Bürger, J. M - Strassburg, 1881-1904 (c.1900). Bürger was a particularly interesting maker who had worked for Boehm and Mendler. His conical Boehm flutes are a melding of Germanic ideas (from Boehm) and French ideas (from Louis Lot). The feeling of the instrument is rather German, heavier, bigger, and louder than what one might expect from a Lot but with many French physical aspects being retained. Beautiful keywork including the Lot-style b/b-flat thumb keys.
This model was made famous by the flutist Rudolph Tillmetz who played in Wagner’s orchestra. It was after his performance of Parsifal that Wagner declared his dislike for the cylindrical bore flute - describing it as sounding like a cannon. Following that, Tillmetz switched the conical flute and continued playing it, and teaching with it, well into the 20th century at the Leipzig Conservatory. He died in 1915.
closed G# - restoration by Arthur Haswell. Pitch A=440
Demo recording - Nocturne by Rudolph Tilmetz
