the left edge of the hourglass spacer.

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953.06

Theobald Boehm called this the thumb key of Louis Lot and, wittingly or not, Handke is giving thanks to Lot in the construction of this key, right down to the ball-ended shank. In fact, this flute has the fingering of Boehm and the mechanism of Lot as it's basis throughout.

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953.07

Here we see the keys removed from the body, with the body mechanism de-pinned. Even half-naked this flute carries an aura of elegance. The "body" tone holes are all the same size at 1/2", and the three footjoint holes are a slightly larger 9/16".

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953.08

The left hand looks beautiful. One can see the distance between the holes gradually expanding down the flute. The tone holes are individually chamfered just the slightest bit. A close look at the tone hole cuts shows a slight chatter, perhaps due to a dulling of the tone hole cutter?

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953.09

A side view of the offset G holes and neighbors shows them rising from the body of the flute in pride. These proud toneholes are left large by hand cutting the wood around them as part of the thinning of the whole tube, taking away weight and giving a bright resonance. These thinned bodies took a tremendous amount of hand work, resulting in the tone of the angels and the feel of a good friend in the hands. It is no wonder these were the most expensive flutes; they define quality and, quietly, class.