Up until the late 17th century there was not a clear distinction between the flute and the recorder in instrumental music. The recorder was the more dominant instrument and music specifying the flute was not common. It is not until the 1680's that the flute was actually stipulated in a musical score - one of the first requests was in 1681 by Lully in his ballet Triomphe d'amour (Bate, 1969, p.167). From the 1690's onwards the flute became more popular, two examples can be found in Marc-Antoine Charpentier's (1634-1704) Medee (1694) and Andre-Cardinal Destouches' (1672-1749) Isse (1697) where the flute was specified in favour of the recorder.

An important event which directly relates to the development and popularity of 'concert music' was the increasing growth of the printing and publishing industries. The printing of music can be traced back to the mid-15th century chant books, with the first music printing with movable type being produced in Venice at the beginning of the 16th century. Up until the turn of the 18th century the focal point for the performance of instrumental music took place in the Courts or in the homes of the rich, as they could afford to buy printed music and employ musicians to teach and perform. By the time the first Harpsichord Book by Couperin was printed in the first quarter of the 18th century it was cheaper and easier for 'amateurs' to buy music to sing and play at home (Sadie and Latham, 1991, p.222). As more people gained access to music, concert life and public performances became popular - even the court orchestras opened to the (paying!) public (Sadie and Latham, 1991, p.222). The development of the orchestra was a gradual one which grew and evolved into the symphony orchestra as it is known today and its origins can be traced back to the Court orchestras which were prevalent in Europe, especially in France, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. At this point there was still no real distinction between the flute and the recorder and this can be seen in the early works of Handel.

Handel's orchestral works involving the flute are few in number and are simple to perform - the required compass is mainly within the two octaves d'-d''' and the instrument is not very prominent in his early works. The conflict between the flute and recorder can be seen in La Resurrezzione (1708) where he specifies two recorders and one flute together in the score. Even though Handel did not use the flute in many of his major works - it is now known that the flute and piccolo parts in the Messiah were added by Mozart (Bate, 1969, p.170) - it appears that Handel followed the flute's progress as he developed a habit of revising and re-using his earlier material often substituting the recorder with the flute. An example of this can be found in The Triumph of Time and Truth (1757) (Bate, 1969, p.170).

J. S. Bach is the main composer to introduce the flute over the recorder in the orchestra, the year of the Brandenburg Concertos (1721) is the earliest date at which the flute appears prominently in Bach's music. His orchestration for the flute in the Brandenburg in D major, the Clavier Concerto in A minor, and the Overture in B minor gives the instrument technically demanding material as well as a relatively solo voice within the orchestra. Bach's writing shows that in his use of instruments he seemed:

Bach's idea of portraying emotions using instruments suited the flute very well because of the variety of expression they could produce, so from this point the flute begun to have more significance within the orchestra. Of course, the oboe was still the dominant woodwind instrument (Carse, 1969, p.38), which occupied an assured place in the orchestra. Scoring often pointed to the use of either instrument rather than both together so players were often 'double-handed' i.e. played both flute and oboe. Haydn occasionally employed this device, as can be seen in these three symphonies - Symphony in C (1761), Symphony in C (1962) and Symphony in D (1764). Even as late as 1797-8 Haydn writes the third flute part into an oboe part in Part III of his Creation. It is not until the late 1770's onwards that Haydn recognized that the timbres of the flute and oboe were very different and could be utilized at the same time, so he started to use them as individual instruments occupying equal positions in the orchestra from this point onwards (Carse, 1969, p.126).

From these works of Bach and Haydn, other composers became more aware of the instrument's expressive qualities and the many moods it could create. Improvements to the Baroque flute also helped its emergence in the music of that era and these alterations enabled the instrument to produce a more consistent tone and a wider variety of instrumental colourings. Jacob suggests that the low notes of the flute, when played by two or three instruments in unison:

As the 'new' flute now had a greater ability to play octave passages and large leaps with more accuracy in pitch, had a wider melodic range and more flexibility in producing scalar passages, more composers were encouraged to use the flute in their orchestration.

Mozart's use of the flute at first in his orchestral works was sparing. Mention should be made to one Opera in particular - Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute, K.620). This work illustrates Mozart's genius in writing using many different styles at the same time, to produce a cohesive whole at the end:

The flute is heard frequently during the Opera and is the symbol which represents Tamino (a prince), who is presented with a magic flute at the start of his journey to rescue Pamina, (the daughter of the Queen of the Night). Through the trials given to Tamino (and Papageno - the Queen's birdcatcher) whilst trying to fulfill their mission, the flute can distinctly within the orchestra. The most important solo for the flute comes after the third and fourth trials as Pamina and Tamino pass through the fire and water. The climax of this scene is 'mysteriously still' and a slow melodious march is played by the flute 'punctuated at the end of each phrase by brass chords followed by soft drumbeats (always on the offbeat) [creating] an overwhelming sense of tension ...' (John (Ed),1983, p.37). Shown below is the first two bars (plus one beat) of the march, taken from the flute part (Fig. 1):

Out of all the symphonies that Mozart wrote, the flute is specifically requested in 18 of them and 6 more are scored for flute/oboe (Sadie, 1987, p.193-1960). It is interesting that the main concentration of his use of the flute came in two periods, firstly in those written in the space of roughly a year between May 1772 and April 1773 and the second from 1778 onwards.

Symphony No. 18 in F (May 1772) shows the emergence of the flute in Mozart's orchestral music and is noted 'for the three-bar phrases in its Andantino and for its orchestration' (Sadie, 1987, p.25). Mozart obviously recognizes the special sonority of the flute as he uses them to replace the oboes, giving them fairly independent parts within the music - the first flute frequently floating above the orchestra using the higher register. Dearling comments that it is as if the flute is 'holding its breath, as it were - to give the music a sense of spaciousness and light' (Dearling, 1982, p.113). In the Minuet the flutes are used to reinforce the horns, to strengthen the melodic line and provide instrumental colour within the orchestral sound (Fig.2):

The Finale is more substantial than its counterparts in earlier Mozart Symphonies, the flute helping to make the sound brighter and more colourful. In the first theme (Fig. 3) the flute accompanied by the violins play a series of ascending and descending scales combined with large upward leaps. In the 'second subsidiary idea' the flute again demonstrates its ability to play descending quaver figures and leap between all three registers in the first few bars (Dearling, 1982, p.115).

It is not until the orchestration of later symphonies that Mozart shows his ability to use the flute to its fullest potential, using each instrument in a way which best illustrated the different effects that it could produce. Haydn only realized the potential of individual instruments, such as the flute, when he was nearing the end of his life:

Donnington states that the average size of a Baroque orchestra was around forty, although this depended on the size of the venue, and there was a 'higher proportion of woodwind (particularly reeds) than became the classical custom of the post-baroque period' (Donnington, 1973, p.42). This orchestra was finely balanced in terms of balance and colour but eventually this balance became unstable as instruments developed. Towards the latter part of the 18th century the woodwind section grew to four pairs of instruments: flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons which began to be orchestrated side by side.

One example of this type of orchestration can be found in Mozart's 'Haffner' symphony (K.385) written for the Haffner family in Vienna for the ennoblement of the younger son (1782). Mozart wrote in a letter to his father (20th July, 1782):

This work was first written as a serenade containing a Marcia, Allegro con spirito, Andante, two Minuets and Finale (Presto), made into a symphony by leaving out the march and one of the minuets. When the symphony was put together the wind parts were amended and two flutes and two clarinets were added to the oboes, bassons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings. He was obviously aware of the different effects and moods that could be produced via the orchestration of the instruments as in the exposition of the first movement as the mood conveyed is one of joy and happiness. This is portrayed by the key (D major), the tempo markings and the distinctive theme played in octaves by the whole orchestra. The flute serves to strengthen the melodic line, Fig. 4 showing the woodwind illustrating the flute's place at the top of the orchestra, playing the highest notes:

In the Finale Mozart makes full use of the range of the wind instruments and spaces his chord widely producing a rich and full sound. Jacob asserts that the flute 'forms a fascinating double-octave combination ... with the bassoon' (Jacob, 1961, p.36). He also says that they make good unisons, the 'flute of course in its low register, and bassoon near the top of its compass' (Jacob, 1961, p.37).

Although Mozart does not exactly write these two instruments in octaves or in unison, he does use them in an interesting manner in bars 46-53 where they are the only woodwind instruments sounding at this point (Fig. 5). The first flute and bassoon, play in thirds and descend to and E major chord in bar 49 (V of A major, the dominant of D major) and then land on an A major chord in bar 53, the second flute providing the other note in the chord (later on the oboe and bassoon are scored together (bars 118-124 and 189-197) in a similar manner).

In technical terms, the range is not particularly wide and the tempo does not pose much of a problem as there are not many running quaver passages. The demanding factor in these flute parts is that both flautists need to possess a keen sense of tuning and intonation to be able to create the harmonies effectively and accurately. From this symphony onwards Mozart began to use the flute more in his orchestration not only to strengthen chords and emphasize melodic phrases, but to take a more solo role. As the 18th century progressed, the flute became more independent in the orchestra, composers giving the instrument more solo passages and a greater importance in the harmonic structure of their orchestral music. Towards the latter part of the 18th century Quantz remarked:

The actual size and composition of the orchestra changed in order to keep the proportions balanced. Mozart came into contact with many different orchestras and the size and composition of four orchestras in existence around the time that Mozart wrote most of his flute works (1778 onwards) are listed below:

Mozart disliked the Paris Concert Spirituel and informed his father that he was not pleased with their playing of his 'Paris' symphony (K.297) at a rehearsal in July 1778:

He did not look favorably on the Salzburg orchestra either, calling the musicians 'coarse, slovenly' and 'dissolute' and wished:

Schubert wrote that 'no orchestra in the world has ever played like the Mannheim orchestra' (Carse, 1969, p.56). This was also Mozart's favorite orchestra featuring distinguished performers such as Wendling (flute), Alexander Le Brun (oboe) and Heinrich Ritter (bassoon).

As the size of the orchestra increased there became definite roles for certain members - there was now a 'leader' of the orchestra, usually a violinist, and a 'conductor' who, according to Busby (1786):

As mentioned before, the flute was generally beginning to be a more independent instrument in the orchestra, faced with more solo passages and a greater importance in the harmonic structure of orchestral music. Within his last symphony (K. 551 in C Major) Mozart gave the flute more independence than ever before - using it within its normal capacity to emphasize melodic phrases and strengthen chordal passages, as well as giving it a much more solo position than in previous works. This work is perhaps the most important symphonic accomplishments that Mozart wrote (containing the flute) as it shows that he had become more aware of the different effects that orchestrating for the flute could produce, illustrating how much more versatile the instrument had become. Quantz remarked that 'a flautist, as is well known, is used more as a solo instrument, and for concerto works, rather than for ripieno parts' (Carse, 1969, p.126) and in this composition the flute certainly fulfills this statement.

By the time this work was performed, the power of the orchestra's sound was impressive - as the grand opening of this Symphony shows (Appendix IV). His selection of instruments is interesting as along with the military-style use of two horns, two trumpets and timpani (to accompany the distinctive theme) he also scores for one flute, a pair of oboes and bassoons and strings. The first movement starts with triplets and then settles into the fanfare-like phrase based on C major in bar 9, the flute taking the upper part of the chord, ending on the dominant in bar 23. Bar 24 brings the original theme back in the strings with the flute and oboe playing a countermelody which floats above the orchestra (Fig. 6):

This countermelody (here in C major) reoccurs many times in this movement in different keys, most significantly for the flue at bar 161 and again at bar 212 where it is in C minor. Octave writing is a common feature at the beginning of this symphony, and from bar 227-234 the flute holds a g''' in octaves with the oboe, viola and double bass, the horns and trumpets playing the distinctive rhythm used before also on the same note. Although not particularly hard to produce this note, it was difficult to sustain it over a long period whilst keeping it in tune with the other instruments because of the high register. Again, Mozart does not let this 'difficulty' influence his writing and this is one of the reasons why Mozart's works are so challenging.

When supporting others the flute often plays in unison too, sometimes with the bassoon (bars 109-111) and sometimes with the oboe (bars 165-171). In bars 143-146 there is a short interplay between the flute and strings (a similar phrase is played by flute alone in bars 183-185) and at times the flute is the only woodwind instrument playing the 'melody' with the strings, for example bars 153-149 and 293-295. An example illustrating this kind of writing (here showing a chromatic-style passage) is found in bars 249-251 where the flute moves from d'' to d''', the first five notes in unison with the violins (Fig. 7). The second movement, the Andante cantabile, gives the flute a couple of opportunities to stand out over the orchestra (or play an answering phrase to the violins) such as in bars 35-36, and in the Minuetto and Trio the flute has the odd solo phrase (bars 21-24 and 48-50).

After his experiences with flautists such as Wendling it is the authors belief that Mozart realized the potential of the flute and by this stage of his writing he was able to accept the flute as one of the orchestral instruments and used it accordingly. This is proved by the important role that the flute takes on in the final movement. Dearling states that the final movement is 'not by any means a strict fugue but a sonata-form piece' and has six distinct ideas (Dearling, 1982, pp.159-161) The flute is characterized by the third 'fanfare phrase' idea in which it plays a prominent part (Appendix V). This theme is introduced in bars 19-22 by the oboe, bassoon and strings and is quickly given to the flute in bars 25-28 (Fig. 8).

As the movement goes on to develop it the fugal manner, the flute is given a more solo role when the second subject is introduced. Even though the theme mentioned above dominates the solo parts that the flute has, there is also interplay between the flute and the other instruments within the other themes.

One example of this interplay has its origins at bar 64 where the strings and the oboes present ideas five and six while the bassoon presents idea four (Appendix V). At bar 67 the solo flute plays the fanfare phrase over the top of the orchestra (on a d''') for four bars, and then again in bars 83-85. This leads to the flute playing idea four in bar 86 (formerly played by the bassoon) joined by the bassoon one bar later (bar 87), the two instruments producing a sequential echo-effect which ends in bar 94. This sequence happens again starting at bar 275 where the solo flute again plays idea three, joining the oboe this time to play idea four in bar 286.

This type of instrumental colouring, combining the flute with other instruments, serves to give the music more depth within the overall orchestral sound.

The flute does play in octaves (and unison) frequently through this last movement, spending much more time in the higher register stating its position at the top of the orchestra. Near the beginning of the coda the flute plays a short solo (bars 362-367) which is in fact a variation of the first idea accompanied by the strings (Fig. 9). This idea is very interesting to examine as to why Mozart chose the flute to play these few solo bars when he could have used the oboe, bassoon, horn or trumpet. It is perhaps the special sound-quality of the flute combined with the strings that gave Mozart the kind of effect that he required - a period of calm before the culmination of all the ideas leading to the loud series of fanfare-like chords (similar to the beginning of the first movement) which finish the symphony.

From examining some of the factors which contributed towards the writing of Mozart's flute music in this essay, it can be seen that his attitude towards the flute changed dramatically between his first commission in 1777 to his last symphony finished in 1788. In response to the question as to why Mozart wrote for the flute, evidence can be drawn from the text to provide an answer. By comparing two of the symphonies explored (K.130 and K.551) it is possible to see the way in which Mozart developed the use of the flute in his orchestration, and increased the amount of solo work which he gave to the instrument. As can be seen, the Baroque flute was nowhere near as sophisticated as the model which is used in the modern day, but this did not constrain Mozart in his flute music. For the contemporary player, unlike the Baroque flautist, his works do not present a real problem in terms of technical difficulty or tuning. It is the style, interpretation and expression of the music which are the difficult factors because this music is full of many subtle changes of tone colour and mood, some of which are complex and involved. This essay has attempted to provide a helpful guide to deal with the problems mentioned above, in order to aid the contemporary flautist in their performance of Mozart's flute music.

Mozart may not have written as technically demanding flute works like some of his contemporaries e.g. Quantz, but he effectively used the flute to enhance his music in terms of strength, range, mood and colour to help create the powerful music he is known for.