Four-part Naust 1725

This interesting original comes from a private collection in Germany and dates from roughly the same period as other early four-part originals such as those made by Denner, Bressan and I.H. Rottenburg. The Naust workshop is unique in that it is one of the few workshops that made both the earlier three-part as well as the later four-part models. The transition from three to four parts probably took place between 1710 and 1720, but it is a bit of a mystery as to where it took place. A sales bill dating 1721, drawn for Sieur Dejardin, a flutist at the Paris opera, for a flute with three corps, or corps de rechange indicates that by that time the Naust workshop was producing the new four-part flutes. As Pierre Naust died in 1709, it is unlikely that this flute was made by him, but rather by either his widow, Barbe Pelletier, or by Antoine Delerablée, who became a partner in the workshop in 1722.
Both he and the widow Naust continued to make instruments using the "Naust" stamp (with the sign of a lion rampant) from Pierre's death in 1709 until the 1730s, when the shop was taken over by Thomas Lot.

This model has a full, round sound, with strong cross fingerings. It is extremely versatile, and works well for both early and high baroque repertoire; Couperin, Leclair, Blavet, Telemann and J.S. Bach. The four-part Naust flute is available in boxwood or ebony at the original pitch (A=398) with extra middle joints for A=392 or A=415.