Schönes Blockflöteschpiel und außerirdischer Klang des Instrumenten, Sie und die, die die Flöte entwickelt hatten, leisteten dabei eine oberste Arbeit. Ich will jetzt das Album, das Sie während der Schreibung ihrer Doktorsthese aufgenommen haben, anhören. Entschuldigung für schlechtes Deutsch, habe die Sprache seitdem nie geübt, als ich mit meinem Bachelorsstudium fertig war
@@Team_Recorder would the super high register up to E7 work on any other recorders including basset? i'm sure it does because then the basset would have a great large range to be playable without switching recorders! can you try and make a video of it on basset and other recorders please? keep in mind the notes won't be that high on the larger ones, it would maybe have the large range up to E7, just be a little lower!
@@VladQuake not at all related 😊 But as saxofonists are able to change their reed, we are now able to change our block and platelet to change the sound colour and technical abilities of the instrument.
One important question to think of: did you ever question the price of a Ferrari or Lamborghini? Or an even better comparison: the price of a modern flute or the clarinet? You have to know that a lot of technical progress, superb material, knowhow, passion and heart is put into the Helder Evo. Of course it is expensive, but worth every cent. We also thought about other materials and this will for sure be the next step in the future. But for now we wanted to be sure to use the best we can, giving the instrument the chance to blossom with its most beautiful flower. 🙂
Mollenhauer website says the instrument is €3,749. 4k is not much for a professional instrument though (looking at the grand piano in the practicing room where I am at the moment)
Compared to flutes, it's really not expensive! But on the other hand, I think many flutists own only a few instruments (typically, their good flute, their back-up flute, and a piccolo). For a professional, this may be an investment totalling $20-$30k. But recorderists are expected to own a LOT of recorders: your good baroque wood in 4 or 5 sizes, your good renaissance wood in as many sizes, your plastic durable recorders in all sizes, and if you want to own large recorders? Oof. That's a lot. So then, considering those expectations, $3k is a lot, unless you can justify it with a lot of use where a conventional recorder wouldn't be up to the task.
@@jessicavaliente9342 reading comments like this, I feel grateful to God I chose the piano, cause all you need for home use is a decent acoustic upright and perhaps a MIDI keyboard for writing / editing sheet music on your computer, both can be owned within $10k. But then again professional keyboardists from progressive rock / electronic music bands tend to own dozens of synths and a grand, easily totalling $100k or even more.
Could I ask, do you know how it would feel for someone with very small hands? Do the keys help at all there (like a comfort tenor) or are the hole spacings still fairly standard? I am quite interested but have already mostly given up on an Aulos 211A tenor due to the hole spacings still being too big for my third finger so I'm thinking this one may also be too big. Thank you!
4:50, I'm going to say it's more like the difference between the baroque flute and the earlier simple system keyed flutes (4 keys, 5 keys, 8 keys, etc). The baroque fingering system is essentially preserved, but a couple of additional holes have been drilled, with "closed-standing" keys, so that you have the option of fingering certain notes with a louder, not-veiled option with the key. The Boehm system started with drilling a separate hole in the right place for each of the 12 notes of the chromatic scale, and then the keys were designed to make it possible to open and close all of these holes. It's really a different animal from simple system keyed flutes or this very interesting recorder. I wonder how similar or different it is to other, earlier experiments in keyed recorders.
Looks and sounds like a clarinet without the reed, which I think is a great idea. I’ve tried clarinet and couldn’t ever learn to play it. This instrument has a lovely voice. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for making this video! I personally feel that the Helder has just so much potential. It's my favorite of all my recorders, and it's wonderful to see it brought to the attention of more of the community!
Wow what a wonderful variation of the recorder... I love how it's purpose isn't to overshadow, but rather to extend a recorders possibilities. Variety and diversity. You will have your diehard recorder fans who will no doubt be unseen, however I'm definitely a fan
There is no evolution necessary; you can skip right ahead and put a full Boehm system on a recorder. And, it'll still be an objectively inferior musical instrument.
Fantastic! I have been fascinated by the Helder instruments for...wow...over a decade now. I didn't really come across any particularly revealing and informative videos on it until coming across some of Fröhlich's work, and now we have this fantastic interview! I don't think this type of instrument will become popular for performing the Baroque or Renaissance recorder repertoire, since it somewhat defeats the purpose of using "historical instruments" and does have a somewhat different tone (though, maybe there are blocks voiced to sound reedier or more "Baroque"). However, as a composer and recorder player, I'm definitely fascinated by the expanded musical possibilities this instrument affords. And, though this may be subjective, I'm happy to hear that while it sounds different from the recorders I own, it still sounds more like a recorder than a flute, traverso, clarinet, or other woodwind instrument. Thank you so much for sharing this!
No recorders are reed instrument. It will be different like yamaha venova. It's very good because thousands of dollars price and handmade. Maybe because of the design they invented
WOW! Just WOW! So amazing! I would hate to see our recorder pushed aside once again, but I would welcome it as a part of the old world meets the new world together. They are both beautiful in different ways. When you were playing, I felt a story being told. As if the recorders were speaking to eachother. The New, "Look at what I've learned, through you!" The Old, "Its so beautiful! I can also sound beautiful." The New, "Listen to what else I can do." The Old, "Well Done! Remember what force drives the music and how we each share our own unique way of expressing it." The New, "I'll remember and I'll never forget what you've taught me." The Old, "Good, because I'll always be here to remind you."🌹
Oh my god I've wanted this recorder so bad for **months** now. It's soooo expensive though! It'll probably be a few years before I can buy it, but god, I'm super looking forwards to buying this and eventually playing it in some jazz settings 😩 Too bad I live in Texas and the nearest dealer location is literally multiple states away from me, cause I really would like to just try out the instrument in a shop and see what it feels like, even if just for a few minutes! Maybe I'll get the alto when it's developed on the same level as the tenor, cause right now the tenor has an extra half octave range, and the Ab/F# keys too. I never knew how flexible the block was! It's so crazy, how many different colours that you can get out of just one block! I'm real happy that the recorder is getting the developments that it is, it's really is such a **massively** underrated instrument imo. I hope that these developments will help as a step towards having the music community as a whole start taking it as a "serious" instrument on the level of other orchestral instruments.
The Helder is amazing. I would have loved if there was a question about how it compares to the Mollenhauer modern recorders, it would be so interesting to note the similarities and differences.
A fantastic introduction into this new instrument! - But to be honest when they play together i felt immediately in love (again) with the baroque recorder!!! The very special character of the baroque recorder is just unique and endlessness lovable and goes deep into the heart! In comparision the Helder seems like a person who can"t decide who he or she is, a bit clarinet, a bit duduk, a bit recorder ;). (But of course its great that there is such an extraordinary excellent musician who researches artistically the spectrum of this new instrument!)
that thing is a super mega cyberpunk Fujara !!! I love it! The voicing is sooo flexible, sound like clarinet, shakuhashi, recorder, whistler, etc, a whole new sonic landscape!
This is such a beautiful development and a fascinating interview I love the possibilities which are afforded through the enhanced capacity for dynamic expression - the look on Sarah's face through this interview was so interesting :-) she was so into the recorder
This is amazing, and I am so glad to be alive in a time where such a recorder exists! My jaw dropped at multiple times at the capabilities of this instrument!!!
This was fascinating! With the development and implementation concerning modern/contemporary music, it could easily affect the construction of a "standard" recorder by the artists and craftsmen who build them. The possibilities in stabilising the voicings is very exciting! Thank you so very much for introducing Doctor Frölich to your viewers and your always entertaining presentation. You're the best!
Thanks to Susanne for demonstrating this new instrument for us. It is aesthetically beautiful. I especially like the sound it produces when the block is opened a bit: it sounds like a regular (but beautiful) recorder with all the perks and possibilities of a newly engineered instrument. As a supporter of historically informed performances, though, when playing older pieces I would only use the improved intonation and not the other innovations. On the down side, to my ears the new recorder sounds a lot like an clarinet. Nothing against the clarinet, of course, but it already exists.
I have been lucky enough to own a Helder alto for a couple of years. It has extra keys for low E natural with the left hand little finger and an A flat key played like a low F or F sharp but using a third key. The recorder sounds really nice and if I pick it up I never want to put it down again! But I never take it anywhere - I always feel it would be ostentatious to turn up at my recorder group with such a brilliant instrument when people playing plastic instruments are all better than me! Now I see the tenor has been developed and a knick inserted, I am keen to complete the set, as the incompetency of my ageing wrists to be able to support the weight of a larger recorder lower down made me hesitate. I may have to sell all my others to get one! I like the idea of a piano key but I find it puts my hand in a position where it is very difficult to have any flexibility in changing my other fingers on the right hand. If you do buy one, don't fall into the same traps as me. I unscrewed the block too far and the whole thing popped open and the little foam pad between the block and the outside which is held together with the screw fell into the bowels of my couch. Fortunately Thomann was able to get me a replacement. The other foolish mistake I made was not to discover that there is an extra joint at the top just below the labium which normally doesn't need to come apart to replace the recorder in its case. I had no idea this was fully corked up and thought it was fixed and immovable as none of the literature showed it. When my top joint shifted round I found that the piano key no longer covered the hole and the recorder wouldn't fit in its box, and I returned it to the workshop. What a fool I felt when I realised it just needed to be twisted around! Thanks for this video - it was of special interest to me. I'd love to see a video on the alto version if you can get hold of one - or find a player with one who is competent enough to speak about it knowledgably.
Dear Ann, it was actually one of of the goals of the flexible block system (developed my Arnfred Strathmann) to let the block and platelet dry - so, yes take the block out after playing 🙂 The soft rubber underneath the block is now completely attached to the instrument so it can't fall out anymore and disappear underneath sofas. All the best!
This is reminiscent of the instruments of the New Violin family (violin octet) where the middle range instruments have been greatly enhanced. A truly remarkable instrument. Thanks for the presentation.
4:52 - maybe it's worth to try to compare with "classic" flute/19th century flute. A flute, which was used in the era between baroque and modern/Boehm flute. From far view, the similarity is undisputable. In german speaking countries, this flute was used up to early 20th century. For english speaking countries, it is generally called 19th century flute nowadays.
This blew me away. I would love to try these contemporary recorders out more, if only the price didn't keep them out of reach. It's great how the innovations were taken to allow for a huge level of flexibility while also retaining the open holes to keep the familiarity and flexibility of the traditional recorder. And the way that block system can be changed around, that's really something.
I listened to Dr Susanne Frolich’s album about three months ago and it was really inspiring. This was a great video! It was really cool to see the side by side comparison!
I feel like I’m watching the future of the recorder here. Fingers crossed that this is the beginning of the reintegration of the recorder into the greater orchestral world... who knows, we may even see recorders in concert band literature in the future. Great video.
Thank you so much for the fantastic video---I had been waiting for a hands-on review of the Helder tenor anywhere for a quite a while (I have never held one in my hands, but the video on Mollenhauer's site are beguiing) . The instrument's possibilities are really huge. If only it would cost half as much it would multiply the number of recorder players by an order of magnitude overnight, I think. (Three octave range, strong lower register, and dynamics *on top* of the flexibility of an almost keyless instrument and a multi-century repertoire and practice history? How many serious students who are steered to the way cooler clarinet, flute, and sax wouldn't rather upgrade their plastic instruments to this one? How many jazz and "world music" pros wouldn't be tempted to try it out and perhaps never leave it?). Thanks also for posting the link to dr. Froelich's thesis. Fantastic read. I especially appreciated the comparative analysis of 20th century models. Chapter 4 was a bit over my head, but can always dream.... Thanks again to both for a great video.
This was fascinating and inspiring. And I'm astounded that the Helder can produce such a variety of sound colours. And he duduk-like sound blew me away! Perhaps the Helder could work as a shakuhachi too? The future for this new recorder seems very bright ... :-) Thank you!
Sarah, your vibrato is beautiful. I have had a look at the fingering chart on Mollenhauer's web page and it looks like the entire high range is all done with half and partially closed holes, how hard does this make what is already tricky fingering? I really battle with my modern alto for this reason.
Fantastic instrument! Only problem is the cost, but this is a very good development. When will we see Sarah showing us and reviewing her Helder tenor?...
The medieval melody she plays should be "A chantar m'er de so qu 'eu no volria" by Beatriz Comtessa de Dia (XII century). Beautiful video Sarah, beautiful playing of the both of you, amazing instrument, wow! Thanks!
@@SusanneFroehlich aha, so I was wrong 😅 pity you didn't play it all in the video! Is there maybe a full recording/video of that? Cheers and very big congrats to you!
if you think about it a lot of instruments stopped being evolved after the baroque period with the standardisation of orchestral setting.. the instruments that just couldn’t compete (and were substituted by others) had no reason to be worked on and because of that a lot of instruments like the viola da gamba and the recorder stopped being “evolved”. I was thinking the other day about how cool it would be if a new type of orchestra emerged, with evolved modern versions of these “forgotten” period instruments... for the strings section it could have all sizes of modern violas da gamba (from the pardessus de viole to the violone) with powerful and loud metal strings and modern bows (still with a german-style bow hold, these would be specially designed for the gambas and not interchangeable with the bows for the violin family), then for the wind section you could have instruments like the Helder recorders on the treble parts and maybe Paetzolds on the bass end (if they become evolved enough to have extreme dynamics like the Helders) wouldn’t that be awesome? This orchestra would have a completely different sound, texture and feel, just like the modern Chinese orchestra or even the baroque orchestra does. I’d love to see that become a reality in the future...
How about the orchestral hurdy gurdy and theorbo? Wow, I'd be first in the queue to hear an orchestra containing those! It would also be nice if they gained the kind of familiarity where the spell checker didn't substitute 'hurry curdy' and 'theory' for them!
I think that this is a beautiful idea. As is articulated in the video, diversity is something to be celebrated. So, I believe, the more instrumental variety that can be achieved the better :-) Also, as an amateur horn player I can recommend using natural/period brass into this mix: they're nowhere near so loud as their modern counterparts!! (Oh, and I play recorder too, to a degree (on a learning curve) - horn and recorder feel such natural bedfellows to me ... ;_) )
@@AnnFBug hahahahaah yes!!! Modern hurdy gurdies and theorbos sounds awesome! Dulcimers and zithers would also be great hhahaha and I feel you, I get ‘hurdle giddy’ and ‘theobromine’ somehow
The Helder seems to me like it bridges the gap between the flute and recorder that made one survive in the orchestra and the other disappear. The different block positions also remind me of the different embouchures you can use on the flute. Yet it still retains that recordery sound in the fundamental range. Very exciting!
WoW! the Helier is magnificent in its flexibility. I love the stable dynamic range it can play. PLEASE, are there small ensembles using the Helier with other modern woodwinds? Trios? Quartets? I Would love to hear some Beethoven in that format !!! To hear it with modern piano doing Debussy would be D I V I N E !!! Thank you so much for introducing me to this instrument. It is a great addition to the family of historic recorders. I will definitelyy be seeking out recordings of it in the Romantic period of Schumann, Chopin and others! Thank you again Sarah and Susanne! BTW: I love that her surname is Fröhlich - it suits her as a player of this instrument!
Dear Glenn, please check out Johannes Fischer, who is performing romantic repertoire on the Helder Tenor. There is even a video on UA-cam: ua-cam.com/video/P79hxYTVlM8/v-deo.html
Nice to hear that German accent, schoene Gruesse! This is quite an advancement for the recorder instrument, I looked it up,and it comes with quite a price tag! Amazing sound possibilities, but I can't shake the feeling of it being a Frankenstein monster. I love the simplicity of the (normal) recorder, sound and look alike.
I think this is really similar to how the clarinet developed from a keyless instrument to 3 then 5 keys, and now with 17-19 keys depending on the preference of the player
The Recorder is a brush. Our breath is the paint. Fingerings are brushstrokes. The room is the canvas. Time is our patron. This is not an instrument that merely evolves under the pressure `twixt composer and performer, but a tool that is painstakingly crafted to produce ever more various nuances in the music that issues forth. And that makes it eternal.
I'm a new recorder player and have little experience -- Sarah's videos have been invaluable -- however as someone who plays clarinet (and tenor sax) I find myself wondering if the Helder Evo is just a clarinet for recorder players. This instrument seems to be using all sorts of innovations that make it sound more and more like a clarinet and less and less like a recorder. Perhaps I'm missing the point.
This is an amazing instrument. The flexibility in type of tone and dynamics is phenomenal. This is definitely an instrument for those who are serious, and are willing/able to part with the money, so, yeah, mostly professional players are people with disposable income. It is a fair price, given what I know about pro instruments that we've had to buy for our offspring. Contemporary recorders are so interesting. The flexibility in type of tone is what I would want, since I want to play recorder, but with music from different cultures where the woodwinds need to sound a specific way. Beats trying to even get mildly proficient, much less master, so many different instruments in the woodwind family.
@@amalkatrazz Well, yes, but you have to be comparing similar types of instruments. A professional flute or clarinet is around that price, often higher. I would be surprised to find a professional grade piano in that price range. Even a mid-ranged upright piano from a decent brand geared for home use will cost more than that. I doubt anyone can get a professional grade grand piano for less than the price of a car.
@@mynvision a guy near my town, who hails from a once-noble family that has lost all of its wealth over generations of alcohol and drug abuse, is trying to get rid of his creditors by selling his family relic: a 1888 Bösendorfer for ~$3k. Granted, nobody really took care of the instrument for a couple of decades, and it will need extensive (and expensive) restoration. Still, steal of a deal, I guess. If only I had space in my bachelor apartment to accommodate a grand. But yes, a professional grand for home studio use starts around $35k new, which is basically a Tesla Model 3. Likes of S&S for concert use measure in hundreds of thousands. As for violins, well, $50k is the price... of a bow alone if we're speaking of world-class soloist gear. In fact, these crazy prices were the reason why I decided to pick the recorder over the violin (it was that last factor that broke the tie) as my second instrument. Like, seriously, is there any other instrument that can go as cheap as $40 while still being suitable for learning? And a pretty decent Mollenhauer wooden recorder is still in a range of $1-1.5k or so. Good luck trying to find a $40 violin that will be capable of producing a sound, or a $1.5k violin suitable for any kind of usage outside learning/busking.
@@amalkatrazz I mean, I don't have the space or cash for that, and certainly not for the restoration costs, but historical instruments in still playable condition are hard to come by and make my hands itch to make music with them. I guess that will end up going to some museum. At least you have real nobility in your country. In our country, we have people who think they are nobility without any understanding of it. USA. Yay?
@@mynvision I dunno about American noblemen, but here in Russia, many noble people were stripped of their possessions during the Revolution; some families somehow retained their wealth (only to lose it all after all in case of the guy I mentioned earlier). Sure, a lot of people are claiming they hail from those high-profile figures who once attended / hosted balls at their palaces, but nobody cares, really, we are not the UK
... and it costs more than my first car. I wish one of these manufacturers of nifty new recorders would realize their instruments are never going to catch on and gain widespread acceptance unless they also come out with affordable plastic/resin models. In the long run, they'd make vastly more money even if they sold the plastic ones at cost, as many amateurs with more money than sense would choose to upgrade, and it'd be free advertising to professional players.
Sooo the Helder instruments are produced in the Mollenhauer workshop - Mollenhauer (like many other makers) produce instruments at a range of prices - from very affordable beginner/student models right up to top of the range pro models like this one. The reason for this price is that it's a top quality handmade instrument, with years of development from an expert team. Nearly €4000 is a lot of money, I know! (it's also 3 times the price of my current car 😉) But for an instrument of this calibre it's very reasonable - especially compared with the prices professional pianists, violinists, oboists play.. So I don't think the market for the Helder Evo is mass production, but for the small subset of audience who want that quality and craftsmanship to couple with the huge amount of playing possibilities someone at advanced level may seek. Hope that clears things up!
They still cost less than a professional, handmade, artist-quality flute. I think perhaps these instruments are for professionals who find themselves in the situation of a paid performance of contemporary music that utilizes the instrument's unique qualities often enough to justify the expense. Not necessarily for the average amateur recorderist, but for someone like Sarah, a worthy investment.
@@jessicavaliente9342 Those flutes are made out of literal gold and platinum. Don't get me wrong: I think anyone who can afford one of these recorders and plays well enough to do it some justice should get one, they look super-sweet! In fact they look so sweet that I think it'd make sense to just replace old recorder tech over the course of decades for everything but historical performance - but that's not going to happen if they are a niche, likely patented, "closed-source" product of a single super-high-end manufacturer. I mean imagine if say the Sax was developed in the current patent/copywrite legal environment. It would have just died, like so many really nifty new recorder designs have died over recent decades.
Nope. I'm just talking about the typical solid silver professional handmade flute. I looked up the price for the Helder tenor. They seem to be about $3k, same as the Eagle. A silver flute of the same price would be the type of flute that is generally recommended for the serious middle school or slightly less serious high school student ($1500-$3500 range are "step-up" flutes). A handmade professional flute, no bells and whistles, just solid silver, not gold, starts at about $9500. The ones you refer to (gold, platinum, jeweled...) start at more like $13k. When you look at that, $3k is not bad, particularly when you consider the versatility. Fortunately, as Sarah says, there are many lovely recorders available at prices for everyone. The Helder is not necessarily for everyone.
It's a perfect recorder for those who hate the recorder. Sounds very clarinet-y and so much more flexible. I wish I had 3.6k € burning a hole in my pocket.
Dear Sarah, thank you so much for this wonderful interview! ❤
Susanne you were THE BEST!!! 😘
Schönes Blockflöteschpiel und außerirdischer Klang des Instrumenten, Sie und die, die die Flöte entwickelt hatten, leisteten dabei eine oberste Arbeit. Ich will jetzt das Album, das Sie während der Schreibung ihrer Doktorsthese aufgenommen haben, anhören.
Entschuldigung für schlechtes Deutsch, habe die Sprache seitdem nie geübt, als ich mit meinem Bachelorsstudium fertig war
@@Team_Recorder would the super high register up to E7 work on any other recorders including basset? i'm sure it does because then the basset would have a great large range to be playable without switching recorders! can you try and make a video of it on basset and other recorders please? keep in mind the notes won't be that high on the larger ones, it would maybe have the large range up to E7, just be a little lower!
How are the interchangeable voicings related to a sax reed?
@@VladQuake not at all related 😊 But as saxofonists are able to change their reed, we are now able to change our block and platelet to change the sound colour and technical abilities of the instrument.
The Helder is an exciting evolution. The range is fantastic.
One important question to think of: did you ever question the price of a Ferrari or Lamborghini? Or an even better comparison: the price of a modern flute or the clarinet? You have to know that a lot of technical progress, superb material, knowhow, passion and heart is put into the Helder Evo. Of course it is expensive, but worth every cent. We also thought about other materials and this will for sure be the next step in the future. But for now we wanted to be sure to use the best we can, giving the instrument the chance to blossom with its most beautiful flower. 🙂
Mollenhauer website says the instrument is €3,749. 4k is not much for a professional instrument though (looking at the grand piano in the practicing room where I am at the moment)
Compared to flutes, it's really not expensive! But on the other hand, I think many flutists own only a few instruments (typically, their good flute, their back-up flute, and a piccolo). For a professional, this may be an investment totalling $20-$30k. But recorderists are expected to own a LOT of recorders: your good baroque wood in 4 or 5 sizes, your good renaissance wood in as many sizes, your plastic durable recorders in all sizes, and if you want to own large recorders? Oof. That's a lot. So then, considering those expectations, $3k is a lot, unless you can justify it with a lot of use where a conventional recorder wouldn't be up to the task.
I look forward to seeing & hearing the amazing future which this recorder offers. All the best
@@jessicavaliente9342 reading comments like this, I feel grateful to God I chose the piano, cause all you need for home use is a decent acoustic upright and perhaps a MIDI keyboard for writing / editing sheet music on your computer, both can be owned within $10k. But then again professional keyboardists from progressive rock / electronic music bands tend to own dozens of synths and a grand, easily totalling $100k or even more.
Could I ask, do you know how it would feel for someone with very small hands? Do the keys help at all there (like a comfort tenor) or are the hole spacings still fairly standard? I am quite interested but have already mostly given up on an Aulos 211A tenor due to the hole spacings still being too big for my third finger so I'm thinking this one may also be too big. Thank you!
4:50, I'm going to say it's more like the difference between the baroque flute and the earlier simple system keyed flutes (4 keys, 5 keys, 8 keys, etc). The baroque fingering system is essentially preserved, but a couple of additional holes have been drilled, with "closed-standing" keys, so that you have the option of fingering certain notes with a louder, not-veiled option with the key. The Boehm system started with drilling a separate hole in the right place for each of the 12 notes of the chromatic scale, and then the keys were designed to make it possible to open and close all of these holes. It's really a different animal from simple system keyed flutes or this very interesting recorder. I wonder how similar or different it is to other, earlier experiments in keyed recorders.
Looks and sounds like a clarinet without the reed, which I think is a great idea. I’ve tried clarinet and couldn’t ever learn to play it. This instrument has a lovely voice. Thanks for sharing.
I think a comparison between this recorder and the mollenhauer modern recorder would be very interesting!
Ooh yes!!
...or the Eagle.
... or the Küng E3 recorder?
@@jessicavaliente9342 They kind of go in opposite directions. The Eagle aims to play Loud!!!! whereas this thing seems to play sooooftly.
@@IpsilonVr According to The Early Music shop, the Küng E3 IS the Eagle. No, I didn’t realise that either!
Thank you so much for making this video! I personally feel that the Helder has just so much potential. It's my favorite of all my recorders, and it's wonderful to see it brought to the attention of more of the community!
Oh my goodness that's incredible! That is the future of recorder playing and compositions. Absolutely beautiful sound.
Wow what a wonderful variation of the recorder... I love how it's purpose isn't to overshadow, but rather to extend a recorders possibilities. Variety and diversity. You will have your diehard recorder fans who will no doubt be unseen, however I'm definitely a fan
I love the 'Lullaby' that you played, each on your respective instruments. You both sounded great. And such a lovely piece!
it is super super cool that the recordere is still evolving like this. way to go teamrecorder!
This is an evolution that happened to other wind instruments in the early 1800s. The recorder was left behind...
There is no evolution necessary; you can skip right ahead and put a full Boehm system on a recorder. And, it'll still be an objectively inferior musical instrument.
@@ironmatic1 Why?
Fantastic! I have been fascinated by the Helder instruments for...wow...over a decade now. I didn't really come across any particularly revealing and informative videos on it until coming across some of Fröhlich's work, and now we have this fantastic interview!
I don't think this type of instrument will become popular for performing the Baroque or Renaissance recorder repertoire, since it somewhat defeats the purpose of using "historical instruments" and does have a somewhat different tone (though, maybe there are blocks voiced to sound reedier or more "Baroque"). However, as a composer and recorder player, I'm definitely fascinated by the expanded musical possibilities this instrument affords. And, though this may be subjective, I'm happy to hear that while it sounds different from the recorders I own, it still sounds more like a recorder than a flute, traverso, clarinet, or other woodwind instrument. Thank you so much for sharing this!
So interesting how the block can be switched out. Also, the dynamic control is fantastic!
No recorders are reed instrument. It will be different like yamaha venova. It's very good because thousands of dollars price and handmade. Maybe because of the design they invented
WOW! Just WOW! So amazing! I would hate to see our recorder pushed aside once again, but I would welcome it as a part of the old world meets the new world together. They are both beautiful in different ways. When you were playing, I felt a story being told. As if the recorders were speaking to eachother.
The New, "Look at what I've learned, through you!"
The Old, "Its so beautiful! I can also sound beautiful."
The New, "Listen to what else I can do."
The Old, "Well Done! Remember what force drives the music and how we each share our own unique way of expressing it."
The New, "I'll remember and I'll never forget what you've taught me."
The Old, "Good, because I'll always be here to remind you."🌹
Great video, I loved reading Dr. Fröhlich's doctoral thesis!
😍😍
Do you have a link?
Oh my god I've wanted this recorder so bad for **months** now. It's soooo expensive though! It'll probably be a few years before I can buy it, but god, I'm super looking forwards to buying this and eventually playing it in some jazz settings 😩
Too bad I live in Texas and the nearest dealer location is literally multiple states away from me, cause I really would like to just try out the instrument in a shop and see what it feels like, even if just for a few minutes!
Maybe I'll get the alto when it's developed on the same level as the tenor, cause right now the tenor has an extra half octave range, and the Ab/F# keys too.
I never knew how flexible the block was! It's so crazy, how many different colours that you can get out of just one block!
I'm real happy that the recorder is getting the developments that it is, it's really is such a **massively** underrated instrument imo. I hope that these developments will help as a step towards having the music community as a whole start taking it as a "serious" instrument on the level of other orchestral instruments.
The Helder is amazing. I would have loved if there was a question about how it compares to the Mollenhauer modern recorders, it would be so interesting to note the similarities and differences.
A fantastic introduction into this new instrument! - But to be honest when they play together i felt immediately in love (again) with the baroque recorder!!! The very special character of the baroque recorder is just unique and endlessness lovable and goes deep into the heart!
In comparision the Helder seems like a person who can"t decide who he or she is, a bit clarinet, a bit duduk, a bit recorder ;). (But of course its great that there is such an extraordinary excellent musician who researches artistically the spectrum of this new instrument!)
Hi Sarah,
Do purchase one of those! The sound is amazing and it will improve your contemporary playing. Its beautiful! I love it!
that thing is a super mega cyberpunk Fujara !!! I love it! The voicing is sooo flexible, sound like clarinet, shakuhashi, recorder, whistler, etc, a whole new sonic landscape!
This is such a beautiful development and a fascinating interview I love the possibilities which are afforded through the enhanced capacity for dynamic expression - the look on Sarah's face through this interview was so interesting :-) she was so into the recorder
This is amazing, and I am so glad to be alive in a time where such a recorder exists! My jaw dropped at multiple times at the capabilities of this instrument!!!
that was pretty cool. my jaw dropped when she overblowed to play those harmonics! wish i could afford all the goodies in the recorder world! lol
YESS!! I’m so glad you made a video on this sarah!!!
This was fascinating! With the development and implementation concerning modern/contemporary music, it could easily affect the construction of a "standard" recorder by the artists and craftsmen who build them. The possibilities in stabilising the voicings is very exciting!
Thank you so very much for introducing Doctor Frölich to your viewers and your always entertaining presentation. You're the best!
It is such a captivating sound. I’m listening to Susanne’s album online for the second time today. Might have to listen again.
Thanks to Susanne for demonstrating this new instrument for us.
It is aesthetically beautiful.
I especially like the sound it produces when the block is opened a bit: it sounds like a regular (but beautiful) recorder with all the perks and possibilities of a newly engineered instrument.
As a supporter of historically informed performances, though, when playing older pieces I would only use the improved intonation and not the other innovations.
On the down side, to my ears the new recorder sounds a lot like an clarinet. Nothing against the clarinet, of course, but it already exists.
I just fell in love with my next instrument. That sound was so beautiful and unique. Of course, Susanne was very charming too.
This is revolutionary! I can easily imagine it as an ensemble/orchestra instrument.
Finally i can get to see you again. Lots of love and respect for your work.
I have been lucky enough to own a Helder alto for a couple of years. It has extra keys for low E natural with the left hand little finger and an A flat key played like a low F or F sharp but using a third key. The recorder sounds really nice and if I pick it up I never want to put it down again! But I never take it anywhere - I always feel it would be ostentatious to turn up at my recorder group with such a brilliant instrument when people playing plastic instruments are all better than me! Now I see the tenor has been developed and a knick inserted, I am keen to complete the set, as the incompetency of my ageing wrists to be able to support the weight of a larger recorder lower down made me hesitate. I may have to sell all my others to get one!
I like the idea of a piano key but I find it puts my hand in a position where it is very difficult to have any flexibility in changing my other fingers on the right hand.
If you do buy one, don't fall into the same traps as me. I unscrewed the block too far and the whole thing popped open and the little foam pad between the block and the outside which is held together with the screw fell into the bowels of my couch. Fortunately Thomann was able to get me a replacement.
The other foolish mistake I made was not to discover that there is an extra joint at the top just below the labium which normally doesn't need to come apart to replace the recorder in its case. I had no idea this was fully corked up and thought it was fixed and immovable as none of the literature showed it. When my top joint shifted round I found that the piano key no longer covered the hole and the recorder wouldn't fit in its box, and I returned it to the workshop. What a fool I felt when I realised it just needed to be twisted around!
Thanks for this video - it was of special interest to me. I'd love to see a video on the alto version if you can get hold of one - or find a player with one who is competent enough to speak about it knowledgably.
Dear Ann, it was actually one of of the goals of the flexible block system (developed my Arnfred Strathmann) to let the block and platelet dry - so, yes take the block out after playing 🙂
The soft rubber underneath the block is now completely attached to the instrument so it can't fall out anymore and disappear underneath sofas. All the best!
I have taken it out in the past to dry. If I do again it will have to be on the floor away from any furniture!
In my main post I meant changing the fingers of my LEFT hand - just spotted that one!
This is reminiscent of the instruments of the New Violin family (violin octet) where the middle range instruments have been greatly enhanced. A truly remarkable instrument. Thanks for the presentation.
Such a wonderful video on these two beautiful instruments! Thank you for showing us a comparison. I wish both were available inexpensively to all!
4:52 - maybe it's worth to try to compare with "classic" flute/19th century flute. A flute, which was used in the era between baroque and modern/Boehm flute. From far view, the similarity is undisputable.
In german speaking countries, this flute was used up to early 20th century. For english speaking countries, it is generally called 19th century flute nowadays.
Both beautiful, but completely different, even without the difference in room effects, i.e. Reverb, etc... Delightful, this! Ausgezeichnet!
That new recorder is a BEAST! It sounds amazing!
This blew me away. I would love to try these contemporary recorders out more, if only the price didn't keep them out of reach. It's great how the innovations were taken to allow for a huge level of flexibility while also retaining the open holes to keep the familiarity and flexibility of the traditional recorder. And the way that block system can be changed around, that's really something.
I listened to Dr Susanne Frolich’s album about three months ago and it was really inspiring.
This was a great video! It was really cool to see the side by side comparison!
thanks for the interview. i love to hear and learn about new types of instruments being developed.
Great interview and such an interesting instrument. Thank you both!
Wow. Very complete and professional instrument, and very beautiful and classy player.
I feel like I’m watching the future of the recorder here. Fingers crossed that this is the beginning of the reintegration of the recorder into the greater orchestral world... who knows, we may even see recorders in concert band literature in the future. Great video.
Thank you so much for the fantastic video---I had been waiting for a hands-on review of the Helder tenor anywhere for a quite a while (I have never held one in my hands, but the video on Mollenhauer's site are beguiing) . The instrument's possibilities are really huge. If only it would cost half as much it would multiply the number of recorder players by an order of magnitude overnight, I think. (Three octave range, strong lower register, and dynamics *on top* of the flexibility of an almost keyless instrument and a multi-century repertoire and practice history? How many serious students who are steered to the way cooler clarinet, flute, and sax wouldn't rather upgrade their plastic instruments to this one? How many jazz and "world music" pros wouldn't be tempted to try it out and perhaps never leave it?). Thanks also for posting the link to dr. Froelich's thesis. Fantastic read. I especially appreciated the comparative analysis of 20th century models. Chapter 4 was a bit over my head, but can always dream.... Thanks again to both for a great video.
Thanks for the demo and discussion! I'm always interested in new possibilities.
It's nice to see you again Ma'am Sarah!❤️❤️❤️ Because of Online Class I don't have time to play my instrument now:(
And the decrescendo mechanic! ♥️
This reminds me of the clarinet.
This was fascinating and inspiring. And I'm astounded that the Helder can produce such a variety of sound colours. And he duduk-like sound blew me away! Perhaps the Helder could work as a shakuhachi too? The future for this new recorder seems very bright ... :-)
Thank you!
This was so fascinating! Thank you so much!
Oh, it is incredible, love this interview.
Sounds and looks like a larger clarinet with a sharp bend near the mouthpiece.
Very interesting video Sarah, well done!!!
That recorder is powerful it really packs a punch!
I predicted this video would come! Very nice video! Interesting instrument
Indeed, lovely!
Sarah, are you going to give yourself one of those? I would actually love to listen to you in this contemporary recorders.
I think she will fit into her collection somehow. Goodbye Yamaha, Fairwell Aulos...
wow, that's what i call an evolution!!!
Both sounds beautiful.
This is insanely cool thanks Sarah!
Wow! A fantastic new instrument
Really great video and interview!
Great video Sarah! As always 🙌
Sarah, your vibrato is beautiful. I have had a look at the fingering chart on Mollenhauer's web page and it looks like the entire high range is all done with half and partially closed holes, how hard does this make what is already tricky fingering? I really battle with my modern alto for this reason.
Fantastic instrument! Only problem is the cost, but this is a very good development. When will we see Sarah showing us and reviewing her Helder tenor?...
The medieval melody she plays should be "A chantar m'er de so qu 'eu no volria" by Beatriz Comtessa de Dia (XII century). Beautiful video Sarah, beautiful playing of the both of you, amazing instrument, wow! Thanks!
The medievel fragment is taken from the ballata "Lucente stella" ☺
@@SusanneFroehlich aha, so I was wrong 😅 pity you didn't play it all in the video! Is there maybe a full recording/video of that? Cheers and very big congrats to you!
@@francello75 unfortunately not, but who knows, maybe in the future 🙂
The Helder recorder is amazing
if you think about it a lot of instruments stopped being evolved after the baroque period with the standardisation of orchestral setting.. the instruments that just couldn’t compete (and were substituted by others) had no reason to be worked on and because of that a lot of instruments like the viola da gamba and the recorder stopped being “evolved”. I was thinking the other day about how cool it would be if a new type of orchestra emerged, with evolved modern versions of these “forgotten” period instruments... for the strings section it could have all sizes of modern violas da gamba (from the pardessus de viole to the violone) with powerful and loud metal strings and modern bows (still with a german-style bow hold, these would be specially designed for the gambas and not interchangeable with the bows for the violin family), then for the wind section you could have instruments like the Helder recorders on the treble parts and maybe Paetzolds on the bass end (if they become evolved enough to have extreme dynamics like the Helders) wouldn’t that be awesome? This orchestra would have a completely different sound, texture and feel, just like the modern Chinese orchestra or even the baroque orchestra does. I’d love to see that become a reality in the future...
How about the orchestral hurdy gurdy and theorbo? Wow, I'd be first in the queue to hear an orchestra containing those! It would also be nice if they gained the kind of familiarity where the spell checker didn't substitute 'hurry curdy' and 'theory' for them!
@@AnnFBug the theorbo is an amazing instrument and its revival would be amazing!
I think that this is a beautiful idea. As is articulated in the video, diversity is something to be celebrated. So, I believe, the more instrumental variety that can be achieved the better :-)
Also, as an amateur horn player I can recommend using natural/period brass into this mix: they're nowhere near so loud as their modern counterparts!! (Oh, and I play recorder too, to a degree (on a learning curve) - horn and recorder feel such natural bedfellows to me ... ;_) )
@@danielfryer9693
Sadly, I think the cost of modernising all those ancient instruments will make this remain a dream for a long time!
@@AnnFBug hahahahaah yes!!! Modern hurdy gurdies and theorbos sounds awesome! Dulcimers and zithers would also be great hhahaha and I feel you, I get ‘hurdle giddy’ and ‘theobromine’ somehow
Wat een prachtige klanken , dit geeft een totale nieuwe dynamiek , heerlijk ...
The Helder seems to me like it bridges the gap between the flute and recorder that made one survive in the orchestra and the other disappear. The different block positions also remind me of the different embouchures you can use on the flute. Yet it still retains that recordery sound in the fundamental range. Very exciting!
I waited for this video! 👍🏻😍
Amazing sound!
WoW! the Helier is magnificent in its flexibility. I love the stable dynamic range it can play. PLEASE, are there small ensembles using the Helier with other modern woodwinds? Trios? Quartets? I Would love to hear some Beethoven in that format !!! To hear it with modern piano doing Debussy would be D I V I N E !!! Thank you so much for introducing me to this instrument. It is a great addition to the family of historic recorders. I will definitelyy be seeking out recordings of it in the Romantic period of Schumann, Chopin and others! Thank you again Sarah and Susanne! BTW: I love that her surname is Fröhlich - it suits her as a player of this instrument!
Dear Glenn, please check out Johannes Fischer, who is performing romantic repertoire on the Helder Tenor. There is even a video on UA-cam: ua-cam.com/video/P79hxYTVlM8/v-deo.html
Nice to hear that German accent, schoene Gruesse! This is quite an advancement for the recorder instrument, I looked it up,and it comes with quite a price tag! Amazing sound possibilities, but I can't shake the feeling of it being a Frankenstein monster. I love the simplicity of the (normal) recorder, sound and look alike.
I think this is really similar to how the clarinet developed from a keyless instrument to 3 then 5 keys, and now with 17-19 keys depending on the preference of the player
The Recorder is a brush. Our breath is the paint. Fingerings are brushstrokes. The room is the canvas. Time is our patron.
This is not an instrument that merely evolves under the pressure `twixt composer and performer, but a tool that is painstakingly crafted to produce ever more various nuances in the music that issues forth.
And that makes it eternal.
Also, God is a DJ and life is a dance floor
.
This 👏 Is 👏 Amazing 👏
It was fascinating!
The block switching is pretty cool.
I sense a Helder tenor in Sarah's future ... :-)
I'm a new recorder player and have little experience -- Sarah's videos have been invaluable -- however as someone who plays clarinet (and tenor sax) I find myself wondering if the Helder Evo is just a clarinet for recorder players. This instrument seems to be using all sorts of innovations that make it sound more and more like a clarinet and less and less like a recorder. Perhaps I'm missing the point.
Fantastic development. Overtones that got round instead of "wining"
danke Susanne. Das war einfach toll.
This is an amazing instrument. The flexibility in type of tone and dynamics is phenomenal. This is definitely an instrument for those who are serious, and are willing/able to part with the money, so, yeah, mostly professional players are people with disposable income. It is a fair price, given what I know about pro instruments that we've had to buy for our offspring. Contemporary recorders are so interesting. The flexibility in type of tone is what I would want, since I want to play recorder, but with music from different cultures where the woodwinds need to sound a specific way. Beats trying to even get mildly proficient, much less master, so many different instruments in the woodwind family.
€4k isn’t much for a professional instrument though...
Compare that to the price of a professional violin or acoustic grand piano
@@amalkatrazz Well, yes, but you have to be comparing similar types of instruments. A professional flute or clarinet is around that price, often higher. I would be surprised to find a professional grade piano in that price range. Even a mid-ranged upright piano from a decent brand geared for home use will cost more than that. I doubt anyone can get a professional grade grand piano for less than the price of a car.
@@mynvision a guy near my town, who hails from a once-noble family that has lost all of its wealth over generations of alcohol and drug abuse, is trying to get rid of his creditors by selling his family relic: a 1888 Bösendorfer for ~$3k. Granted, nobody really took care of the instrument for a couple of decades, and it will need extensive (and expensive) restoration. Still, steal of a deal, I guess. If only I had space in my bachelor apartment to accommodate a grand.
But yes, a professional grand for home studio use starts around $35k new, which is basically a Tesla Model 3. Likes of S&S for concert use measure in hundreds of thousands. As for violins, well, $50k is the price... of a bow alone if we're speaking of world-class soloist gear.
In fact, these crazy prices were the reason why I decided to pick the recorder over the violin (it was that last factor that broke the tie) as my second instrument. Like, seriously, is there any other instrument that can go as cheap as $40 while still being suitable for learning? And a pretty decent Mollenhauer wooden recorder is still in a range of $1-1.5k or so. Good luck trying to find a $40 violin that will be capable of producing a sound, or a $1.5k violin suitable for any kind of usage outside learning/busking.
@@amalkatrazz I mean, I don't have the space or cash for that, and certainly not for the restoration costs, but historical instruments in still playable condition are hard to come by and make my hands itch to make music with them. I guess that will end up going to some museum. At least you have real nobility in your country. In our country, we have people who think they are nobility without any understanding of it. USA. Yay?
@@mynvision I dunno about American noblemen, but here in Russia, many noble people were stripped of their possessions during the Revolution; some families somehow retained their wealth (only to lose it all after all in case of the guy I mentioned earlier). Sure, a lot of people are claiming they hail from those high-profile figures who once attended / hosted balls at their palaces, but nobody cares, really, we are not the UK
I saw her demonstrating it a few months ago and I was hoping you'd get to talk to her!
Y'all, time to start saving 😂
I’m not a regular recorder player but I’ve played enough to understand how impressive that instrument is
The Helder makes a beautiful sound, and is an interesting concept, but I much preferred the baroque instrument: it seemed warmer and more human.
THIS IS SO COOL
Really interesting! Love it.
incredible recorder. wow!
... and it costs more than my first car. I wish one of these manufacturers of nifty new recorders would realize their instruments are never going to catch on and gain widespread acceptance unless they also come out with affordable plastic/resin models. In the long run, they'd make vastly more money even if they sold the plastic ones at cost, as many amateurs with more money than sense would choose to upgrade, and it'd be free advertising to professional players.
With this flexible instrument, a professional can emulate 20 others. I expect the price will reflect this.
Sooo the Helder instruments are produced in the Mollenhauer workshop - Mollenhauer (like many other makers) produce instruments at a range of prices - from very affordable beginner/student models right up to top of the range pro models like this one. The reason for this price is that it's a top quality handmade instrument, with years of development from an expert team. Nearly €4000 is a lot of money, I know! (it's also 3 times the price of my current car 😉) But for an instrument of this calibre it's very reasonable - especially compared with the prices professional pianists, violinists, oboists play.. So I don't think the market for the Helder Evo is mass production, but for the small subset of audience who want that quality and craftsmanship to couple with the huge amount of playing possibilities someone at advanced level may seek. Hope that clears things up!
They still cost less than a professional, handmade, artist-quality flute. I think perhaps these instruments are for professionals who find themselves in the situation of a paid performance of contemporary music that utilizes the instrument's unique qualities often enough to justify the expense. Not necessarily for the average amateur recorderist, but for someone like Sarah, a worthy investment.
@@jessicavaliente9342 Those flutes are made out of literal gold and platinum. Don't get me wrong: I think anyone who can afford one of these recorders and plays well enough to do it some justice should get one, they look super-sweet! In fact they look so sweet that I think it'd make sense to just replace old recorder tech over the course of decades for everything but historical performance - but that's not going to happen if they are a niche, likely patented, "closed-source" product of a single super-high-end manufacturer. I mean imagine if say the Sax was developed in the current patent/copywrite legal environment. It would have just died, like so many really nifty new recorder designs have died over recent decades.
Nope. I'm just talking about the typical solid silver professional handmade flute. I looked up the price for the Helder tenor. They seem to be about $3k, same as the Eagle. A silver flute of the same price would be the type of flute that is generally recommended for the serious middle school or slightly less serious high school student ($1500-$3500 range are "step-up" flutes). A handmade professional flute, no bells and whistles, just solid silver, not gold, starts at about $9500. The ones you refer to (gold, platinum, jeweled...) start at more like $13k. When you look at that, $3k is not bad, particularly when you consider the versatility. Fortunately, as Sarah says, there are many lovely recorders available at prices for everyone. The Helder is not necessarily for everyone.
I'm a dirty string-twanger, but I have to say, that was utterly enthralling.
It must be great to have the helder tenor for shakuhachi repertoire!!!!!
Tenor recorders sound awesome, helder tenor must be oustanding.....
god I want one. I will never be good enough for one but I WANT it. It's so NICE.
So cool!
Wow ..now I want one
wow sounds fantastic i want one lol
I didn't need another expensive instrument to lust after! This could be so good for folk dance stuff.
This is awesome
Very interesting. I'd just like the C# and D# keys =)
It's a perfect recorder for those who hate the recorder. Sounds very clarinet-y and so much more flexible. I wish I had 3.6k € burning a hole in my pocket.