Rudall Carte

RUDALL CARTE

> modern pitch A=440

> silver keywork

> one-piece ebonite body

> closed G sharp

> repadded and overhauled ready for sale

This unusual and good-looking Rudall Carte was made by Henri Nivarlet in 1892. It has a one-piece ebonite body, with a modern (Piddock) headjoint fitting. After an overhaul and repad it is ready for the next chapter in its long life.

Henri Nivarlet was one of several fine flutemakers established in Paris who were headhunted by Richard Carte at a time when Rudall Carte had more orders for its top-of-the-range flutes that it could supply. He made his first flute for Carte in 1889. His style is elegant and light, with the keywork seeming to fall perfectly under the fingers.

This example of his work has some Rockstro elements, such as the neat back clutches, the F sharp touchpiece, and the raised chimney on the LH1 tonehole, which is designed to improve intonation. All of these are useful additions to the otherwise standard Boehm system.

The one-piece body has the advantage of doing away with the tenon and socket required for a seperate footjoint, thus eliminating any disruption to the air column, and also allowing the tonehole for Eb to be positioned in exactly the right place. The keywork is silver, while the body is in ebonite, a material valued by Rudall Carte for its resistance to cracking, a quality more than ever appropriate in today's world of extreme heat, central heating, and air conditioning. It was also appreciated by top players, including internationally famous soloists such as Albert Fransella, for its stability and combination of warmth and power.

The original headjoint is unlined and works very well with this flute. Having a modern (Piddock) fitting, the flute would be an obvious candidate for a modern wooden headjoint that could give an alternative for certain situations.

We have overhauled this flute and repadded it ready for sale. It plays easily with a responsive, warm, yet strong character. Condition is very good; the body has a slight bow that does not affect playing. The flute comes in its original case.