Recorder and German Flute during the 17th and 18th Centuries

Extract

The Music and instruments of any century generally have their roots in the past, so it should surprise no one that, to assess the relative positions of recorder and flute during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, I begin by stepping well back into the sixteenth. One of the first historical figures which comes to mind in this century is Henry VIII, whose diverse activities included a practical interest in the art of music. His reputation as a collector (in more ways than one) is greatly enhanced by the formidable list of ‘Instruments of Soundrie Kindes’ which was compiled after his death. Recorder enthusiasts will at once recall his seventy-five recorders, while possibly overlooking seventy-two transverse flutes and six fifes (an almost balanced score), not to mention the many other wind, stringed, keyboard and plucked instruments in this lavish collection.