Customer Reviews

Aulos Tenor Recorder Baroque/English A211A

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a beautiful recorder with a sound almost like an oboe but warmer and less nasal - it sounds wonderful. It comes in a really nice leatherette case, and the recorder itself feels sturdy. Just keep in mind that smaller reach isn't small reach - I'm 5'3" and it will take me a couple months of stretching my hands to be able to comfortably reach one of the notes.

I bought this recorder a month ago and I enjoy it very much! I have played a German-fingered Hohner wooden soprano (the cheap one) for over a year, and of course I like the sound of a wooden recorder better, but I had two problems with it: first, I could never really play C# and D# well enough because it doesn't have double-holes. I know that baroque sopranos do, but the holes may be too small for my fingers to close one hole easily. Anyway, I don't have this problem with Aulos A211A, I could take C# and D# almost from the first day of playing, which means I can play along with almost any melody! Also, remember that other tenor recorders have a C/C# key, which means (as I understand) that you won't be able to play both C and C# in one melody. With this one, you can play anything you like.
Secondly, the wooden recorder (I have two-pieced one) falls apart if you don't play for two days because wood gets dryer. I call it 'recorder jealousy', maybe you don't have this with more expensive wooden recorders? If someone could tell me, I would be grateful. Anyway, the Aulos is always ready to play - it's plastic so it doesn't matter if you don't play for weeks.
I always wanted to have a lower recorder, and tenor's just good for me. You don't have to learn much new fingering after having played a soprano recorder because it's in C too. After having played piano for a couple of years it wasn't so hard for me to reach the holes with the fingers, the only problem being the G (a bit hard for the fourth finger of the left hand to reach that hole fast).
As you all know, the only problem is that it doesn't hold water at all, as all plastic recorders don't. But I'm very glad I bought this recorder at a great price and I really enjoy it! A pretty case it comes in is worth mentioning too, of course.

"Smaller reach" is indeed a relative concept. I can (with consistent stretching) reach a 10th on the piano without striking other notes along with it. With that as a possible common point of reference, I can then tell you that this Aulos A211A tenor recorder fits my hands well, and that's a good thing. It is still a tenor, however, and that means fingers and hands will be in a somewhat unnatural position with some unnatural tension to cope with the size -- just as playing 10ths on the piano all the time would eventually get to me, too.

As a comparison, the Yamaha 300 series tenor I tried was terribly uncomfortable, even with the keys. I couldn't play it for much more than a few minutes! I had such high hopes for the Yamaha and loved the sound and response, but I had to pass it on to a friend with larger hands and fingers.

On the downside, this Aulos just doesn't sound or respond as nicely as the 300-series Yamaha recorders. It's adequate for times when plastic is THE order of the day -- that concert in the park with the unstable weather report ... on the road where some music would be nice and a soprano is too shrill (or someone else already has one) but not so nice that it would be worth the risk of damage to a valuable wooden instrument ... when there's no way around leaving the instrument in the car for an extended period, say, because you have to go straight from work to the gig. The rest of the time I'm grateful that I bought a Rosewood Moeck tenor many years ago. This Aulos is worth owning just to spare the Moeck any risk, but I wouldn't be too happy with it if it were my only tenor recorder -- I'd have to keep looking.

I am very impressed with this tenor recorder. With this being listed as a "smaller reach" I was a little hesitant about just what that means. However I gave in and ordered one and boy am I glad I did! This recorder is no harder to play than any keyed tenor I own and I have 4. It is very comfortable to play, has a great tone and is well balanced. Intonation is great, i can hit low C right away with no hesitation and receive a clear tone and no problems sliding up and down the scale. I am very pleased with this recorder. Finally a tenor I can toss into my gym bag and take anywhere without worrying about that delicate low C key getting damaged. I was so impressed that I ordered the Alto and Soprano from this series so now I have a matching set. Those recorders were just as impressive as this tenor. Pricing is very fair for these as well. All 3 recorders came nicely packed in a leatherette zippered bag, tub of cream\lubricant, cleaning rod, tenon caps for storage, fingering chart and a snap on thumb rest. In my opinion it's the accessories that a manufacturer includes that helps indicate what kind of quality is behind an instrument and Aulos does not disappoint here. I highly recommend this recorder and it's siblings in the 200 series.

I grew up playing various woodwinds, and I have large hands with a 10" pinky to thumb span, so I CAN reach the holes. But the wide space between the first and second fingers on the right hand is way beyond what I can maintain for more than a minute at a time. I don't know of many one-minute songs...

Too bad, because the tone is clear and mellow.

I'm no pro at the recorder. I only bought it to play as my kids learn theirs. I already have an Alto, but that is too similar in tone to the sopranos my sons play. This Tenor has a much deeper sound and is easier on my ears than the piercing shriek of the soprano. I have never even seen another model of tenor recorder, so I cannot say this one is any better or worse than the competitors. It is every bit as sturdy and functional as I will ever need. True to the other reviewer's claim, the last note is a stretch - even for my average sized hands. Playing it can be fatiguing, but regular practice will overcome that hurdle.

Also, holding the instrument without a thumb-rest is a chore. The Aulos comes with an unattached thumb-rest, but it slides easily and must therefore be glued at some point. I highly recommend using something removable, like white craft glue - only tacks at first - until you finally decide on the perfect placement. Then perhaps use something stronger like 2-part epoxy or hot-glue to permanently attach it.

For the price, well worth it.

It is so hard to find a great tenor plastic recorder with a full range in both high and low notes. This one is it. Recorders with keys are limited in range. This is the same size but classic and has a lovely tone.

The Aulos A221A is the best plastic tenor out there for students. It is somewhat smaller than the Yamaha tenor counterpart and it does not have the low C/C# keys to deal with. The angle of playing position is fairly wide which gives younger students a better chance at breath accuracy. The pitch is accurate and smooth up and down the recorder. This Aulos rivals the Yamaha 300 series tenor in all ways and is 20-30 percent less expensive (if bought online). I have used the A211A in professional rehearsal playing and it is quite acceptable for a plastic recorder.

First, this item arrived the day before its earliest expected arrival date. Awesome. Second, the it seems well constructed - the sections fit well, and even the provided travel bag is pretty decent. The tone and responsiveness aren't wonderful, but it's plastic. Considering how little it costs, I call this a good deal.

Third, however, buyers need to be aware that this is a big instrument. I have large hands, but coming from a soprano is (literally) going to be a stretch. I didn't want a C/C# key for travel durability, but be aware: C/C#, and even G a bit, is not easy to reach.

I work in a nuclear plant and wear a men's size medium gloves. It's going to be all that I can do to stretch my fingers to play this instrument. I played one in middle school and thought this would be neat to take up again. Unless you wear a man's large glove, I don't recommend this instrument for you. My hands ache from trying to hold the instrument. Seriously, if you don't have extremely large hands, don't even try it!!