A consort of renaissance flutes after examples by a maker
or workshop who used the mark of a trefoil or cloverleaf.
The original bass and tenor/alto flutes on which this consort
is based are in the Accademia Filarmonica in Verona. The Rauch
family of Schrattenbach, Bavaria (fl. mid-15th to
mid-16th centuries) used similar trefoils in their marks,
but the exact identity, dates, and place of work of the maker
of our models are unknown.
The Instruments
The Schrattenbach flutes are intermediate in design between
the narrow, brilliant Bassano flutes and the thicker, darker
Rafis. Their embouchure holes are larger, and their tone,
especially that of the bass, is rich and round like a trombone.
All the originals on which our consort is based play (untransposed)
at a=405, or a semitone below the commonest cornett pitch.
All are preserved in the same collection, the Accademia Filarmonica,
Verona.
We can supply Schrattenbach consorts to play at any or all
of the pitches described below. Our consort consists of five
flutes: a bass (lowest note G), and four tenor/altos (lowest
note D). A discant (lowest note G), which we have invented
in the absence of any suitable original, is available separately.
Le Concert Virtuel (Ardal Powell, tenor flute;
Ardal Powell, tenor flute; Ardal Powell, tenor flute; Ardal
Powell, bass flute; Schrattenbach consort in boxwood at a=405).
Claudin de Sermisy, Jouissance vous donneray from Chansons
nouvelles, 1527. Recording made for this web site on 3-1-03,
enhanced with acoustic signature of Hudson
Opera House, Hudson NY.
Time: 1 minute 16.5 seconds Size: 1.2 Mbytes 24 bit stereo
44.1 KHz sampling
For slow connections there's also a
Real Media version, 635 Kbytes, with lower sound quality.
For perfect matching of pitch, intonation, and appearance,
we recommend you order our consort flutes as a set. You can
order them one at a time if you prefer, but they are not meant
for playing by themselves of with other (non-flute) instruments.
A flute after Rafi we recommend for
solo or mixed-consort use is on its own page.
Audio sample
Tenor flute