L'homme à la flûte d'or Rampal was the owner of the only solid gold flute (No. 1375) made, in 1869, by the great French craftsman Louis Lot. Rumours of the survival of the 18-carat gold Lot had been circulating in France for years before the Second World War, but no one knew where the piece had gone. In 1948, almost by chance, Rampal acquired the instrument from an antiques dealer who had wanted to melt the instrument down for the gold—evidently unaware that he was in possession of the flute equivalent of a Stradivarius. With family help, Rampal raised enough funds to rescue the instrument, and went on to perform and record with it for 11 years. In interviews, Rampal said he thought the gold—by contrast with silver—made his naturally bright, sparkling sound "a little darker; the colour is a little warmer, I like it". Only in 1958, when presented during his debut US tour with a 14-carat gold instrument made after the Lot pattern by the William S. Haynes Flute Company of Boston, did Rampal stop using the 1869 original. After one final recording in London, he consigned the golden Lot to the safety of a bank vault in France, and thereafter made the Haynes his concert instrument of choice.
L',homme à la flûte d'or Rampal was the owner of the only solid gold flute (No. 1375) .made, in 1869, by the great French craftsman Louis Lot. Rumours of the surviva:l of the 18-carat gold Lot had been circulating in France for years before the Second World War, but no one knew where the piece had gone. In 1948, almost by chance, Rampal acquired the instrument from an antiques dealer who had wanted to melt the instrument down for the gold—evidently unaware that he was in possession of the flute equivalent of a Stradivarius. With family help, Rampal raised enough funds to rescue the instrument, and went on to perform and record with it for 11 years. In interviews, Rampal said he thought the gold—by contrast with silver—made his natura.lly bright, sparkling sound "a little darker; the colour is a little warmer, I like it". Only in 1958, when presented during his debut US tour with a 14-carat gold instrument made after the Lot pattern by the William S. Haynes Flute Company of Boston, did Rampal stop using the 1869 original. After one final recording in London, he consigned the golden Lot to the safety of a bank vault in France, and thereafter made the Haynes his concert instrument of choice.