The Flute sonata in E minor (HWV 359b) was composed (c. 1724) by George Frideric Handel for flute and basso continuo. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 1b, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii,6; and HHA iv/3,10.
The sonata was originally composed as a violin sonata in D minor (HWV 359a).
Of the two sonatas in the Chrysander edition as Opus 1 Sonata I, this one (Sonata I<sup>b</sup>) is the one in the Walsh edition (where it is called Sonata I). Chrysander's Sonata I<sup>a</sup> was compiled from manuscript sources. Chrysander's Sonata I<sup>a</sup> and Sonata I<sup>b</sup> have their first and fourth movements in common.
A typical performance of the work takes about seven minutes.
The work consists of four movements:
<small>(Movements do not contain repeat markings unless indicated. The number of bars is taken from the Chrysander edition, and is the raw number in the manuscriptâÂÂnot including repeat markings.)</small>