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The Art Nouveau Flute
THE PROCESS
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"John makes his flutes by wrestling with
the silver until a flute pops out"
~Jim Phelan. Flutemaker, Burkart-Phelan Flutes |
Let me guide you through the process of how the art nouveau keys are made. Using this picture of the G# lever (left) on the flute, we'll go step by step through the making of that key.
This 1981 drawing shows the origins of my vision of the flute body as a
cherry tree with branches and vines for key arms that ‘grow' around the
instrument.
To begin with, each part of the flute starts as basic sterling silver tubing, sheet and wire that is later formed into every different part. For this demonstration key, we will be using silver wire and sheet. |
 I draw the shape of the G# key
on the silver sheet (right) using a cast template (left) that is shaped
like the key. The key piece is then rough cut out (center) of the silver
sheet. The wire in the middle is shaped to be used for the lever attached
to the key.
All other flutemakers use molded castings, like the template key on the left, to make their key parts. This is done by making an original "pattern" that is identical to the part and then making a mold to copy it as many times as needed. This makes all of the keys come out exactly the same. |
That is too restricting for me. I prefer to design each piece as I go. After each key is cut out, it is hammered and shaped to fit the style and place that it needs to go. By holding the key in tweezers, it can be shaped on the anvil to give it a "natural" curve and thickness. |
| Once formed and finished, it is soldered to the bent wire lever shown above. |  |
 Once soldered together, to get the
shape of a G# lever, I must bend the silver to run between the cups and
reach where the finger will most comfortably find it. You can see that
on the finished section picture at the top of this page.
Here, you can compare the cast template to the soldered key and then again to the assembled G# key, complete with cup and tubing. Every cup & arm, bridge, and key lever is assembled and fit this way. Then it is ready to be polished and chased. |
Chasing is a technique similar to engraving except that metal is pushed rather than removed to make designs and patterns in the surface of the silver. For each leaf key, I chase a vein pattern in the top by tapping the chasing tool with the hammer and directing it across the silver. This is the last process to be done to the flute before it is padded. |
The completed, chased and assembed key is the one that we started with at the top of this page. If you look carefully, you will notice the small leaves on the Bb and C# trill levers as well as on the cup is chased with veins as well.
On the next page, you can see the variations and development of the style over a 12 year period.
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