Ring-key piccolo in E-flat – LEHNER, Martin

Flutes

This E-flat ring-key piccolo comes from Munich, Germany. It is made of grenadilla wood and has rings and keywork crafted from nickel silver.

Its maker was Johann Martin Benedikt LEHNER (1853-1915), who preferred simply Martin Lehner. 

The instrument is stamped with M. LEHNER / MÜNCHEN. The maker’s stamp also features a Münchner Kindl . The term ‘Münchner Kindl’, which translates to ‘Munich child’ in the Bavarian dialect, refers to the emblem featured on the coat of arms of Munich. Our Münchner Kindl could be even holding a beer mug! This E-flat piccolo can be dated to approximately 1880 and is pitched at around a=442 Hz. The lowest note is E-flat – nominal pitch D-flat. It has an open G-sharp and converted thumb keys.

If we look closely at the details in the photos, it becomes clear that the instrument was skilfully constructed…staying true to the tradition of celebrated Munich flute makers.

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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.

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.