For use by children or adult amateurs plastic recorders are by far the best purchase to make, notably those by Aulos, Yamaha and Zen-On. I particularly recommend instruments in the Yamaha 300 series, some of which have a woodgrain finish (rosewood or ebony). These are neo-baroque style recorders which have excellent intonation and tonal characteristics and are musically superior to any cheap wooden instrument. Plastic recorders are available in all sizes ranging from the tiny garklein flütlein to bass. However, if you intend playing your recorders in consort then do stick to one brand since there are slight tuning differences between them which can be very frustrating. Recorders of either brand are suitable for solos, as are those produced by another Japanese company Zen-On. Soprano and alto models of all the above are available in simulated wood-grain as well as the usual black plastic. Plastic recorders modeled after eighteenth-century originals by Bressan (Zen-On), Haka (Aulos), Rottenburgh (Yamaha) and Stanesby (Zen-On) are suitable for solo work. They represent truly outstanding value and compare favourably with quality factory-made wooden recorders costing up to 10 times the price!
For ensemble use or for exploring the baroque chamber music repertoire factory-made wooden recorders by manufacturers such as Dolmetsch, Moeck, Mollenhauer, Küng and Roessler can offer excellent value for money and standards are rising constantly. Instruments in softer woods such as maple or pearwood can offer exceptional value for money. Be warned, cheap wooden recorders are often decidedly inferior to the plastic recorders noted above.
By way of comparison, I note that a Yamaha plastic alto recorder will cost around $50, a Moeck 'Rottenburgh' alto around $300. To get things into perspective, a high quality, custom-made recorder from the workshop of a master craftsman can cost in the range $1,500 to $4,000.
For the budding soloist an excellent compromise lies in the 'customised' plastic alto recorders offered by Collins & Williams. These are high quality Zen-On 'Bressan' instruments in which the windway has been lined with a cedar shim and revoiced. They are retuned to a very high standard. The resulting instruments have the look, feel, tone and response of a quality wooden instrument and, at $86, represent truly astonishing value.
Details of current makers of medieval-style recorders can be retrieved here.
Details of current makers of Virdung/Agricola-style recorders can be retrieved here.
Details of current makers of renaissance-style recorders can be retrieved here.
Details of current makers of transitional-style recorders can be retrieved here.
Details of baroque and neo-baroque recorders can be retrieved here.
Romantic recorders (ie csakans) are made by Herbert & Helmut Paetzold (Germany) who also make an astonishing range of square bass recorders. Elmar Hofmann (Germany) makes copies of a cane recorder/walking stick/csakan pitched in A flat made by Hell with one key. He is also about to finish his first copy of a Nielsen csakan with more keys (Nikolaj Tarasov, pers. com., 2000).
Metal 'Silberton' recorders continue to be made by Gyula Foky-Gruber (Germany) himself, and "Gruber System" recorders are made by Kobliczek (Germany).
Trichterflöten or bell recorders are made by Adler-Heinrich (Germany).
The remarkable Harmonic Alto and Tenor Recorders designed by Maarten Helder are made by Mollenhauer (Germany).
Electro-acoustic recorders are made by Philippe Bolton (France).
5-tone and 7-tone pentatonic recorders, diatonic recorders and special soprano recorders for use by children are made by Joachim Kunath (Germany), Choroi Instruments (US), Huber (Switzerland), and Moeck (Germany.
Those challenged by various physical disabilities are well served by plastic recorders. Of particular interest in this context is the latest instrument from the Aulos stables, namely the remarkable Aulos 204AF soprano. In addition to the head-piece, there are six separate sections for the holes fitting neatly into one another. By rotating these sections (and plugging certain holes as necessary) this recorder can accommodate fingers that are missing or do not function normally. With this instrument someone with any six usable digits can play an entire chromatic scale from c'' to a'''. For a player who has unusually short fingers, suffers from arthritis, has lost all or part of a finger due to trauma, or possesses fingers that are malformed in some way, The Aulos 204AF could make the difference between having an audience member and having a playing partner. The American distributor for this unique instrument is Rhythm Band, Box 126, Forth Worth, Texas, tel. +1 817 335 2561.
Soprano and alto recorders playable with one hand have been made by Tsukamoto and Fujikoka who adopted alto and soprano plastic recorders by Zen-On (Tsukamoto 1980) who continue to supply them in forms suitable for either left- or right-handed players using the the available hand in the right-hand position (Hunt 1982). By using the right-hand position the double holes are available for the sixth and seventh finger-holes in the normal way; however, the players' little finger operates a key with a double action, the first pressure opening a small hole simulating the 'pinched' position, further pressure fully opening the octaving vent.
Mollenhauer have also produced open-keyed recorders using the available hand in the left-hand position for soprano, alto, tenor and bass instruments (Hunt 1981). In the Mollenhauer fingering system, the thumb can be used for the pinched notes of the upper range as well as stopping the thumb hole. Their currently available models include double holes for the lower two fingers which must also operate keywork (Schwanse 1998).
Yamaha supply a range of one-handed recorders in the YRS900 range of which four models provide for left- or right-handed players, also Lockwood (Alexandra 19991).
Dolmetsch have recently launched their new 'Gold Series' of recorders designed for the player who can use only one hand. By adding a number of keys, Dolmetsch designers, working with T.W. Howarth & Co., have produced a most technically sophisticated instrument, and at a reasonable price. Soprano and alto instruments are available in pearwood, boxwood or rosewood and with left- and right-hand variants. Gold Series keywork can be fitted to Dolmetsch's handmade recorders (Alexandra 1999b).
A novel one-handed recorder has recently been made and designed by a remarkable one-handed American craftsman and recorder enthusiast, namely Bobby A. Harrell. Harrell has applied brass keywork to a Yamaha 300 plastic recorder.
Martin Visser of De Fluitstudio adapts recorders for players with special needs. The scope and quality of his work is truly remarkable.
A comprehensive list of recorder makers and their contact details may be found on the Recorder Makers online database. The listing provided by Renshaw (1996) is updated annually. A comprehensive listing has recently been published by Sela, B. & G. Peñalver (1997).
© Copyright 1996-2005, N.S. Lander
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