Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/146

 (which was a favourite with Mendelssohn), is for four strings and flute. The "Polonaise" in this work is for flute and bass only, the former being given a bravura variation; the flute is also very prominent in the bright "Badinerie." Bach has also written a concerto in F, ib. Badinerie. major for flute, oboe, violin, and trumpet, two for flute, violin and clavier, and one for two flutes and clavier all with string accompaniment.

Handel employs the flute much less frequently. Quite a large number of his operas and oratorios have no flute part; The Messiah, for instance (to which, however, Mozart has added a flute and also a piccolo part). In many works he introduces the flute in one or two numbers only; in none is it used anything approaching continuously throughout, as it often is by Bach. Handel's flute parts do not contain a single really difficult passage. Strange to say, his few "flauto piccolo" passages are harder and much more elaborate than those for the flute (he hardly ever uses both instruments together); the piccolo solo in Rinaldo being about the most difficult he ever wrote for any kind of flute. Handel rarely travels beyond the two octaves D′ to D′′′ of the flute (it is to be noticed that the compass of the older flutes-à-bec was two octaves as a rule); occasionally we