Most Expensive Flute
Written by: tom Filed Under: Music, World on March 1st, 2007by Hunter Davis
Flutes fall into the category of woodwinds and unlike other similar instruments produce their sound without using a reed. Flutes produce sound using the flow of air against an edge. Generally called a flautist or flutist, the flute is known for its pleasant and sweet sounding tones that easily blend with various other instruments.
Flutes are made of various types of metals often with intricate designs and craftsmanship. The first types of flute-like instruments were made of bones and tusks from animals like mammoths and swans.
Nowadays, flute manufacturers like the Powell Company use precious metals to make their flutes because of their denseness, attractive luster and malleability. Silver, gold and platinum alloy are the most used of the precious metals. Platinum alloy flutes are thought to be the best sounding flutes because of their dark, penetrating sound as well as its ability to maintain stable pitches with different dynamic levels.
Generic Flute
William Kincaid, the world-renowned flutist and teacher was the proud owner and player of a flute that would become the world’s most expensive flute. The platinum flute he performed with until his death in 1967 was made in 1939 by the Verne Q. Powell Company, and was exhibited in the New York City World’s Fair held in that same year.
Christie’s auctioned the expensive flute in 1986 for an unbelievable $187,000. Kincaid’s other accolades include a faculty position at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, spots in both Philadelphia and New York City’s Symphony Orchestras and the C. Hartman Kuhn Award.
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who would pay this much for an ugly flute?
When you like somethigns so much and passion about it. Then the value is in the flute it self, not the cost.
Where did you get all the money to buy a flute that expensive and if you pay all that money on a flute how much do you spend on other stuff
Well, some people might not play, they might keep them as an antique…
I am a flautist myself, and I say that is expensive, but usually the more money it costs the better condition it is, or you get more.
But it is a beautiful flute… Not even near ugly.
Being that it went for that much at an auction is not very truth telling. The price of something sold at an auction is not always what the item is actually worth. The price of something at an auction is determined at what price the company auctioning it off decides to start. Then, from there, the individuals bidding are the ones in control and they are the ones who ultimately decided how expensive the item will end being. One bidder pushes another to go higher and higher, until you have a pin cushion selling for a million bucks.
This particular flute obviously went for so much because it was owned by one of the greatest flutists of all time and because it is made with platinum (an expensive material in itself). Most brand new flutes on the market that are solid platinum go for about $30-40,000 just starting out anyway so it’s no surprise that this one is so expensive. The older it gets the more expensive it becomes; provided someone is playing it and keeping it in shape, it helps that that someone was William Kincaid.
I’d also like to point out that the flute in the picture is not the flute that sold for $187,000 at auction…that’s a “generic flute” as the caption points out. So, gothika, the Kincaid flute is actually much better looking.
I heard that the critics of William Kincaid say he needs a flute that expensive to sound good…. The buy probably didn’t hurt his publicity either