Courtaut

Courtaut (Fr.) [OFr., a short bombard or cannon], obs. Fr. woodwind instr. described by Mersenne (in 1636) and Trichet (ca. 1640), of which the latter says that it differed from the basson by being made of a single piece of wood with 2 channels, a little thicker than a double bass recorder, with double reed covered by a box (i.e., reed cap); both Trichet and Praetorius state that it served as a bass to musettes. Apparently the courtaut could be played either with a reed cap or with the reed…