Boehm flute – BOEHM & MENDLER

Flutes

This Boehm & Mendler flute is simply spectacular – in amazing condition. It was made by the legendary Boehm & Mendler workshop in Munich, Germany. Formed by Theobald BOEHM (1794-1881) and Carl MENDLER (1833-1914), the company was active from 1862 to 1888. Surprisingly, most of the flutes made were exported, mainly to the USA, and were not often purchased or played in Germany.

This C-foot flute is expertly crafted in luscious grenadilla which has admirably stood the test of time. Its large and almost rectangular embouchure measures 10.4 mm x 12.3 mm. It is sharp and precisely cut – with hardly any signs of use.

The keywork and rings are made of nickel silver. We can admire the elegant covered-key cups and the little balls to hold adjusting screws. The cups, of course, all have almost the exact same size and design. The G-sharp and B-flat keys are hand-forged. The whole corpus mechanism is mounted on one single rib. The foot joint’s mechanism features two rollers for C-sharp and C. The G and G-sharp are offset and it is an open G-sharp key . The springs are made of steel.

Boehm & Mendler flutes never had serial numbers or maker’s stamps on the wood, but were only engraved like this one, with BOEHM & MENDLER / MÜNCHEN on the upper body tenon. The head joint is therefore not stamped. We can, however, assume it is original to the flute because the style and wood are a perfect match. This flute also has two sacred heart markings, possibly from one of its previous owners.

This flute is in playing condition and is supplied with its original hand support.

The case is also original and in good condition with typical Boehm & Mendler decoration on the top. There is even a key, which actually works!

This splendid flute has a pitch of a=448 Hz and it sounds fine, warm and bright.

LIBRARY OVERVIEW

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G-sharp key

Open/closed G-sharp key
The open G-sharp key was promoted by Theobald Boehm. So, G-sharp is fingered like a G on the modern-day flute and G is fingered like the modern-day G-sharp. The open G-sharp key mechanism avoids having an additional second G-sharp tone hole, which is not optimal in acoustical terms.
The closed G-sharp key is the regular mechanism on modern day instruments as well as traditional conical wooden more-keyed flutes. G-sharp is obtained by pressing the G-sharp lever. G is produced by pressing down all four fingers of the left hand.
Theobald Boehm’s open G-sharp was not successful in the end and is no longer used in flute-making, with some exceptions.

 

Münchner Kindl

Münchner Kindl – ‘Munich child’ 

 

This emblem has represented Munich’s coat of arms since the 13th century. Initially, the depicted figure was a monk or friar with a Bible, but by the 16th century, it transformed into various representations, including that of a small child in a pointed hood, frequently seen holding a beer mug and a radish. It is believed that the name ‘Munich’ (München in German) is derived from the phrase Kloster von Mönchen, meaning ‘Cloister for Monks’, which relates to the nearby Imperial Abbey of Tegernsee, a Benedictine Monastery that was established close to the original settlement of Munich.

This image, in its numerous variations, has been displayed on countless items, including the city hall in Munich, manhole covers, and beer steins. The gender of the figure has also transformed over time, shifting from a clearly male representation to a gender-neutral child, and then to a small girl. Today, when the kindl is depicted by a person, such as during Oktoberfest, it is most often portrayed by a young woman.