Bressan

alto recorder a=415Hz

No fewer than 27 alto recorders by Peter Bressan have been preserved in various collections all over the world, along with 13 voice flutes (alto recorders in d), 12 tenor recorders and 6 bass recorders. Born in 1663, the Frenchman settled in England in 1688. He made a name for himself as an instrument maker and thrived economically, but had to leave England due to financial troubles in 1730. He died the following year. His work has been documented well by the many instruments we have. He seems to have been quite ahead of his day. In the 18th century it was only his instruments that had the double holes which have become standard today. The fingering may be significantly different from today's, but it is interesting that Bressan used double holes for other holes than the ones we are used to. In the Vienna collection there is an alto recorder with a double third finger hole. His recurring choice of turned profiles, so typical of him, as well as the measurements that hardly ever deviate from each other seem to prove that he kept rebuilding one model that was - for whatever reasons - successful. The tonal characteristics of the Bressan instruments are determined by the special tapered bore. This makes it possible to blow into higher registers easily while preserving the stability of the low notes. It is this quality that allows for considerably more chord sounds, such as the ones frequent in new music, than other models do.

prices:

alto recorder (G.Ph. Telemann: Triosonate d Moll, E. Höbarth Violine, Helge M. Stiegler Blfl. Wolfgang Glüxam Cembalo)

plumwood: 1500 Euro

voiceflute

plumwood:1800 Euro