A flute stop of 1' pitch, occasionally 1-1/3' or 2'. Its pipes are usually open cylindrical metal, but may be conical or half-conical. Irwin claims that a few examples are stopped. Its scale varies considerably, as does its loudness. Adlung considers it to be synonymous with both the 1' Hohlflöte and the 1' Twenty-Second. Williams dates it from the late 16th century, and suggests that its name may derive from the Italian word zuffolo, meaning a shepherd's fife. Only Grove lists Duiflöt as a synonym, which may be an error, as it is also a synonym for Doppelflöte.

The name Subflöte, which comes to us from Praetorius via Williams, is bit of a mystery. One would expect from the name a flute of sub-unison rather than super-unison pitch, unless perhaps sub is a corruption of suß = suss, meaning “sweet”; see Süssflöte. Authorities disagree on the definition of Sedecima.

Examples

Osiris contains 65 examples of Sifflöte at 1' pitch, ten at 1-1/3' pitch, and three at 2'; 72 examples of Sifflet at 1' pitch, nine at 1-1/3' pitch, two at 2', and one at 2/3'; five examples of Sivflöjte at 1' pitch and one at 1-1/3'. No examples are known of Cyvelet, Schufflet, Siefflit, Siefflöt, Sivflöt, Subflöte, Suff Flöte, Suiflöt, Ziflot, or Zyfflöt. Contributions welcome. All known examples of Duiflot, Sufflet and Sufflöt are given below.

Sifflet 1', Rueckpositiv; Katherinenkirche, Hamburg, Germany; Stellwagen 1543. May have been a later addition.

Sifflet 1', Hoofdwerk; St-Niklaaskerk, Gent, Belgium; Niclays 1605.

Sifflet 1', manual; St. Jacobskerk, Brugge, Belgium; HeleWoudt 1629-31.

Sifflöte 1-1/3', Rückpositiv; Cappel, Wursten, Germany; Schnitger 1680. Originally in the Johanneskirche, Hamburg. This is the oldest known example of this name.

Sifflöte 1', Brustwerk; Dom, Freiberg, Germany; Silbermann 1710-14.

Sifflöte 2', Hauptwerk; Liebfrauenkirche, Halle, Germany; Cuncius 1716.

Sufflet 1', Rugpositief; Westerkerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Duyschot 1686.

Sufflet 1', Oberwerk; Dom (Liebfrauenkirche), Brandenburg, Germany; Wagner 1733.

Sufflet 1', Oberwerk; Petrikirche, Freiberg, Germany; Silbermann 1733-35.

Sufflet 1', Oberwerk; Dorfkirche, Grosshartmannsdorf, Germany; Silbermann 1738-41.

Sufflöt 1', Oberwerk; Wenzelskirche, Naumburg, Germany; Hildebrandt 1746. Later renamed to Siffloete.

Suffloet 1', Manual; small organ, Dom, Freiberg, Germany; Silbermann 1718-19.

Suffloet 1', Hauptwerk; Stadtkirche, Bad Lausick, Saxony, Germany; Silbermann 1722.

Dui Flöt 4', Zweites Clavier; Stadtkirche, Nieder-Moos, Germany; Oestreich 1791. May be a Doppelflöte.

Sound Clips

Bibliography