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The Hotteterre tenor recorder has a consistently large and warm tone in all registers. It is especially suited to solo-playing since its range of 2 1/2 octaves gives in general access to the baroque flute repertoire. In addition it has proved successful in use in contemporary music, with its strong low register and volume of tone. Two historical instruments have been used as models for our Hotteterre tenor (one in the Musée de la Musique in Paris, the other in the Br ggen Collection in Amsterdam, both bearing the engraved hallmark with the anchor. L ancre noire in the sign of the house which Jean Hotteterre (died in 1611) owned in Alsace. He belonged to the large family of the Hotteterres who, from 1640 on, in collaboration with the royal band in Paris, were responsible as musicians and instrument-makers for creating epoch-making new baroque recorders, traverse flutes and oboes, larger in range and fuller in overtones than their predecessors. It is not possible to ascertain with certainty whether the tenors which we used as models were built by Jean himself or by his descendants (to whom belongs the famous Hotteterre Le Romain, author of the teaching method for the new instruments). All instruments are from Indian boxwood, natural or antique patina, oiled.
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