November 3rd, 2023 (11/3/2023)

Summer workshops are finally over, the boxes of music have been put away and we're on to preparing for the holidays. I know it's just past Hallowe'en, but it's not too early to be looking at Christmas music if you want to plan for holiday gigs. I'm updating the category on our web site, which you can browse here. Patrick von Huene leaves Tuesday for the London International Festival of Early Music in Greenwich, England with a large selection of our fine handmade recorders to show and sell.

If you missed the new Renaissance Duet Book and Renaissance Trio Book two weeks ago, Bernard Thomas has reprinted and shipped by FedEx, so they are now back in stock!

We've also received some fun new issues from Girolamo: Barsanti's famous Old Scots Tunes for melody and bass in a new, complete edition, and show-stopping set of variations for flageolet from 1820 arranged for alto recorder and piano by Bousquet. And, Monika Madelartz's popular improvisation method Greensleeves and Pudding Pies is back in stock.

A running joke in grad school was

'Who is Scotland's most famous composer?' Answer: Francesco Barsanti, From 1735 to 1743, Barsanti lived in Edinburgh, where he published this collection of 30 Old Scots Tunes for violin to which he added basso continuo. The solo part may also be played on flute or C recorder; full score (with realised continuo) and two playing scores.

G 21.009 $27

Contemporaries describe Joseph Narcisse Bousquet as 'the best flageolet player in Paris', but he was also a teacher, conductor, prolific composer, and composer. Air Varie sur Marlborough is a set of virtuosic variations for flageolet and piano based on a folksong popular at the turn of the 19th century. The music has been transposed down a step to better fit alto recorder; score & parts.

G 12.052 $27

Monika Mandelartz's popular Greensleeves and Pudding Pies series is an ingenious graded method for learning both figured bass/harmony and historical improvisation. Using mostly 16th-18th century songs and dances (with lots of Playford tunes), she demonstrates how to improvise an accompanying bass line with chords, countermelodies and even counterpoint. Level 1 (of 3).

EW1220 $41

But while we're at it, don't forget to check our our own very popular Alto Recorder Duet Books. There are three volumes, each with 135 pages of music from the middle ages to the 21st century, including a number of works written especially for these collections. There are both easier and harder pieces in each volume, but ARDB I is mostly 'easy to intermediate' (one flat or sharp in the key signature and a range only up to D5), ARDB II is 'intermediate' (more remote keys and difficult rhythms) and ARDB III is 'intermediate to advanced' (using the full range of the instrument up to G5 and challenging passagework). They're available separately at $35/volume, or the set of three volumes for $90.

Don't forget to check our used instrument listing; we're getting more instruments each week!

ORDER NOTE: For reasons too abstruse to go into, the only shipping option available on our web site is UPS. We actually prefer to send sheet music by USPS. Please put in the customer notes whether you would prefer PRIORITY MAIL ($11-15 depending on location, currently about 2-4 day delivery) or MEDIA MAIL ($6 MINIMUM, anywhere from 5-14 day delivery or longer). Canadian customers, I'm afraid the only option in most cases is Priority Mail International ($32 minimum). We will adjust the invoice manually and you will only be billed for the actual cost.

I thought an updated photo was in order. Nearly every model in production is available for immediate delivery. Our popular Rippert alto (a=440) in European boxwood or rosewood, Denner altos (a=415) in boxwood, Stanesby, Jr. altos (a=415) in boxwood or grenadilla, Bressan voice flutes (a=415) and more, all waiting for a good home and attentive owner. And we're pleased to once more offer a selection of transverse flutes: Grenser, Rottenburgh, and Kirst.

And of course, we have a large inventory of new recorders from Moeck, Mollenhauer, Küng and others as well as our 'New-to-You Instrumentarium' with a large and ever-changing inventory of used recorders in all price ranges, transverse flutes, and other instruments that we are selling on consignment with some interesting new additions. As full and up-to-date a listing as we can provide in the current circumstances can be found here:

von Huene Workshop, Inc. used instruments

Unless otherwise noted, all instruments we receive for consignment are thoroughly checked over and any needed repairs (such as revoicing, new cork, thumb-bushing, etc.) are made before being offered for sale. Please note: the used instrument listing is a text file only; individual items are NOT linked to separate pages with further details, photographs or web ordering capability. We CANNOT provide photographs or sound samples of individual instruments, as we simply do not have the manpower or resources, so please do not ask. To request to purchase used instruments or to have one or more sent to you 'on approval', you must telephone the workshop (617) 277-8690, 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday.