What's a Metzler ?

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 11:50 am

There's a Terry McGee Metzler model flute on eBay.

Says it has smallish holes. What's a Metzler? Is it a baroque or something?

Doc

Jon C. · Post by **Jon C.** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:08 pm

Hi Doc,
Metzler Made Flutes in the early 19th century. German family moverd to England. He made beautiful flutes, especially the keywork. The rest will have to be answered by Andrew who has one of his best flutes that he made in ivory...
Jon

andrewK · Post by **andrewK** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 5:59 pm

Valentine Metzler made some pretty good flutes around 1800.
The later ones are not of the same quality.
You are getting confused with my Monzanis, Jon.
Cornelius Ward, who was responsible for a lot of the interesting Monzani stuff was a genius. Voted the best maker by his contempories.
I look at some of these flutes, like the Hudson Siccamas, for example.Perhaps the finest work ever, and very fine playing flutes. How can such things by an all time great be half the price of the output of some of today's nonentities ?
Weird !

Julia C · Post by **Julia C** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:01 pm

Andrew you've made me wonder how much, say, one of your Hudson Siccamas or that ivory Monzani would have "cost" when new in today's terms? I'm sure you have old price catalogues.
Has anyone worked it out?
Leaving aside the nonentites for now(I'll let you name them later) Maybe like a new Healey Blackwood keyless ($1000 US) which costs about 7hours 40 minutes of my accountant's precious time?

Do flutemakers ask more now than 150 years ago?

Jon C. · Post by **Jon C.** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 12:29 pm

Sorry, I have "air for brains"...
I must have had that Ivory Monzani flute on my brain.
Jon

andrewK · Post by **andrewK** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:09 pm

I have the ivory Monzani on the brain as well, Jon !
Every time I see it I go gooey - like Toad when he saw the car.
The cocus one with the rose flower & leaves round the rings gets me too. An elegance I haven't seen in other flutes.
A new favourite is an early small hole boxwood & ivory Rudall & Rose
which has a purity all of it's own.Not a big sound be today's standards, but a telling & fine tone. Rich without shouting.
I have no idea what the ivory Monzani would have cost, Julia C.
The raw ivory cost, I believe about 8 x the boxwood.
The price would have been enormous, I imagine, for such a piece of work & invention. ( Those 3 bottom key rollers ! ).
It doesn't seem to have been played at all, judging from the unmarked state of the white leather pads. Not very good value, in retrospect.
I expect it was a present for some Duke's daughter !

treeshark · Post by **treeshark** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:19 pm

The thing I find strange about todays flute-makers is that the makers who have production lined the process in some cases charge as much as the makers who create individual flutes to a far higher standard. With metal flutes there would be a big premuim to be paid for the latter. I don't blame the more organised makers I think their prices are fair but I think the the high end makers don't really charge enough for their work. This is evident in the high waiting lists and the fact that their flutes can be sold at a premium on the price paid to the maker. I very much doubt if any of them make a decent living.
Andrew
The Ivory flute, I dreamed I was playing it last night, how does it sound?

andrewK · Post by **andrewK** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 3:19 pm

Sound ?
Now there's a strange thing. Always a matter of opinion.
I expect the ivory one is going to be pretty good, from what I have heard.
I expect to hear you playing it before long.
I trust your sheets are still dry !