The piccolo, the highest-voiced wind
instrument, is half the size of a flute and plays one octave higher.
The piccolo did not become common in orchestras until the late 18th
century, and Beethoven was the first to use it in a symphony.
But it took two composers who actually played the piccolo - Tchaikovsky
and Berlioz - to really explore and challenge the piccolo's capabilities.
The piccolo is considered especially difficult to play.
