Pierre Naust, Paris, ca.1720
boxwood with silver key, fourpart
a= 392 / 400 / 415 Hz
The
original of
this four-piece flute
is in a private collection in
Frankfurt. This instrument certainly
did not originate during Pierre Naust’s lifetime,
but could very well have been one of the first four-piece
transverse flutes made in the Naust Workshop.
The flute’s exceptional sound is a result of a round, velvety tone, clear articulation and light address continuing through the third octave. This combination of agility and tonal sophistication allows the distinct recognition of a French origin.
The intonation of the instrument is surprisingly even, both at the original a=400 Hz pitch and with center pieces for 392 Hz and 415 Hz.
For the ornamental rings and the cap, I use a new material which has been specifically developed for my workshop. With its very high density it possesses similar physical qualities to real ivory.
The Naust Workshop
The history of the Naust workshop is an impressive example of the high standard of family traditions in the building of instruments throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Pierre Naust (ca. 1660-1709) was a contemporary of Jean Jaques Rippert and Jean de Hotteterre. Around 1692 he took over Etienne Fremont’s workshop - having worked for him beforehand - on the rue de l’Arbre Sec in Paris. After his death in 1709, the workshop continued in operation by his wife Barbe and then after 1719 by his son-in-law Delerablée as well.
In 1715 Barbe Naust, who came from the instrument makers family of Pelletier, was mentioned as “maître faiseur d’instruments de la maison du Roy“– an extremely unusual title for a woman in the 18th century. Her workshop enjoyed international recognition and possibly the first four-piece transverse flutes were made there. According to records from 1721, the ‘Dame Naust’ had equipped a flute with three ‘cors’ (corps de rechange). This is the first mention of a four-piece flute with several middle-joints.
Barbe Naust died in 1726. After Delerablée’s death in 1734 his widow married Thomas Lot, an instrument maker who had been working in the Naust workshop since roughly 1722. Through the continuation of flute building within the Lot family, the Naust workshop tradition lived on into the late 19th century.
Photo: Ulrich Ehret
Fridtjof Aurin Traversos Düsseldorf
G.P.Telemann
12 Fantasias for Flute
Fantasia 7. in D Major
Alla Francese
Jed Wentz
Traverso after P. Naust a=400 Hz
G.P.Telemann
Paris Quartets
4e Quatuor in B minor
Tristement
Jed Wentz
Musica ad Rhenum
Travero after P. Naust a=400 Hz
