Cornelius
Ward - The Flute Explained
§ 5. THE NEW PATENT FLUTE.
FRUITLESS efforts have often been made, both
by ourselves and others, to improve the tone of the old flute without
altering the fingering. We however soon found that a slight change
in the position of the apertures, which would ameliorate the lower
tones, had the effect of annihilating many of the upper ones. These,
and other considerations brought forcibly under review the question of
the policy of continuing, any longer, the respect for established
usages and vested interests, ill opposition to the demonstrable
requirements of scientific investigation, and to the continued
exclusion of a delightful instrument from the position it is destined
to occupy, but which it has hitherto failed to attain, in the
estimation of the true musician.
Ingenuity had long been exhausted in
attempts at amelioration. All such efforts were, however, "
cribbed, cabined, and confined," by the supposed necessary
retention of the usual fingering; and, under the pressure of this
incubus, the resources of mechanical invention have been unavailing,
and the flute has remained, for a long series of years, without any
improvement worth recording. What, after all, we asked ourselves, is
this same fingering? It is anomalous, capricious, difficult; -
tolerated
only because of long continuance and the absence of a better system;
and so long as it is continued, a stop would appear to be put for ever to the advance of improvement, and a far too narrow limit fixed
for the employment of a sweet-toned and most expressive instrument. On
the other hand, once get rid of this bugbear, for such it is, and a
field is opened for excellence hitherto unapproached in every
department of the instrument. Not only do tone, power, sweetness,
intonation, the employment of the embouchure, and other requisites,
reach an unanticipated perfection, but that very matter, for which all
these great essentials were hitherto sacrificed, becomes itself
perhaps the most striking subject of improvement, presenting order for
confusion, and extreme facility for complexity and caprice.
Under the force of these considerations, our
resolution was taken. Bringing to
bear upon our efforts a knowledge of the
dispersed records of discoveries in acoustical science - a practically
acquired and familiar acquaintance with the resources of mechanical
skill - and a perfect cognizance of, not to say a participation in,
almost all the important changes made or attempted in the manufacture of flutes, we produced or projected a number of original
varieties of the instrument; any of which were, in our, perhaps
partial, judgment, superior to those hitherto employed. The separate
merits of these, or of their separate parts or peculiarities, were
subjected to the only efficient test, that of experience in the most
skilful hands. No time, labor, or money were spared in availing
ourselves of the abilities or judgment of those most capable of
determining, practically, once for all, the best "form and
mould" in which the new instrument should make its appearance.
Our decision was made in every particular without hesitation, and
without difference of opinion; and as the instrument concentrated the
results of much labour and investigation, and embraced many points of
original invention, we deemed it due to ourselves to make it the
subject of a Patent.
Our patent was obtained, and our flute
adopted by many of the first amateurs, who speedily demonstrated its
superiority. A little previous to this time, no small stir and
commotion had existed in the flute world, both of makers and
performers, in reference to our invention, then only partially
disclosed. As its qualities, however, became developed, it became very
soon evident, both to makers and players, that the days of the old
flute were numbered, no person of the smallest musical sensibility
hesitating a moment in opinion; the performers who had attained
eminence by genius or indomitable industry might indeed wear their
hard-earned laurels without descending to go to school again; but it
was clear that the new flute would become the instrument of the rising
generation. Flutes of the costliest description were sold at a third
or fourth of their cost, and were replaced by the new invention; and
the demand on the old makers was suddenly interrupted. Othello's
occupation was gone. This result was anticipated. Experiments had
been instituted, invention put into requisition, to produce something
original, and mysterious rumours were circulated, on the "mantes
parturiunt" system, of some forthcoming wonder. All these
attempts proved abortive.
On
the completion of our patent, embracing, as
it was found to do, the results of almost all possible experiments and
desiderata, all these schemes and pretensions were dissipated to the
winds and the expedient at last resorted to, because nothing else
was left, was to fall back upon the formerly reviled and persecuted
Boehm; to discover, all at once, that it was perfection, and to
confess how very unjustly and ignorantly they had before condemned it.
The praise of these parties is worth as much as their former censure,
and, in its turn, may have to be revoked.
Other parties, not prepared to proceed so far (vulgo, to go the
whole hog), attached bits and morsels of the Gordon or other flutes to
their own. Indeed, as we have mentioned the "ANIMAL," the
whole affair forcibly brings to mind the proceedings described by
Cowper, after Mahomet's mysterious edict against the porcine genus :
"
Much controversy straight arose;
These choose the back, the belly
those.
By some, 'twas confidently said,
He
meant not to forbid the head:
While others, at that doctrine rail,
And piously prefer the tail."
This hotch-potch, piece-meal affair, the
appropriators do not hesitate to name their
" New Patent Flute," - patent,
forsooth! because it retains the old patent tuning head of Potter.
But it is time for us to return. We should
not have troubled our readers with these matters, but that they form
the strongest species of evidence, that of rivals in trade, as to the
amount of importance attached to our invention; as well as to the
certain fate of the old flute. How otherwise can be explained, the
bustle, the inventions, or rumoured inventions, the pilferings or
appropriations, the false announcements, and deceitful appellations,
we have described? How are men brought to eat their own words, and to
bepraise as immodestly a mediocre instrument as they before
immoderately condemned it? The course pursued by these parties proves
distinctly three points. It is a distinct avowal of their conviction
of the irremediable faults, and consequent doom of the old flute; it
is a recognition, so far as it goes, of the acoustical merits of a
truly perforated flute; and it is an unintentional, and therefore
more valuable, testimony to the merits of our invention, that its
importance should be felt so strongly, as to bring into existence the
conflicting elements above described.
At this stage of our subject, we cannot do
otherwise than point out wherein the New Patent Flute differs from
all others, and remark upon the results obtained; leaving it to the
discerning to test its conformity with our theoretical principles, the
correctness of which we think self-evident. We are aware, that it is
not to all equally easy to comprehend fully a descriptive diagram; but
we feel very confident, that sufficient is here exhibited to awaken
the curiosity of those who have any interest in the improvement of the
flute, and to prevent them resting satisfied without seeing, hearing,
and judging of the instrument themselves.
Our flute being now adopted
by numerous metropolitan and provincial amateurs and professors, we
hope no difficulty will be experienced in this respect; and we shall
ourselves be at all times happy to afford the facilities requisite for
forming a judgment. Moreover, we promise an early public exhibition of
the capabilities of the instrument; observing, however, that the
facilities in manipulation and voicing which it presents are things
which cannot be publicly shown, while they may at once be
demonstrated, by a very slight personal inspection.
One word more.
Celebrated professors, themselves the ostensible makers of flutes,
have but too often employed their professional eminence in the selfish
advancement of trade interests; and amateurs have been too much
guided by their opinions, thus, by no means disinterested. It may
appear a hackneyed piece of advice, on our part, to request flutists
to judge for themselves, and not to depend upon any authority! but
really, at the present time, while such conflicting interests and
statements abound, it does appear peculiarly necessary that parties
should cast aside prejudice and influence, and boldly form an
independent decision, even should such decision be against ourselves,
of which we have no fear. We still say, "Palmam qui meruit
ferat."
In referring the reader to the annexed sketch, we would observe that
frequent misunderstandings have arisen from a difference in giving
names to the apertures. Thus, on the old flute, the lowest open hole
on the middle joint is sometimes erroneously called the G hole,
because to produce G that hole is the lowest or last that is closed. A little reflection will show, that not that
hole, but the first hole on the joint below is the G aperture,
because the length of column for G is determined by the last named
aperture remaining open. We adopt the proper nomenclature; and for
further consistency we give the fingers themselves the names of the
apertures on which they act. Thus, the fore-finger, right hand, is
not the F# finger,
but the G finger, because it acts on the G
aperture. Also, when we speak, below, of a key or aperture determining
such or such a note, it is to be understood, when not otherwise
expressed, that the keys or apertures above the one in question, are
to be kept closed.
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