Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/227

 of the flute." His compositions, many of which are still often performed, abound in exaggerated cadenzas, sometimes occupying whole pages and wandering through half a dozen keys; they require that the player should, like Demersseman himself, possess most powerful and retentive lungs.

Italy appears to have produced but few flute-players of note: Ciardi and Briccialdi are the only prominent names. Cæsar Ciardi (1818-1877) when he visited England in 1847 was encored at the London opera-house, whilst Grisi, Mario, and Tamburini were waiting to be heard. Mr. Broadwood says that he heard Ciardi sustain a crescendo for four consecutive bars of adagio, whereupon Mr. Rudall declared that he "was fit to play before a chorus of angels"—although his instrument was an old Viennese flute with a crack all down the head joint. Guilio Briccialdi (1818-1881), a native of Terni, learned the flute from his father. He ran away from home (to avoid being forced into the Church), with twopence halfpenny in his pocket. After a tramp of forty miles he reached Rome, and entered the Academy of St. Cecilia, where in course of time he became Professor. He subsequently visited the principal cities of Europe (London in 1848) and America, and was Professor at Florence when he died. He was a brilliant performer, although he held his flute extremely awkwardly. He adopted the Böhm. His tone is reported to have been poor. Briccialdi was a remarkably handsome man. Both these Italian players produced a