# Favourite Works for Wind Ensemble



## Yardrax

I'm interested in chamber music written for wind ensemble but I don't really know anything in this genre besides Beethoven's Octet. So I am curious to know what people's favourite pieces in this area are.


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## arpeggio

*Dvorák Serenade for Wind Instruments*

Dvorák _Serenade for Wind Instruments._ I have had the opportunity to perform this work several times.


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## elgar's ghost

Most of the chamber music for wind I have usually features strings and/or piano - exceptions that immediately spring to mind are Mozart's 'Gran Partita' Serenade op. K361. (actually has a part for double bass but can be replaced by double bassoon, but as it's for 13 players perhaps the ensemble's too large for it to be a chamber work?), Carl Nielsen's Wind Quintet from the 1920s, Hindemith's Wind Septet from the 1940s and Michael Tippett's Sonata for Four Horns from the 1950s.


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## Yardrax

elgars ghost said:


> Most of the chamber music for wind I have usually features strings and/or piano


Yeah, it seems strange to me that the string quartet is such a popular form but that there isn't really any analogous all-wind ensemble type with quite the same foot in the standard repertoire.

EDIT: Found this piece by Ligeti which is really enjoyable and for all winds:


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## Kleinzeit

Janáček's _Mladi_ It's too good.


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## arpeggio

*Woodwind Quintet*



Yardrax said:


> Yeah, it seems strange to me that the string quartet is such a popular form but that there isn't really any analogous all-wind ensemble type with quite the same foot in the standard repertoire.


There is. It is called the woodwind quintet: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn. This ensemble was created by the early 19th century composer Anton Reicha. Franz Danzi, a contemporary of Reicha also composed extensively for winds including the woodwind quintet. The problem with these two fine composers is that they were totally eclipsed by this Ludwig guy.

Many have asked what is the horn, a brass instrument, doing in a woodwind quintet. Well when good old Reicha came up with the quintet there were instruments that could handle the soprano range: flute, oboe and clarinet. The bass was covered by the bassoon. But in the early 19th century, the woodwind instruments were not as well made as their modern compatriots. (Note: I realize the period instrument crowd is having a conniption but the woodwind instruments of today, unlike the string instrument, are far superior to those that were made in the 18th and early 19th century. When one hears period wind instruments the vast majority are manufactured by contemporary artisans and are still better that those made two hundred years ago. I have a great recording of a Vivaldi bassoon concerto and the soloist is using a modern made period instrument.) Back in Anton's time there was no woodwind instrument that could handle the alto or tenor voice as well as the horn.

Samples of Reicha and Danzi:


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## ptr

Ligeti is a given must! Also like *Bo Nilsson*'s, Jean Francaix wrote two delightful ones, Luciano Berios wrote two, Sam Barbers 'Summer Music' is fun. You should look for *Frigyes Hidas* two, only heard the second in concert, but also fun music, Hidas is way to unknown outside Hungary anywayoncerto is a Blast!.. Holst's op 14 is not bad at all, Schönberg's op 26 rocks, I could name a few Swedish one's that I've heard in concert that have been very entertaining!

/ptr


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## PetrB

Irving Fine ~ Woodwind Quintet / Symphonies of wind instruments (large ensemble)
Elliot Carter ~ Eight Etudes and a Fantasy, for woodwind quartet
Stravinsky ~ Octet
Darius Milhaud ~ Woodwind Quintet

...add a piano and other riches open up.
Mozart ~Quintet for piano and Winds in Eb, K.452
Beethoven ~ Septet
Poulenc ~ Sextuor
Stravinsky Septet

and many more.....


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## Mahlerian

Messiaen's Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum and Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments haven't come up yet. Until now...


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## Kleinzeit

Enescu's Dixtuor


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## joen_cph

Another vote for Janacek´s "Mladi" and Nielsen´s Wind Quintet, as well as his "Serenata in Vano" 




Elliott Carter: Woodwind Quintet (early period) 




Jean Francaix´s Octet is delightful but includes strings 




Wind orchestras supporting solo instruments in concerto works had a certain popularity around 1920-50, such as in Berg´s Chamber Concerto, Kurt Weill´s Violin Concerto, Janacek´s great Capriccio for piano & ensemble (



), Jaroslav Jezek´s Violin Concerto, and Skalkottas´3rd Piano Concerto.


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## ahammel

Schoenberg's Wind Quintet, and Schubert's Octet are good ones.


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## Guest

Been listening to a lot of wind ensemble music lately since I'm writing my first band piece. For composers these days, wind band music is where the money's at. Been diggin Michael Colgrass, especially _Winds of Nagual_.


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## hpowders

The Mozart Gran Partita for 13 Winds is my favorite.


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## brotagonist

Ligeti - Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet

Some of my longtime favourites have already been mentioned, but I think this one hasn't. I adore it [swoon].


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## 20centrfuge

Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments is one of my all time favorites. It is dedicated to the memory of Debussy: a one movement work that lasts about 9 minutes.

These are Stravinsky's own words about the piece

_"It is devoid of all the elements which infallibly appeal to the ordinary listener and to which he is accustomed. . . . It is an austere ritual which is unfolded in terms of short litanies between different groups of homogeneous instruments." The work is not in any way a symphony; rather, Stravinsky has gone to the literal root meaning of "symphony" as "a sounding together."_

Edit: In hindsight, this is probably a larger instrumentation than you are after, BUT, Stravinsky did write an octet for:

_flute, clarinet in B♭ and A, two bassoons, trumpet in C, trumpet in A, tenor trombone, and bass trombone_


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