The hyperbass flute is an extremely rare and the largest and lowest pitched instrument in the flute family, with tubing reaching over in length. It is pitched in C, four octaves below the concert flute, with its lowest note being C0, one octave below the lowest C on a standard piano. At 16 hertz, this is below what is generally considered the range of human hearing. The hyperbass flute is made of PVC and wood. There appear to be wide tone holes, made from standard tee fittings, but without keys; these are covered with the palms of the hands. The first known example of the instrument was built by Francesco Romei, a Florentine craftsman, for Italian flautist Roberto Fabbriciani. Fabbriciani is the inventor and primary performer of this instrument. He calls it hyperbass flute and flauto iperbasso in Italian. Low flute specialist Peter Sheridan commissioned the first fully chromatic hyperbass flute from the Dutch maker Jelle Hogenhuis in August 2010.
Repertoire
The first composition for the hyperbass flute with live electronics and magnetic tape is Persistenza della memoria by Alessandro Grego, published in 2001 by the ARTS label on the CD Flute XX vol.2. In 2002, the Italian composer Nicola Sani composed Con Fuoco, which Fabbriciani recorded at the electronic studio of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne, Germany. The track was released on a CD entitled Elements on the Stradivarius label. In 2002, Adriano GuarnieriMedea opera di video per soli, voce morbida, coro, orchestra, assoli strumentali e live electronics l'opera-video Medea, per soli, coro e orchestra a Venezia, Teatro la Fenice. In 2007, Adriano Guarnieri did Pietra di Diaspro per 7 solisti, coro, assoli strumentali, orchestra e live electronics Teatro dell'Opera di Roma e Ravenna Festival. In March 2005 Fabbriciani released an entire CD of music for hyperbass flute and tape, entitled Glaciers in Extinction, on the Col Legno label. In 2009, Roberto Fabbriciani released another hyperbass flute CD entitled Nella basilica, this time with tuba microtonale player Robin Hayward, on the Another Timbre label. In 2010, Roberto Fabbriciani released another hyperbass flute CD entitled Winds of the Heart, this time with tárogató player Esther Lamneck, on the Innova label. In 2011, Roberto Fabbriciani Motion Capture per flauto iperbasso elaborato tramite motion capture e live electronics, 10.4.2011 – fl. R. Fabbriciani, live electronics A. Vidolin Peter Sheridan has recorded an album for MOVE RECORDS 2011 titled "Monologues and Dialogues," that will feature the hyperbass flute on two tracks. "Differing Dialogues" by Monash University composer Vincent Giles, is set for solo bass flute with pre-recorded low flutes. In 2013, Roberto Fabbriciani released another hyperbass flute CD entitled Alchemies, on the Brilliant label.
