A question for those who own or have played gold flutes

[cflutist]

Ok, so I am getting used to my new flute, no longer cracking notes in the third register, and no longer hitting the Thumb Bb by mistake.

My orchestra conductor says he really likes the tone I get from this flute (much better than the tone I got from my Haynes) and that it has a "burnished" quality to it. What does that mean? I've heard of burnished bronze and copper, but what is a "burnished" tone? He made some comment about the Berlin Phil sounding like that.
I tried to Google it, but didn't get a definitive answer.
Does anyone know?

p.s. The concertmaster used the word "warmth" to describe my new tone.

[pied_piper]

According to Wikipedia, burnishing, as applied to metalworking, is used to "improve the size, shape, surface finish" of a product. If you imply those same characteristics to music or tone, then I'd say you were paid a complement because you improved the size, shape, and surface finish of your sound.

[cflutist]

Thanks pp, but I still don't get it.

And with all the descriptive words he could have used, why would he choose "burnished"?

We have burnished brass ceiling light fixtures in the house is all I know.

[fluteguy18]

Generally when 'burnished' is used as a descriptive word in relation to metals (from an artistic perspective -- I have a large background in the visual arts), it is used to describe a quality of 'glowing warmth.' And it isn't usually meant in a 'bright and shiny' way, but rather in the way that it has a soft luster rather than a hard shine. It will sometimes have a glittery quality to it if the object is multi-faceted. Generally when I think of something with a 'burnished' quality to it, I think of an aztec/incan/florentine gold item (darker yellow) softly glowing in candle light.

I would take 'burnished' as a compliment indeed!

[cflutist]

Thanks FG18, now it is beginning to make sense because he also used the word "shimmering".

Ok, time for more practicing.

[lianeandflute]

About the heaviness, it is probably because it's made out of gold. These are heavier than silver, even than heavy walled silver flutes. So I guess going from a thin walled silver to a 14k gold is a big difference but you will get used to it.

When I got my Muramatsu (heavy walled, solid sterling silver) I had a lot of aching and strain in my right shoulder due to the weight (I'm a small person with not a lot of upper body strength! Haha) difference in comparison to my previous intermediate silver plated with solid silver head Sankyo. I know how you feel, but I got used ot it after about 3 weeks and stopped feeling the weight so much after about 3 months. I also do a bit of light weight lifting (only a kilo) a couple of times a week to build up endurance and strength in those muscles so I have stopped having problems.

Although I suppose you're used to it now after all!

How are you finding the gold?

[cflutist]

l&f:

I am getting used to the weight, but I do take breaks when I practice. Its not so bad during orchestra rehearsal because we spend a lot of time counting rests ... LOL

I love this flute, it has a warmth and resonance to it that my thinwall Haynes does not. It also has a much improved Cooper scale over the pre-Deveau scale that my Haynes had. The low register is effortless on the Brannen when I really had to work to get it respond with my Haynes. The Haynes also had a flat low register.

Then the Brögger Mekanik™ pinless mechanism has a real buttery feel to it. This flute is such a joy to play. I have at least seven other friends that play Brannen-Cooper flutes (three of them also 14K white or rose gold) ... now I know why they chose Brannen.

[lianeandflute]

ahh orchestral rests, how we love thee i am amazing at counting now though.

As if the low register isn't hard enough anyway, hey? It's amazing the difference a flute can actually make...

I WISH I could afford a gold flute! I tried some a few weeks ago (9k, 14k Muramatsus, 10k Sankyo, 14k Brannen) and it was just amazing, I feel like the gold really suits me, I could really start achieving what I wanted to achieve with gold. I tried a 14k Brannen actually, but it was hard to compare with the gold Muramatsus I also tried because I am so used to Muramatsu flutes now... I think they suit me more though. But I remember the mechanism on the Brannen was so smooth.

I'm saving up for a gold headjoint, I'm thinking 14k... but it will be a while before I can get it on my lowly casual childcare and 3 private students salary! (I'm a student)

[cflutist]

l&f:

If you prefer Muramatsu's, then please get yourself one of those. I acutally played on a Muramatsu for a year (my flute teacher had loaned me hers) as I waited for my Haynes to be made in 1972. I was an impatient high school kid, and it was $850 for a Muramatsu, $1150 for a Haynes, and I don't remember what it was for a Powell (since they had a 3 year waiting list they were out). I chose the Haynes because it was a known brand, while they just started importing Muramatsu's into the US. Now all three of my flutes are made in the USA.

A fellow student at a Masterclass I attended last July had a Platinum clad Muramatsu. That flute was gorgeous to look at as was the tone she got from it.

[lianeandflute]

I really do love Muramatsus!! I feel like my current one (silver) is almost a part of me and when I played the 14k it was so natural, like it was another limb. Incredible. But I can't afford even a head joint yet, and also don't feel like I'm ready for gold yet... well.. worthy, I don't feel worthy! I'm just saving up for a head joint.
The Brannen I could tell was a great flute, but it didn't feel right for me (probably a part of that is to do with me being more used to a Muramatsu though), I didn't sound like me on it.

I know Emmanuel Pahud has a 14k Brannen (now you can say you have the same flute as him ) with a Dana Sheridan head - I also tried a 14k Dana Sheridan head actually and I didn't really like that either. It's so weird, now that I think about it... how different flutes really are. I always knew that but you don't fully realise until you get to try them.

[cflutist]

Ok,

So if you promise not to laugh, here is a recording that I posted to YouTube of Alan (a retired CPA) and myself (a retired IT professional) playing the Cimarosa Concerto for two flutes. There was a slight hiccup in the 3rd movement cadenza.

I had to "compress" it (so that it would conform to YouTube rules for posting) so the video quality is not as nice as the orginal was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb7V7uXp ... er&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjhIJqGn ... er&list=UL

[lianeandflute]

hey congrats! it's always nice to play with an orchestra to get all the tone colours you don't get with a piano. the cimarosa is so much fun to play and you two flutes had really good communication together.