Divertissement No 4 for flute solo, Op. 68

Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832) was a German-born Danish composer of the late Classical and early Romantic periods. Often referred to as the "Beethoven of the Flute," he was central to the Danish Golden Age and instrumental in introducing Beethoven’s style to Scandinavia.
Born in Uelzen, Germany, in a military oboist family. At the age of seven, he suffered a fall while fetching water on a dark night, resulting in the loss of his right eye. This injury influenced his later decision to pursue music over other careers. Despite his family’s modest means, he showed immense talent. He studied in Hamburg with Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwenke, the successor to C.P.E. Bach, who provided him with a rigorous foundation in counterpoint and theory.
In 1810, Kuhlau fled Hamburg to avoid conscription into Napoleon’s invading army. He settled in Copenhagen under an assumed name, eventually becoming a naturalized Danish citizen in 1813. He settled down in Denmark, became a Danish citizen, and wrote most of his works there, thus becoming one of the most prominent Danish composers, known also as Frederick Kulav.
He was appointed a non-salaried chamber musician to the Danish court in 1812, eventually becoming the Court Composer in 1818.
Although Kuhlau is famous for his flute music, he was primarily a virtuoso pianist. Although making to believe that he played flute as well (he didn't). He wrote for the flute because it was the most popular instrument for amateur music-making at the time, providing him with a steady income through sheet music sales to publishers like C.F. Peters.
In 1825, Kuhlau visited Ludwig van Beethoven in Vienna. The two spent a famously jovial afternoon drinking and exchanging musical puns, which resulted in a canon (WoO 191) written by Beethoven on the name "Kuhlau."
His incidental music for the play Elverhøj (The Elf’s Hill, 1828) is considered a Danish national treasure and remains the most performed work in the history of the Royal Danish Theatre.