"Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic)"

Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic) | Bainbridge | 1821-1831

Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic) thumbnail 2

Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic) thumbnail 3

Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic) thumbnail 4

Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic) thumbnail 5

Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic) thumbnail 6

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Double flageolet in A, 8 keys. Bainbridge, London, 1821 31. Government Allocation to the University, 1991 (C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection). The flageolet is a type of duct flute (q.v.) i.e. an instrument of the flute family in which the sound is generated by directing the player’s breath through a fixed channel and against a rigid sharp edge or lip. In contrast, the modern orchestral flute is played by blowing across a mouth-hole.

Double flageolet

Bainbridge

London

Europe

England

United Kingdom

Instrument Data

Instrument Information

Title

Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic)

Accession Number

1023

Collection

MIMEd; C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection

Date Information

Date Made

1821-1831

Period

19th century; 1820s; 1830s

Gallery Information

Gallery

Wolfson Gallery

Case

Woodwind case 1

Maker Information

Maker Name

Bainbridge (estab. Circa 1803, closed 1834)

Maker Biography

William Bainbridge (d 1831 London, England) was an English born woodwind instrument maker, musician, and publisher. His first patent was in 1803 for a new model of a flageolet, resulting in the further development of a double flageolet. His firm, with an emblem often featuring the words “Bainbridge, Inventor” specialized in the production of flutes and flageolets. His double flageolet became extremely popular and was often copied by rival makers, resulting in two unsuccessful legal cases. Following William’s death, his wife, Harriet Bainbridge – often abbreviated HB on the emblem – took over the firm.

Made In

City

London

Country

England

Description

Technical Description

This instrument is ebony with 8 silver keys, ornamental silver ferrules, a three-part windcap and 11 finger holes (7 for left hand, 4 for right). The mouthpiece and studs are ivory. The key-heads are square. It is stamped on the upper section “NEW” royal arms “PATENT / BAINBRIDGE / INVENTOR / 35 / HOLBORN / HILL / LONDON” and “C KEY”: stamped on each pipe “PATENT” and with note names by the respective finger-holes.

Technical description: Ebony; 6 sections; silver keys and 2 cutters; engraved silver ferrules; ivory studs and mouthpiece; left-hand pipe has 6 finger-holes (top one containing ebony plug), and keys for D, F and D♯; right-hand pipe has 4 finger-holes, and keys for C (thumb, with ebony plug in key-hole), B, F and D♯; both pipes have a vent-hole on the lowest keymount (that on the LH pipe may also act as a finger-hole, giving a note between C and C♯); high C key on head section above pipes, played by L1; three-part wind-cap. Keymount type: ring/knob.

Keyhead type: flat square and octagonal, notched and chamfered.

Performance characteristics: Lowest six-finger note (LH pipe) sounds B♭⁴ (if in E♭) or B⁴ (if in E).

Usable pitch: If in E♭, sounding A⁴ = c 456 Hz (c 60 cents above A⁴ = 440 Hz); if in E, sounding A⁴ = c 431 Hz (c 35 cents below A⁴ = 440 Hz).

Provenance

Bought by H.I. Brackenbury from Howarth for £10/0/0. ; Government Allocation to the University, 1991.

Classification