Ivory flute – SCHERER, Georg Henrich

Flutes

Imagine a four-part, full ivory flute made by one of the Scherers – Georg Henrich SCHERER (1703-1778). The Scherers made woodwind instruments for the rich and royal, including Frederick the Great (1712-1786), the King of Prussia.  Father and son made some extremely beautiful woodwind instruments – this flute is no exception!

All parts except the foot joint are stamped with the name SCHERER and the lion rampant. The flute has three left-hand joints or corps de rechange. The shortest has a sounding length of 125 mm, the medium, 140 mm and the flauto d’amore, 231 mm. It has a single key made of solid silver. We estimate that this flute was made around 1740.

In terms of pitch, it plays at slightly under a=415 Hz with the shortest middle joint, a=400 Hz with the middle-sized joint, and slightly under a=415 Hz with the Flauto d’amore middle joint. With the flauto d’amore middle joint, the flute then plays a third lower – nominal pitch A. The instrument comes in a leather case which is marked with the numbers 2, 3 and 4. The case is personalised – it belonged to someone’s ‘Grosvater’ or Grandfather.

The instrument is in remarkable condition. However, the tenon of the shortest middle joint is slightly oval. Furthermore, the embouchure was at some point enlarged. This was reversed and the embouchure was reconstructed to its original size in line with a similar instrument held in a private collection.

This flute has a lovely, very elegant sound. It has excellent playing qualities. Yet, this instrument should not be played over extended periods (long concerts, intense performances). This is because the head joint has interior cracks. This often happens with ivory. The cracks were conserved professionally.

This Scherer ivory flute was mentioned in Phillip T. Young’s publication, ‘4900 Historical Woodwind Instruments, An Inventory of 200 Makers in International Collections’. Page 208 lists flute 33, for sale in September 1984 at the music store Max Hieber Musikverlag in Munich, Germany.

Indeed, our very own Martin Wenner remembers this flute being on sale for many years at the Hieber shop, before being sold into a private collection. As a young boy, Martin gazed in wonder at the instrument in its glass vitrine. Back then he couldn’t even touch it, let alone play it.  He’s now had the chance to conserve, take photos and even play on this instrument.

It is a very special flute, with its long head joint – so typical of early-flute construction. It is wonderfully crafted using superior quality ivory. All in all, it is in remarkable condition considering it is almost 300 years old.

Compared to, for example Louis LOT (1807-1896) flutes, Scherer flutes are extremely rare, with maybe around 50 extant examples worldwide. This instrument is an extraordinary part of flute history.

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E. Rittershausen, Berlin

One of the beautiful stories of mythology tells of the way the first musical instrument was suggested. As the story runs, as Orpheus was walking along the shores of the sea, his foot struck a reed that had been cast up by the waters, and had dried in the sun. The reed gave forth a soft, sweet sound as it was made to vibrate by the stroke of Orpheus’ foot and the result was the lyre or hand-harp of the ancient Egyptians. A similar story, and probably the same one adapted to the wind instruments, is that of Lucretius which says that “the simple flute had its origin from the breathing of western winds over certain reeds,” and thus was suggested the musical pipe, or simple tube, which has developed into one of the most fascinating of instruments.

The most elaborate and beautiful collection of flutes ever displayed in the United States, and probably in the world, was seen by visitors to the German section of the Columbian Exposition. The display was that of E. Rittershausen, of Berlin. It was arranged in a large, square glass case, and consisted of flutes made of various woods, of Ebonite and of sterling silver. The Rittershausen flutes are the standard of the world, and have received the indorsement of the best performers upon this favorite instrument. Until 1832 the flute was not regarded as a perfect instrument. In that year Theobald Boehm, of Munich, brought the instrument to such a degree of perfection as to make it one of the most prominent of orchestral and solo instruments. The Rittershausen flutes are made exactly upon the Boehm system, and with such wondrous skill and delicacy of workmanship as to have long since become the favorite of discriminating flutists. It is, in fact, the instrument universally referred to when the Boehm flute is desired.

Like the illustrious Boehm, Mr. Rittershausen is also a virtuoso as well as a manufacturer, devoting his entire faculties to the production of a perfect flute. By his own practical skill he is enabled to appreciate the many details and requirements in the construction of such an instrument as is demanded by the most fastidious virtuoso. This, it will readily be seen, is an invaluable consideration in the selection of a flute by a skilled performer. And in the rapid progress of musical culture of America, there are many lovers of the beautiful instrument who are its admirers and enthusiastic students at the present time.

Living in the musical city of Berlin, Mr. Rittershausen is thrown in personal contact with the greatest flutists of Europe, thereby receiving many suggestions from them that are of incalculable benefit in the manufacture of his instruments. The Rittershausen factory is located at 107 Bergmann street, Berlin, and its product has been famous from the establishing of the present business in 1870. Each year adds largely to the number of Rittenhausen-Boehm flutes in use in America, and they have received the highest testimonials from the most famous composers and performers in this country as well as those abroad. The American representative of the Rittershausen flutes is Mr. Carl Fischer, No. 6 Fourth Avenue, New York.

Musical Instruments at the World’s Columbian Exposition – Frank D. Abbottt, Charles A. Daniell – 1895 – P. 200