Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/127

This page has been validated.

Flute Solos

likewise very seldom travels above the first two octaves, but he occasionally gives the flute some bars by itself. They are tuneful and playable, but present no features of special importance.

Haydn's chief contribution is a Sonata for flute or violin and pianoforte, containing a celebrated Adagio. This graceful work has many rapid passages for the flute, and it ascends to the top B′′′♭, a note which is also reached in Mozart's flute concerto in G. Mozart wrote two concertos for the flute, which are frequently performed, and some short trifles for flute and pianoforte.

It was long thought that, save some themes (op. 105, 107) and an arrangement (op. 41) of his Serenade (op. 25), Beethoven wrote no solos for the flute. Quite recently, however, Mr. Ary van Leeuwen of Vienna discovered in the Royal Library, Berlin, the MS. of a Sonata in E flat, the title-page of which is said to be certainly in Beethoven's handwriting, though the score is not. It bears no opus number, but if really composed by Beethoven it is clearly an early work. Weber's solitary contribution is a pretty but quite unimportant Romaniza Siciliana, and the same may be said of Mendelssohn's Hirtenlied, of which the flute part only was found among his MSS. Schubert has written an exceedingly difficult duet for flute and pianoforte (op. 160); an introduction and seven variations on the song Trockene Blumen. This piece was written in 1824, probably to display the powers of Ferdinand Bogner, an accomplished flautist. Doppler, who was a personal

103