Story of the Flute
The little birds wake; flute solo, violins tremolo.
The little rills gurgle; alto solo.
The little lambs bleat; oboe solo," and so on.
Berlioz makes frequent and delicious use of the flute, availing himself much of the low register; he employs the entire compass, right up to C in alt., as in Faust, in which work the flute has a fine running passage whilst the horn plays the melody. In L'Enfance du Christ weFlute and
Harp find an entire movement for two flutes and harp—a rather unique combination. Berlioz was very fond of writing for the flute or piccolo along with the harp; a notable example occurs in his arrangement of Weber's Invitation à la Valse. The combination appears to have been much favoured by the ancient Egyptians, and many modern composers have adopted it; amongst others, Mehul (Uthal), Mendelssohn (Antigone), Meyerbeer (Prophete and Stuensee overture), Adam (Si J'etais Roi), R. Strauss (Tod und Verklartung), Brahms (Requiem).[1] It is used by Wagner in The Rheingold (where the two instruments echo each other), in Lohengrin, and in The Walkure in a curious passage for two piccolos along with three harps answering each other.
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- ↑ Brahms uses the piccolo in his Fourth Symphony (allegro giocoso) in his Serenade, op. 16 (Rondo), and it is very prominent in the last of the Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Flute solos occur in his Rinaldo and in the Second and Fourth Symphonies.
