In the previous issue of Flute Focus we gave an overview of the piccolos in the Powerhouse Museum’s collection. This time we focus on five instruments made by the famed English makers, Rudall Carte, all featuring nineteenth century alternative systems as applied to the piccolo.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Theobald Boehm’s changes to the flute inspired other makers and players to create their own alternative systems. Many were attempts to combine features of the Boehm system with the fingering of the previous simple system instrument.

Initially, the alternative systems were conceived as an improvement to the flute though many were applied to the piccolo. Some were miniature versions of the flute application such as Carte’s 1867 and Radcliff. Others bore little resemblance to the original design when applied to the piccolo such as those by Pratten and Clinton. The majority of alternative systems appeared in England, such as those by Siccama, Rockstro, Ward, Card, Pratten, Clinton and Carte.

The first instrument features the Carte 1867 system (PHM No. 93/117/26). Used for both flutes and piccolos the system was invented and developed by Richard Carte (b.1808 d.1891). Patented in 1866 with U.K patent no.3208, it was a further development of his earlier ‘1851’ system which was Carte’s answer to the Boehm 1847 system. It combined Boehm’s design features (mechanised keywork and cylindrical bore) with fingering similar to a simple system instrument. The most striking feature was that the open note (all fingers off) produced D instead of C#. The fingering required for F on the Boehm system, which caused problems for some players, was reverted to the simple system fingering i.e. both the long and short F keys of the Right Hand were retained. The long F key on this flute was left open-standing (it had been a closed key on the old- system). This allowed players to hold the F key closed with the Left hand little finger for a chromatic passage. By freeing the right hand, a passage moving from low D to F or Eb to F could be more easily produced. Another advantage nominated by Carte was the large reduction of cross-fingerings especially in the third register. At the London Exhibition, Carte was awarded a medal for the 1851 system.

The 1867 system was a further development by Carte. This system was produced well into the twentieth century. It combined the advantages of the original Boehm design with those of Carte’s 1851. By having two touch pieces on the F# hole, it was possible to play F natural or F# from the same finger position. The extra mechanism allowed for a multitude of alternative fingerings. Again it featured an open D with all fingers off, as the 1851 system. The 1851 and 1867 systems both incorporated Boehm’s open G# fingering as opposed to the earlier closed G# on the simple system.

The 1867 was primarily a combination of the Boehm and simple system, for players who wanted the mechanical advantages of Boehm’s system, with fingerings from the simple system, particularly alternatives in the third register.

A number of piccolos in the 1867 system have survived, including examples of both conical and cylindrical bore. There is a wide variety of materials used including cocus, grenadilla, ebonite and silver.

The museum example 1867 system piccolo (PHM No. 93/117/26) is made of ebonite, a relatively new synthetic material of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Made in two pieces with a metal lined head, it has German silver keys and an ebonite lip plate. The body is stamped with a crown then the inscription RUDALL/CARTE & Co LTD/23 BERNERS STREET/OXFORD STREET LONDON/5967. The firm operated at this address between 1878 and about 1950. This piccolo was donated to the museum by Leslie Barklamb in 1992.

The other Rudall Carte piccolos in the collection all feature the Radcliff system, which appears to have been a popular choice for Antipodean musicians of the late nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. John Amadio and John Lemmoné were both famous exponents of the Radcliff system. Amadio in particular popularised this system, by encouraging his students to learn on a Radcliff instrument. Fred Shade, formerly principal piccolo of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, recalls starting on a Radcliff system flute in the 1930’s.

The Radcliff system was another nineteenth century development which was designed to combine features of the Boehm system with the old simple system fingering. It was based on a modification of Richard Carte’s 1851 system by English flautist John Radcliff (b.1814 d.1918). This system was only built by Rudall & Carte. It was described as nearest in approach to the fingering of the old system. The open note produced C# (like on a Boehm) rather than D of Carte’s 1851. Also the G# was closed (unlike the 1851 and 1867 system) and the long F retained, as on the old system.

Radcliff system flutes and piccolos were offered for sale in the catalogues of Rudall, Carte & Co. The prices show that the cost of a Radcliff piccolo almost matched a Radcliff flute.

1867 system piccolo by Rudall Carte, London, gift of Leslie Barklamb,
1992, (93/117/26 Courtesy, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.)

Two of the instruments in the collection were owned and donated by Leslie Barklamb. Again they feature the same inscription as the 1867 system above. However both are in D flat suggesting they may have been military band instruments. Rather than being ebonite these piccolos are made from cocus in two sections with silver keywork. Neither have lip plates as found on the 1867 system example. They are numbered 6977 (PHM No.93/11/27) and 6888 (PHM No.93/11/28) respectively.

Powerhose Museum, Sydney Australia Piccolo no. 93/117/28 Gift of Leslie Barklamb

The two final Radcliff system piccolos were owned and played by Richard Chugg (1902–1963), Principal Flautist of the Melbourne Symphony orchestra. Similar to the Barklamb instruments one features a discernable serial number 5340 (PHM.No.2007/157/6). It was made by Rudall Carte in London on 22 January 1913 by Whitman. It was sold on 25 February 1913 to SJ Collin of Melbourne. Unfortunately the serial number on the other piccolo (PHM.No.2007/157/7) is unreadable. Both these instruments were donated to the museum by the Chugg Family in 2007.

Surviving catalogues show the variety of alternative systems that were available well into the twentieth century. A wide selection of systems provided more choice for the player and the option of matching a piccolo to the flute system used. However, the number of surviving instruments suggests that alternative systems on the piccolo were not as widely used as on the flute. Many of the players using an alternative system flute did not routinely play an alternative system piccolo. Possibly this was due to the high purchase cost. From the catalogue below, the cost of a Boehm system piccolo was between twenty three to twenty seven pounds, while an 1867, Guards model or Radcliff model cost between thirty five to thirty nine pounds. Another factor could be that in the nineteenth century, a typical beginner instrument was a six key piccolo. Many professionals would have first started playing on a simple system instrument and familiarity with this system may have been an advantage to retain it. Eventually the popularity of the Boehm system overcame any potential competition from the production of alternative system instruments, possibly due to cost and the difficulty to maintain them.

In the Powerhouse Museum collection there are examples of alternative system flutes including the Siccama system, Carte 1851, Carte 1867, Radcliff, and Giorgi system.

Michael Lea is Curator of Music and Musical Instruments at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia and is a member of the International Committee of Musical Instrument Museums and Collections (CIMCIM). He is currently working on several research projects including a collaboration with the University of New South Wales Physics Department involving historic & contemporary flutes. www.powerhousemuseum.com

Danielle Eden is a graduate of the University of London, Royal Academy of Music and the Sydney conservatorium and hosts respectively a doctorate, masters and performance degrees. She has presented numerous papers on the history of the piccolo and flute development in the UK, Australia and US. In 2002 she was made an associate of the Royal Academy of Music. She is currently on the staff of the University of Sydney specialising in creative arts. www.powerhousemuseum.com