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Pre-Owned Rudall Carte Ebonite Flute. By Rudall, Carte & Co. Calculate shipping price. We aim to offer the best possible value for our products, taking into account our comprehensive choice, Perfect Performance Plan, service levels and expertise. Learn More/Price Match. The firm of Rudall & Rose, later Rudall, Rose & Carte, and finally Rudall Carte, dominated flute making in Britain for a century and a half from their founding in 1822. For much of their existence almost every professional flute player and most serious amateurs in Britain played on one of this firm’s instruments.

THE RUDALL CARTE FLAUTISTS

The firm of Rudall & Rose, later Rudall, Rose & Carte, and finally Rudall Carte, dominated flute making in Britain for a century and a half from their founding in 1822. For much of their existence almost every professional flute player and most serious amateurs in Britain played on one of this firm’s instruments. The venerable firm of Rudall, Carte & Co. Began as Rudall & Rose (1821–1852), became Rudall Rose Carte & Co. (1852–1871), and operated as Rudall, Carte & Co. They offered a wide variety of flutes from the beginning, and were instrumental in manufacturing and promoting the Boehm flute and other cylindrical flutes in England. Includes the stock records of Rudall, Rose & Carte, later Rudall, Carte & Co., from 1869 until the early 1940s, which permit a detailed analysis of the firm’s activities over a 70-year period. The records, now in the collection of the Horniman Museum, indicate the serial number, completion.

by Stuart Scott

During the first half of the 20^th century the majorityof British players used a Boehm system wooden flute manufactured by RudallCarte & Co.ofLondon.Nearly every professional player in Britain was a RudallCarte flautist!

From the early nineteenth century RudallCarte & Co. was the foremost British flute manufacturer and improvements inthe instrument made from time to time by that firm were both numerous andimportant. They were the first manufacturers of Briccialdi’sB flat thumb key and later, Brossa’s F# key, both of which remain in use today. Inaddition, they produced the Radcliff and Rockstromodel flutes, Carte’s modified Boehm system flutes and the Siccamaflute used by the likes of Joseph Richardson (1814-62) and Robert Sydney Pratten (1824-68).

Rudall Carte & Co. were certainly notafraid of innovation and always kept an eye on the requirements of the fluteplayers. In their 1895 catalogue Rudall Carte offered118 possible varieties of flute and until World War II, they continued to offerflutes of silver, cocuswood, ebonite and gold withevery one of the commonest fingering systems.Through this and expert craftsmanship, they commanded a worldwide market over along period of time.

Boehm, having closed his own flute making business in 1839 inorder to pursue interests in the steel industry, made official arrangements forhis flute model to be manufactured by Rudall &Rose (as it was then) in London and Clair Godfroy inParis where some cocuswood flutes were made at therequest of Dorus. The Boehm system quickly becamepopular with professional players in both Englandand France.

Richard Carte (1808-1891) who had studied the 8-key flute withGeorge Rudall(1781-1871) welcomed Boehm’s new designs and became a partner in the firmaround 1850. Almost at once he set about improving the Boehm flutes and didmuch to encourage business through lecture recitals in cities throughout Britain.

One such recital took place at The Royal Institution in Manchester and theGuardian reported that he “played with remarkably good effect, both infullness of tone and brilliancy of execution”.Drouet’sVariations on Rule Britannia were “brilliantly given and loudly applauded”.

At Liverpool’s CollegiateInstitute he was praised for his facility of execution, expressive character oftone and depth of feeling in softer passages. (Liverpool Albion)

By 1900, half a century having passed since the introductionof Boehm’s final model, his instrument was well on its way to becoming standard– the trend being clearly reflected in Rudall Carte’s trade catalogues.

By then they had a corner in the European and Americanmarkets and the company’s black and goldlabel which appeared inside the lid of every flute case was certainly anemblem of quality and justifiable pride.

It is interesting to note however, that by the end of thefirst decade of the 20th century, the Boehm flute was still not common inGermany, Italy or Russia and certain players including recording artists John Lemmone, John Amadio and Edith Penville stuck to alternatives such as the Radcliff and Rockstro models throughout their careers -as we shall hear in due course.

So what was it that made RudallCarte’s Boehm system cocuswood flutes so popular withBritish players?

The professionals who took up these instruments in the earlyyears of the 20th century were nearly all involved in orchestral work of somekind. They were technically proficient players who saw the possibilities offurther improving technique through the use of the Boehm system. The thick headjoints offered a natural resistance to the playersallowing them to blow harder without splitting the sound. Thus, a bigger soundwas possible and a greater control of dynamics and a better balance of tonethroughout the three registers could be achieved using strong lip pressure andgreater air speed.

Using Rudall Carte flutes, theorchestral player could articulate well and project a hard, clear and brilliantsound. This, coupled with virtuoso fingering was the hallmark of the Rudall Carte flautist.

But, not least of all, they valued the blend with the otherinstruments of the wind section. And to all of you metal flute players, let metell you, that this is no myth! I’ve lost count of the number of times I havebeen told by clarinettists in particular, how much they enjoy playing alongsidea wooden flute.

The sound of the British flute player, at this time then, wasdirectly linked to a particular type of flute – those manufactured by Rudall Carte. The players’ approach to using theseinstruments produced a characteristic dense and firmly centred sound. This,along with their strong awareness of intonation, ensemble blend, and atechnique second to none, is what makes some of their recorded performances sointeresting.

Early recordings gained Londonflautists a new audience and those such as Albert Fransella,George Ackroyd, Eli Hudson and Robert Murchie were fast becoming household names even before theadvent of World War l.

Not so for flautists working in the provinces, who were moreor less ignored by the early recording companies. It is to be regretted thathighly thought of players, such as Vincent Needham and E.S.Redfernof the Hallé Orchestra, for example, left us norecordings at all.

However, Albert Fransella (1865-1935) spent most of his career in England, and as flute professor at the GuildhallSchool and Trinity College of Music, wasan influential teacher of the f

Rudall Carte Serial Numbers Flute Player