Traditional blackwood Flute

A 8 keyed blackwood flute with tuning slide, manufactured by Couesnon & Co , Paris. The barrel of the flute has the company logo inscribed including the address at 94 Rue D’Angouleme. The impression also includes the award winning Gold medal symbol. Transverse flutes were first introduced into Western orchestral music in the late 17th century. The earliest confirmed use of the transverse flute in an orchestral setting was in a French court ballet composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully in 1681. . French musicians preferred a softer sweet tone compared with European neighbours. It is estimated this flute was manufactured approx 1890. The instrument's overall length is 685mm and has 4 sections. The wood is either ebony or african blackwood. The keys are nickel silver. The case is new and includes a temperature gauge The flute is in excellent condition for its age of approx 135 years. That longevity is testament to the quality of workmanship and award winning sweet tone.

The Couesnon company operated from 1827 to 2024. The business is named after “Amedee August Couesnon” who took control of the company from his father in law in 1883 . Amedee Couesnon had a long life, born in 1850 and died in 1951. At one time the business was the largest manufacturer of instruments in the world with 8 factories and over 1000 employees. The growth of the business was enabled by numerous mergers, often leading to confusion about the company logo. They changed their logo several times, the logo on this instrument was used from 1888 to approx 1900. The company won many medals and awards for quality production and technical innovation. The company has an interesting entry in the Langwill index. Company history is well documented and available on line.

Notes :
This is an antique flute in a modern purpose made case. The flute shows signs of its age and has had some minor cracks repaired. The flute is tuned to A=440hz with slide open to 3mm

Care of Flute:
Always pack the instrument correctly. The case lid will close with no pressure if the 3 sections are positioned correctly.
Store the flute in cool temperature when not in use , below 15c degrees. Keep away from heat including windows and radiators where the flute could be exposed to heat. Humidity needs to be above 50%. To avoid cracks.
Play regularly and your breath will humidify the wood and prevent cracking.
Sound check here https://youtu.be/WIfR6M2OPlY