The lower notes are not powerful. Mr. Henry Carte has, however,
designed an alto flute in A, descending to violin G, with excellent
results. There is a flute which transposes a minor third higher than
the ordinary flute; but it is not much used in the orchestra, although
used in the army, as is also a flute one semitone higher than the
concert flute. The piccolo, or octave flute, is more employed in the
orchestra, and may double the melody in the highest octave, or
accentuate brilliant points of effect in the score. It is very shrill
and exciting in the overblown notes, and without great care may give a
vulgar character to the music, and for this reason Sir Arthur Sullivan
has replaced it in the score of "Ivanhoe" by a high G flute. The
piccolo is exactly an octave higher than the flute, excepting the two
lowest notes of which it is deficient. The old cylindrical
ear-piercing fife is an obsolete instrument, being superseded by a
small army flute, still, however, called a fife, used with the side
drum in the drum and fife band.
The transverse or German flute, introduced into the orchestra by
Lulli, came into general use in the time of Handel; before that the
recorders, or flute douces, the flute a bec with beak or whistle head,
were preferred.
Pages:
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34