# Works with completely different instrumentation between movements?



## MJongo (Aug 6, 2011)

I'm looking for works where there is drastic instrumentation changes between any or all movements. Preferably such that it would be difficult to realize it was one work without knowing beforehand. Do any exist?


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I can't think of anything at the moment. If there is anything that suites what you are looking for, it is probably in the 20th or 21st century. Most things before that are very uniform in terms of instrumentation.

The only thing I can really think of right offhand is Bartok's 2nd piano concerto, which has basically a wind/brass band for the outer movements and strings for the inner movement.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

violadude said:


> The only thing I can really think of right offhand is Bartok's 2nd piano concerto, which has basically a wind/brass band for the outer movements and strings for the inner movement.


And there you beat me to it.


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

Harry Janos suite by Kodaly and Tchaik 4 have movements for wind and brass only off the top of my head - there are others surely. There's obviously plenty of pieces with string alone movements. Janacek Glagolitic Mass has organ solo movement. Steve Reich's Drumming has 3 movements with completely different instrumentation and then they all get together at the end

I feel like I'm missing some really obvious stuff - particularly in C20-21 - but they're just not coming to mind. I can kick myself later!


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

In Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 8, the outer movements are for full orchestra with percussion, while the scherzo is for wind instruments only and the third movement is for strings only.

Best regards, Dr


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Every single poem (all 21!) in Pierrot lunaire is set with a different instrumental combination. The Schnittke Concerto Grosso No. 4/Symphony No. 5 has plenty of contrast between the chamber ensemble and the orchestra, but I don't recall if this is between movements or within them.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

If we consider Heitor Villa-Lobos' 14 Chôros as a single work, those are composed with a very wide range of instruments, solo and in combination. However one of them is over an hour long, so maybe this wouldn't count.


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## WavesOfParadox (Aug 5, 2012)

Stravinsky's Requiem Canticles


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## MJongo (Aug 6, 2011)

Not that it was intended this way, but I found a recording of Bach's Kunst der Fuge with different instrumentation, such as string quartet, solo organ, harpsichord, etc., for each fuge.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

> I'm looking for works where there is drastic instrumentation changes between any or all movements.


_Lélio, ou le Retour à la Vie_ by Berlioz.


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## Garlic (May 3, 2013)

Berio's Sequenza could be considered a single work with a different solo instrument for each movement.

Tcherepnin's 1st symphony has a great second movement for percussion only.


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## Eschbeg (Jul 25, 2012)

Varèse's _Déserts_ qualifies. Movements for winds, piano, and percussion alternate with movements of electronic music.


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

Isn't the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th symphony only for strings (including harp(s))?

By the way, at least according to Wikipedia, the symphony begins in C# minor and ends in D major, which seems pretty unusual.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

spradlig said:


> Isn't the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th symphony only for strings (including harp(s))?


Yes. In fact, the scoring of the symphony's preceding movements is more wind and brass-based, so having a movement entirely played by strings makes for a huge contrast.



spaldig said:


> By the way, at least according to Wikipedia, the symphony begins in C# minor and ends in D major, which seems pretty unusual.


Mahler's symphonies often end in different tonalities than the ones they begin in. The second begins in C minor and ends in E-flat major. The fourth begins in G major and ends in E major. The seventh begins in E minor (actually B minor, but the first movement is in E) and ends in C major. The ninth begins in D major and ends in D-flat major.


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