Story of the Flute
taneously, the transverse flute playing the lower part—and in Tamerlane (iii. 5) two flutes-à-bec and two transverse flutes, one of each kind playing together in unison. Occasionally parts are marked for "flauto ou traverso," to be played on either kind of flute.
The famous obligato to "Oh, ruddier than the Cherry," in Acis and Galatea, has a rather interesting"Oh,
rudderier
than the
Cherry" history. In the first Italian version of the Serenata (1708) the flute-à-bec only is used, but this song does not occur in it, being first introduced in the English version published about 1720, where it is marked "flauto"—i.e., flute-à-bec. In the second Italian version (1732) we find the transverse flute used throughout,
Handel, Acis and Galatea, "Oh, ruddier than the Cherry."
![\new Staff = "flute" \with {midiInstrument = "flute"} \relative c'' {
\key bes \major
\tempo "Allegro"
\autoBeamOff
g'8[\p d'16( c)] bes([ a) g( fis)] g8[ b,] a[ f']
g,[ bes'16( a)] g([ f) ees( d)] ees8[ ees'] f,[ d']
ees,[ g16( f)] ees([ d) c( b)] c8[ a'] bes![ g]
fis_"etc."
}](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/t/m/tmle80mftfg59gf1ukye4vdu2f5i61k/tmle80mf.png)
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