Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/155

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Gluck and the Piccolo

"Ah! ah! ah!" and the flutes play these three notes

${\clef treble \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f %hide the automatic time signature \stemUp r8^\p b''4( a'' g'') \bar "|"}$

with thrilling effect at each "ah"; and in the same opera (iv. 4), at the words "Cruel! ìl est mon frère," the F and D sustained on two flutes for three bars create an impression of sadness. In the scene on the border of the enchanted river in Armide (ii. 3), the flute, during the sleep of Renaud, plays a dainty

Gluck, Armide, ii. 3.

$\new Staff = "flute" \with {midiInstrument = "flute"} \relative c'' { \key d \major \time 2/2 \tempo "Andante" d2~ d8 d( fis d) d4 cis~ cis8 d( cis d) e2~ e8 fis( e fis) g2. \grace {fis8} e4 \grace {d8} cis2. e4 \appoggiatura {e8} fis2 d4 fis g( fis8 e) a( g dis e) a4( g8 fis) b( a eis fis) \autoBeamOff b([ a dis, e!)] b'([ a)] a16([ b c8)] d2_"ect." }$

ritornelle which "expresses the voluptuous languor of the soul of the hero under the seduction of the magician's art; we seem to see the lovely landscape, smell the perfume of the flowers, and hear the birds sing."^[1]

Gluck was the first composer to discover the value and effectiveness of the sonorous, rich notes of the lowest register of the flute; striking examplesGluck's
use of the
Piccolo will be found in Alceste. As a rule these flute solos are accompanied by strings only. He is also one of the first writers to

131

↑ A rather interesting little point about this flute solo is to be noted: in the original draft a passage beginning thus:
${\clef treble \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f %hide the automatic time signature \autoBeamOff dis'''4 \bar "|" e'''8[ f''' g''' f''']}$
was considered too high and accordingly was re-written an octave lower, as it now occurs in the full score.

[1] A rather interesting little point about this flute solo is to be noted: in the original draft a passage beginning thus:
${\clef treble \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f %hide the automatic time signature \autoBeamOff dis'''4 \bar "|" e'''8[ f''' g''' f''']}$
was considered too high and accordingly was re-written an octave lower, as it now occurs in the full score.

[1]