S877
Geisler
#:
Amsterdam The Netherlands

Stamp: On headjoint: (8 pointed star) / GEISLER / AMSTERDAM / (8 pointed star)

Comments: This flute is of the very highest quality, and is a superb example of Dutch flutemaking in the 19th century. It is decorative, very carefully made, and beautifully presented. The mechanism is based on Lot, but the small tonehole sizes suggest Buffet, the other great Parisian maker of these flutes. The mechanism marries the most up to date elements, such as the backclutch and thumb Bb, with vestiges of the past, such as the footjoint design, and even the ivory mouthpiece. The Dorus G# was still in general use in Paris when this flute was made, I suspect.

Date: Geisler and his son worked in Amsterdam from 1840 to 1920 (Langwill). This stunningly beautiful flute is a curious flute to date via the mechanism. The footjoint is based on the old Godfroy 1832 system of the late '30's. The springs are flat steel, possibly a technique Geisler learned in Munich during his 1822-1825 job with Stiegler (Langwill).The G# is Dorus, yet the back clutch is bold, discrete and complete. Thus the flute is made after 1851 or so (the back clutch) but probably not after 1870, when the Dorus G# was well on the way out. The thumb key is the double hole Briccialdi type of Lot and Godfroy after 1849. The old style springs and footjoint, married with the up-to-date clutch system, in a flute almost entirely based on the Lot/Godfroy design, makes for a lovely and elegant flute with modern features for 1860 or so, yet a strong taste of a glorious past. Geisler Senior would have been 59 in 1869; his son 23. This flute is clearly the work of the father at the height of his career.

Material: This elegant flute is made with an ivory adorned headjoint, the ivory being a 2.63" long ivory tube sandwiched on the headjoint for the embouchure. Against the dark and rich wood, the ivory is beautiful. The trim is silver, the keys are silver, the springs are flat steel. There are no pad washers. The cork and screw parts are turned wood. The cork is a full cork, in this case with an added section of cork. The pads are modern white skin pads, except the D#, which is leather, and the low C, which looks older.

System: This clear work of art from Amsterdam is built on the Boehm 1832 system as made by Godfroy and Lot, taking design elements from the Godfroy/Lot flutes throughout their output from c.1836 to c. 1860, when this flute was probably made. The foot is to C, with the side-by-side arms and overlapping armrest clutch, accompanied by the "kidney" shaped D# key, as used on the first models of the Godfroy 1832 system. The right hand mechanism has the two conjoined rings over the E and F holes, with a fully completed back clutch, invented by Godfroy and Lot around 1849. The design of the backclutch is very square, compared to Godfroy. and this is continued in the square tops of the arms on the thumb key, where Godfroy had his famous ball. The swirling Bb over the two-hole C on the thumb is classic Lot / Godfroy from the 1850's. The headjoint, with the large ivory section, is a throwback to a more decorative age. The ivory piece is only a few millimeters thick, and slides from the top of the headjoint over the wooden headjoint, which has been turned down from the bottom end of the ivory to the top of the flute. Under the crown ring one can see that a piece of wood has been turned to fit over the thinned headjoint, and slid on to meet up with the ivory. It is astounding that this instrument has maintained such good condition over the years.

Condition: There are a few hairline cracks in the headjoint around the socket (repaired here). The rest of the flute is in perfect condition.

Pitch: The pitch seems around A=440-444.

Sounding length: Sounding length 564 mm.

Measurements: Embouchure 9.72 x 11.36.

Weight gram: 380 g.

Case: In the beautiful original case, fitted precisely for this flute (although the headjoint enjoys extra space). Exterior of faded black leather over wood, interior of red velvet cloth with fitted sections for each piece.

Restoration status: Restored here.

Price: Available! $7,800.00

Geisler has made a beautiful and cultured presentation with this flute, marrying the bright ivory, the rich wood, the silver keys, and the red velvet in a fitted case, all to create a beautiful impression.

Geisler has brought the elegance and fame of Godfroy and Lot into the modern age with the new backclutch, allowing the abandonment of the vaulted clutches. Here it is made with a strong voice of reason, as seen in the square edge motif, which is repeated quite forcefully on the thumb key ends.

Curiously, Geisler designed his footjoint after the very first system of Godfroy and Lot, made back in the late 1830's. This foot is distinctive via the kidney shaped D# touch, and the "armrest" clutch, whereby the arm of the C# rests on the arm of the C. The C# can be played by itself, but the C key closes both holes.

The ivory embouchure is a thin tube very closely fitted over a thinned section of the headjoint, from the top. Another thin wooden tube is then slid down against the ivory. This ornament really encapsulates the exquisite and unsurpassed quality of this presentation piece. Indeed, since this instrument survives in nearly perfect condition, in must have been owned by a flutist who spent more time making enough money to afford such an instrument than he did practicing on it, to our great benefit.

This exquisite and rare flute by Christian Gottfried Geisler was made in Amsterdam around 1860. Very few Amsterdam flutes survive from this period.

This is a conical ring-keyed flute with the Dorus G#. In fact, several elements of this flute come from the earliest design of the Godfroy/Lot ring key flutes, including this G# and the footjoint.

The ring keys mean that another clutch between the F and E holes is unnecessary.

Here we see a footjoint from an early Godfroy/Lot flute, with the kidney shaped D# and the armrest clutch for C-C# (see our S841 for more photos).

The beautiful, playful, yet stern Geisler thumb key mimics that of Godfroy and Lot, yet Geisler has boldly stated his difference via the square end of the touches, giving his art a practical, sturdy and sinless basis, even while he is making such a glorious and beautiful flute.

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