# Wind ensemble pieces



## Enthusiast

I think I may have neglected wind ensemble (quintets, octets and larger) pieces over the years but am now going through a period of wanting to hear them a lot. Of course, I have long known and enjoyed the "big pieces" (Mozart, Dvorak etc) but there is much I don't know and might now want to explore. Any recommendations? 

Also, which wind ensembles are particularly excellent?


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## Vasks

A charmer if ever there was one


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## RobertJTh

Carl Nielsen's Wind Quintet does the trick for me.

It's a hugely important piece in his oeuvre, because his friendship with the five wind players who performed it led to the composition of the Flute and Clarinet concertos (concertos for oboe, bassoon and horn were planned).


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## SearsPoncho

If you don't mind the addition of a piano, there's *Poulenc*'s Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn and Piano. A delightful piece. Poulenc wrote some chamber works for wind instruments utilizing smaller forces, such as the Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, which are enjoyable. The Nash Ensemble's 2 cd "Complete Poulenc Chamber Music" is a great recording with all these pieces and gems such as the Flute Sonata, Clarinet Sonata, Sonata for 2 Clarinets, and Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon, among others.


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## starthrower

I recommend this CD by the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble if you like modern music.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7937034--summer-music-for-wind-quintet


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## Heck148

There is so much great stuff for wind ensembles...I grabbed the complete NY WW5tet discs, and the PhilaOrch 5tet discs as well....a lot of the quintet standards covered....all of the HarmonieMusik repertoire is fun - Beethoven 
Mozart, Haydn, Krommer-Kramar, Masek, Myslivicek, etc...London Wind Soloists released a whole series back in the 60s...on Decca, very fine....


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## NoCoPilot

Dunno 'bout you, but I'm a BIG FAN of the wind quintets of Anton Reicha and Franz Danzi


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## Enthusiast

Thanks for the suggestions so far. It was good to be reminded of the Gounod. The Nielsen was a very recent discovery on my part and played a big role in starting me exploring chamber music for wind more systematically - a masterpiece, one of Nielsen's great works. The Poulenc recommendation led to a very pleasant couple of hours (and experience I'm sure to repeat many times) - how could I not have known these works?!

Meanwhile, to report back on pieces I have found over the last two weeks. The Op. 81b Sextet and the Op. 88 Wind Trio of Beethoven are lovely pieces that I had missed out on for most of my life! And the Krommer Partitas for Wind Ensemble are just constantly wonderful: they go down easily but are filled with delightful invention!

More please!


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## Enthusiast

NoCoPilot said:


> Dunno 'bout you, but I'm a BIG FAN of the wind quintets of Anton Reicha and Franz Danzi


Thank you! I had been listening to the Danzi Quintets as part of my exploration and found all lovely but somewhat the same on first hearing. They make up three CDs, I think: I wonder if any stand out from the others for you?

Reicha is even more daunting as he seems to have written more than 20 wind quintets. Again I wonder if there are any stand outs for you?


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## Tarneem

perhaps you should try listening to Richard Strauss Serenade for wind


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## Enthusiast

^ Ah no - I've known that one for a long time. Thanks, though.


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## Heck148

Enthusiast said:


> Meanwhile, to report back on pieces I have found over the last two weeks. The Op. 81b Sextet and the Op. 88 Wind Trio of Beethoven are lovely pieces that I had missed out on for most of my life! And the Krommer Partitas for Wind Ensemble are just constantly wonderful: they go down easily but are filled with delightful invention!
> 
> More please!


Beethoven wrote some great woodwind ensemble music - the 6tet, the 8tet, and Rondino [8tet], plus the military marches and dances for wind ensemble...recent recent Naxos release 8.573942 - very excellent.

Don't forget the Stravinsky 8tet - a brilliant masterpiece
There is also a great collection of French WW music for Oboe, clarinet, Bassoon - CSO musicians [Combs, Henoch, Buchman] - 
Cedille Records....

Mozart/Beethoven - Piano 5tets in Eb - wonderful works - early Beethoven, mature Mozart [WAM though it one of his best!!]


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## golfer72

Bax has a few pieces like this.


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## NoCoPilot

Enthusiast said:


> Reicha is even more daunting as he seems to have written more than 20 wind quintets. Again I wonder if there are any stand outs for you?


Most of these are rarely performed so I can't say I've heard them all.

For me the standouts (that I've heard) are Op. 88, 90, 91 and 100. Michael Thompson Wind Quintet does a fine job with them, on budget-priced Naxos recordings.


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## Rogerx

Do yo know the: Kalevi Aho: Wind Quintets Nos. 1 & 2.
If not give them a spin. :angel:


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## Waehnen

Thanks for mentioning the Wind Quintet by Nielsen. I have had some problems getting into his symphonies but this quintet just might be the key! I quite like the musical language although I often dislike dancelike new classicism. This is not too dancy. This is eloquent.


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## elgar's ghost

Paul Hindemith:

_Kleine Kammermusik_ for flute (also piccolo), oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn op.24 no.2 (1922):






Septet for flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, horn, bass clarinet and bassoon (1948):


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## Kreisler jr

Janacek: Mladi (Youth)
Enescu: Dixtuor

(both can be found on a Naxos disc with the Dvorak serenade)


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## Josquin13

This is the kind of music that I've found to be more & more enjoyable as I've gotten older. What follows are some of my favorite works, recordings, & woodwind ensembles; however, please note that there will be some duplication of music in the recordings listed below,

I. Here is a selection of six of the woodwind groups that I've liked, with links to representative recordings,

1. "Music from Marlboro", this is a 'classic' disc:

--Barber, Summer Music for Woodwind Quintet: 



--Nielsen, Woodwind Quintet (I like the Carion Ensemble in Nielsen's Quintet, too, which has already been mentioned & linked to on this thread): not on You Tube.
--Hindemith, Octet for Winds & Strings: 

















https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000275M?psc=1&smid=A3F9RG8498JSW1&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

2. Reykjavík Wind Quintet, this excellent Icelandic group has released various, enjoyable discs,

--French Wind Music, by Ibert, Françaix, Milhaud, Pierne, Poulenc, etc.: 



--Cantus borealis: Wind Music from Faroe Islands - this disc was a real find, & strongly recommended to anyone looking to explore woodwind music that is well 'off the beaten path' & surprisingly fine: 



--Rimsky Korsakov: Quintet in B flat major for piano, flute, clarinet, horn & bassoon (coupled with Poulenc's Sextet): not on You Tube.
--Nordic Music for Wind Quintet: not on You Tube.
--Barber Summer Music, Harbison Wind Quintet, & Beach "Pastorale": 



--Askell Masson, "Music for Clarinet": Wind Quintet:













3. Les Vents Français, with pianist Eric Le Sage,

--Poulenc, Sextet for Piano & Winds, Op. 100: 



--Caplet, Quintet for Piano & Winds, Op. 8: 



--Mozart, Quintet for Piano & Winds in E-Flat Major, K. 452:



--Thuille, Sextet for Piano & Winds in B-Flat Major, Op. 6: 



--Rimsky-Korsakov, Quintet for Piano & Winds in B-Flat Major: 



--French Music for Winds, & 20th Century Wind Quintets: 




4. Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, a 4 CD box set from BIS (though each recording is available individually, too): 




Included in the contents of this box set are the following works & performances,

--Koechlin, Wind Septet, Op. 165: 



.
--Tomasi, Printemps: 



--Milhaud, La Cheminee Du Roi Rene, Op. 205: 



--Dean, Winter Songs: 



--Barber, Summer Music for Woodwind Quintet: 



--Henze, Wind Quintet: 




& much more.

The Berliner's disc of Kalevi Aho's Wind Quintets 1 & 2 has already been mentioned, but I agree that it's worth hearing, too: 




5. Ensemble Wien-Berlin,

--Danzi: Wind Quintet in G minor, Op.56, No.2, coupled with the Lachner Wind Quintet no.2 in E flat major: 



--Francaix, Quatour for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet & Bassoon, Wind Trio, & Divertissement: 



--20th Century Wind Music by Barber, Ligeti, Berio, Françaix, & Eder: 



Etc.

6. Gothenburg Wind Quintet (a subset of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, which is one of the most underrated orchestras in the world, in my view),

-Holmboe, Notturno for Wind Quintet: 



-Salmenhaara, Wind Quintet: 



-Mortensen, Wind Quintet: 




II. Here too are some individual woodwind works that I've liked over the years,

1. Roussel: Divertissement, Op.6 (for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, piano): 




2. Ropartz: 2 Pièces for Wind Quintet: 




3. Schmitt: Chants Alizés, Op.125: 




4. d'Indy: Sarabande et menuet, Op. 72 (for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, & piano): 




5. Multiple works by Koechlin: Like Haydn, Koechlin was a master at matching & composing for the various timbres of woodwind instruments,

--Wind Septet: 








--Trio for Flute, Clarinet, & Bassoon, Op. 92: 



--Four Petite Pieces, Op. 173 (for clarinet or violin, horn, & piano): 



--Pastoral (for flute, clarinet, & piano), Op. 75: 



--Chamber works for Oboe: 



--Paysages et Marines (the later chamber version, for piano, flute, clarinet, and string quartet):













6. Ravel: Introduction and Allegro (for harp, flute, clarinet, and strings): While this work by Ravel may not quite fit to this thread, I thought I'd mention it anyway--first, because it's a great favorite of mine, but also because it fully demonstrates how well woodwinds can work when matched with a harp and strings. (Other brilliantly imaginative works of this kind would include Debussy's late Sonata for Flute, Harp, & Viola, Roussel's Serenade, Op. 30, and Ropartz's Prélude, Marine et Chansons, etc..) The following have been my three favorite recordings of Ravel's "Introduction et Allegro" over the decades,

--Montreal Chamber Players (btw, this is part of a wonderful CD, overall): 



--Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble, with harpist Skaila Kanga: 



--Nash Ensemble: 




7. I'd also recommend the following series of French woodwind chamber works issued by the Cala label, featuring flautist William Bennett & other first rate musicians:

--Debussy, Saint Saens--complete chamber music for woodwinds. Here are some excerpts:









--Ravel, Poulenc: complete chamber music for woodwinds. Again, here are some excerpts:

























8. Milhaud: While two of the following three works below may not quite fit to this thread, Milhaud wrote beautifully for woodwinds (& the violin, btw), so I thought I'd include them,

--La Cheminée du Roi René, for Wind Quintet, Op.205: 



--Little Symphony No. 2, Op. 43, "Le Printemps": 



--Concertino de Printemps: 




9. Jolivet, Chamber Music for Oboe and Cor Anglais: 




10. Kokkonen, Wind Quintet:

















11. Ligeti, Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet: 




12. Martin, Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments, Timpani, Percussion, & Strings: 




13. Handel, Trio Sonatas (for woodwinds): especially when played by Ensemble Zefiro. This is some of my most favorite music for woodwinds:














Bonuses:

1. Mozart, Horn Quintet in E flat, K.407, Beethoven Sextet, Reicha Quintet--played by Hermann Baumann & the Gewandhaus-Quartett: 




2. F.J. Haydn--While the following box set doesn't entirely fit to this thread, it is full of the most masterful works for various combinations of woodwind instruments, & woodwinds with strings, & I've thoroughly enjoyed it!:





https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...c-for-prince-esterhazy-and-the-king-of-naples

Finally, the following disc by the Linde Consort is another favorite Haydn woodwinds disc of mine: 



.

As is often the case, with some of my lengthier posts on TC, the above suggestions aren't meant to be explored all at once, but rather over time, at your leisure.


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## Heck148

For Wind ensemble/concert band afficionados:

Have any of you heard of:

Carlos Surinach - <<*Paeans and Dances from Heathen Iberia*>>

I played this at Eastman, with Don Hunsberger [Fennells' successor] - wonderful piece, really excellent...should be a repertoire standard....We made a recording of it back in the late 60s-'70, for Polygram, iirc [long time ago] - also on the LP were H. Owen Reed - "*Fiesta Mexicana*", and Roger Nixon - "*Fiesta del Pacifico*" - great record, sadly, never, tmk, made it to CD.

I was listening Fennell's recording of "_*La Fiesta Mexicana*_" - which is really great, in terrific sound - Mercury 1954!! I think it was the first batch of recordings that Mercury did with Fennell/EWE....amazing sound - the percussion battery sounds great - notoriously difficult to record, due to huge dynamic and frequency range...

Howard Dunn/Dallas Wind Symphony recorded a fine "*La Fiesta Mex.*.." - for Reference Recordings....very excellent...The Nixon piece is included as well....Dunn also recorded on the same disc - Clifton Williams - "*Symphonic Dance #3 'Fiesta*'" - which is a real rouser!! neat piece.....Williams is probably best known for the standard - "*Fanfare and Allegro*"

I think of the 3 "Fiesta Mexicanas", tho, I might give Hunsberger a slight edge, tho I've got to give it another listen - I transcribed the LP to metal cassette a long time ago...[ can I even find it?? ]


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## Heck148

Waehnen said:


> Thanks for mentioning the Wind Quintet by Nielsen. I have had some problems getting into his symphonies but this quintet just might be the key! I quite like the musical language although I often dislike dancelike new classicism. This is not too dancy. This is eloquent.


I've played WW 5tets for many, many years - had a professional 5tet going for many decades....
Nielsen is one of the greatest, try Hindemith "Kleine Kammermusik" as well - wonderful piece...


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## Enthusiast

Josquin13 said:


> This is the kind of music that I've found to be more & more enjoyable as I've gotten older. What follows are some of my favorite works, recordings, & woodwind ensembles; however, please note that there will be some duplication of music in the recordings listed below,
> 
> .....
> 
> As is often the case, with some of my lengthier posts on TC, the above suggestions aren't meant to be explored all at once, but rather over time, at your leisure.


Brilliant, thanks. I've been locked out of TC for a while (tech problems) or I would have thanked you earlier!


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## hammeredklavier




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## fluteman

This is a great thread, and in only a few choice posts most of my favorite wind ensemble music, that I have performed in many cases, and many of my favorite CDs, have been mentioned. The great 20th century classics by Nielsen, Hindemith, Poulenc, Milhaud, Arnold and Barber mentioned above are must-hears. Also, Ibert's Trois Pieces Breves for wind quintet and the two wind quintets by Jean Francaix. More recent works by Ligeti and Schuller, and older works by Piston, D'Indy, Koechlin, Taffanel, Reicha and Danzi, too. Schoenberg's wind quintet is an important work but lengthy and dense. I assume the Ravel and Debussy works that feature winds, the Schubert Octet and Dvorak Serenade, already are known to most here.

But I'm surprised to see no mention of Stravinsky's Octet or Ragtime for 11 Instruments. I would put those at the top of the list for anyone unfamiliar with them.


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## Olias

Three of my absolute favorites:

Beethoven - Wind Sextet Opus 71





Mozart - Quintet for Piano and Winds K452





Dvorak - Serenade for Winds


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## Heck148

Olias said:


> Three of my absolute favorites:
> 
> Beethoven - Wind Sextet Opus 71
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mozart - Quintet for Piano and Winds K452
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dvorak - Serenade for Winds


3 Great pieces!! 3 of my favorites, both to play, and to hear...
Try the LvB 8tet for Winds...that's really great, too....


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## Merl

Vasks said:


> A charmer if ever there was one


Not heard that before. What a lovely piece! Thanks for that.


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## NoCoPilot




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## Dirge

_Below are the wind works/recordings that I've listened to most over the years, with the final movement of Nielsen's Wind Quintet being a great favorite (especially via the superlative New York Woodwind Quintet recording). I'm also uncommonly fond of Holst's_ A Moorside Suite.

Gioacchino ROSSINI (arr. Deisenroth): _*Le rendez-vous de chasse*_ (1828)
:: Münchner Parforcehorn-Bläser [Orfeo '82]





Carl NIELSEN: *Wind Quintet* (1922)
:: New York Woodwind Quintet [Concert-Disc, early '60s?] Boston Skyline

Igor STRAVINSKY: *Octet* (1923; rev 1952)
:: Boston Symphony Chamber Players [DG '74]




 (tracks 5-7)

Arnold SCHOENBERG: *Wind Quintet* (1924)
:: Phoenix Ensemble [Albany '10]




 (tracks 2-5)

Leos JANACEK: _*Mladi*_ (1924)
:: Prague Wind Quintet, Nechvatal [Supraphon '72]




 (tracks 1-4)

Gyorgy LIGETI: *6 Bagatelles* (1953)
:: London Winds [Chandos '15]




 (tracks 1-6)

Samuel BARBER: _*Summer Music*_ (1955)
:: New York Woodwind Quintet [Concert-Disc, late '50s?] Boston Skyline

_Stepping out of the realm of chamber music …_

Igor STRAVINSKY: _*Symphonies of Wind Instruments*_ (1920; rev. 1947)
:: Pesek/Prague Chamber Harmony [Supraphon '65]





Gustav HOLST: _*A Moorside Suite*_ (1928)
:: Howarth/Grimethorpe Colliery Band [Argo '76]





Gustav HOLST: *"Hammersmith": Prelude and Scherzo* (wind-band version) (1930)
:: Fennell/EWE [Mercury '58]


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## NoCoPilot

Holst's Moorside is wonderful. I'd forgotten about that.


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## jegreenwood

NoCoPilot said:


> Dunno 'bout you, but I'm a BIG FAN of the wind quintets of Anton Reicha and Franz Danzi


Listening to Reicha (Albert Schweitzer Quintet) right now courtesy of Tidal. He sure wrote a lot of them.


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## fluteman

Dirge said:


> _Below are the wind works/recordings that I've listened to most over the years, with the final movement of Nielsen's Wind Quintet being a great favorite (especially via the superlative New York Woodwind Quintet recording). I'm also uncommonly fond of Holst's_ A Moorside Suite.
> 
> Gioacchino ROSSINI (arr. Deisenroth): _*Le rendez-vous de chasse*_ (1828)
> :: Münchner Parforcehorn-Bläser [Orfeo '82]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Carl NIELSEN: *Wind Quintet* (1922)
> :: New York Woodwind Quintet [Concert-Disc, early '60s?] Boston Skyline
> 
> Igor STRAVINSKY: *Octet* (1923; rev 1952)
> :: Boston Symphony Chamber Players [DG '74]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (tracks 5-7)
> 
> Arnold SCHOENBERG: *Wind Quintet* (1924)
> :: Phoenix Ensemble [Albany '10]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (tracks 2-5)
> 
> Leos JANACEK: _*Mladi*_ (1924)
> :: Prague Wind Quintet, Nechvatal [Supraphon '72]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (tracks 1-4)
> 
> Gyorgy LIGETI: *6 Bagatelles* (1953)
> :: London Winds [Chandos '15]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (tracks 1-6)
> 
> Samuel BARBER: _*Summer Music*_ (1955)
> :: New York Woodwind Quintet [Concert-Disc, late '50s?] Boston Skyline
> 
> _Stepping out of the realm of chamber music …_
> 
> Igor STRAVINSKY: _*Symphonies of Wind Instruments*_ (1920; rev. 1947)
> :: Pesek/Prague Chamber Harmony [Supraphon '65]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gustav HOLST: _*A Moorside Suite*_ (1928)
> :: Howarth/Grimethorpe Colliery Band [Argo '76]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gustav HOLST: *"Hammersmith": Prelude and Scherzo* (wind-band version) (1930)
> :: Fennell/EWE [Mercury '58]


Great recommendations all around. For the Stravinsky Octet, the superlative Boston Symphony Chamber players are an excellent choice, but it's also worth listening to the versions led by the composer himself, from 1932, 1954 and 1961. The earliest of these is an interesting historical artifact, but there are ensemble and intonation problems, not surprisingly as it likely was done in a single take with no editing. The 1954 and 1961 versions are both superb with great players. The 1961 version is in stereo but the 1954 version may be the best of all. The 1924 Octet was the first piece Stravinsky conducted in public and by the time he produced these last two recordings he certainly knew how to get what he wanted, and the players no doubt knew the music thoroughly as it was part of the standard wind repertoire by then.

The Nielsen quintet has been recorded many times by the best players, and there are many great recordings of it. In general, the New York and Philadelphia Woodwind Quintets (the latter composed of players from the Philadelphia Orchestra) are two of the great groups from the 50s and 60s and are great in all the standard repertoire. The Ensemble Wien-Berlin, the Aulos and Bergen quintets and the Melos Ensemble all are excellent and more recent ensembles recorded in more modern sound. I believe they all have recorded the Nielsen quintet.


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## Rogerx

Myslivecek - Complete Wind Octets & Quintets I am spinning them now, fantastic, must have for wind music lovers.


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## Mister Meow

I don't have much to offer here, but I'll vote +1 for Serenade for Wind Instruments (Dvořák) which was mentioned earlier. It's definitely an enjoyable piece, IMHO.


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## juliante

This has got some lovely sections


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## NoCoPilot

Well, if we're including trombone ensembles:


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## Heck148

fluteman said:


> ... The 1954 and 1961 versions are both superb with great players. The 1961 version is in stereo but the 1954 version may be the best of all. The 1924 Octet was the first piece Stravinsky conducted in public and by the time he produced these last two recordings he certainly knew how to get what he wanted, and the players no doubt knew the music thoroughly as it was part of the standard wind repertoire by then.


I've never heard the 1954 version of IS 8tet....what's the personnel list for that one?? '61 is really stellar - great players...amazing bassoon playing - Glickman, Weisberg...



> The Nielsen quintet has been recorded many times by the best players, and there are many great recordings of it. In general, the New York and Philadelphia Woodwind Quintets (the latter composed of players from the Philadelphia Orchestra) are two of the great groups from the 50s and 60s and are great in all the standard repertoire.


Yes, NY and Philly 5tets are top-notch...wonderful recordings of much of the standard repertoire...


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## fluteman

Heck148 said:


> I've never heard the 1954 version of IS 8tet....what's the personnel list for that one?? '61 is really stellar - great players...amazing bassoon playing - Glickman, Weisberg...


Here is the info on the three recordings of the Octet directed by Stravinsky:

Marcel Moyse - flute, Emile Godeau - clarinet, Gustave Dherin, Marus Piard - bassoons, Eugene Foveau, Pierre Vignol - trumpets, Andre Lafosse, Raphael Delbos - trombones. May 6 and 9, 1932, Paris.

Julius Baker - flute, David Oppenheim - clarinet, Loren Glickman, Sylvia Deutscher - bassoons, Robert Nagel, Theodore Weis - trumpets, Erwin Price, Richard Hixon - trombones. February 26, 1954, New York.

James Pellerite - flute, David Oppenheim - clarinet, Loren Glickman, Arthur Weisberg - bassoons, Robert Nagel, Theodore Weis - trumpets, Keith Brown, Richard Hixon - trombones. January 5, 1961, New York.

As you can see, a lot of very distinguished names there.


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## Heck148

fluteman said:


> Here is the info on the three recordings of the Octet directed by Stravinsky:
> 
> Marcel Moyse - flute, Emile Godeau - clarinet, Gustave Dherin, Marus Piard - bassoons, Eugene Foveau, Pierre Vignol - trumpets, Andre Lafosse, Raphael Delbos - trombones. May 6 and 9, 1932, Paris.
> 
> Julius Baker - flute, David Oppenheim - clarinet, Loren Glickman, Sylvia Deutscher - bassoons, Robert Nagel, Theodore Weis - trumpets, Erwin Price, Richard Hixon - trombones. February 26, 1954, New York.
> 
> James Pellerite - flute, David Oppenheim - clarinet, Loren Glickman, Arthur Weisberg - bassoons, Robert Nagel, Theodore Weis - trumpets, Keith Brown, Richard Hixon - trombones. January 5, 1961, New York.
> 
> As you can see, a lot of very distinguished names there.


Interesting, thanks....lots of the same personnel for '61 and '54....French/Paris conservatory musicians for earlier one -


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## fluteman

Heck148 said:


> Interesting, thanks....lots of the same personnel for '61 and '54....French/Paris conservatory musicians for earlier one -


Right. The similar personnel for the '54 and '61 recordings isn't surprising, as both were made in New York for Columbia. Clarinetist David Oppenheim was head of their Columbia Masterworks classical music division. There are also two Columbia recordings of L'Histoire du soldat directed by Stravinsky and produced by Oppenheim, the first featuring violinist Alexander Schneider, the second Israel Baker.


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## Heck148

Right, the L'Hisroire featuring Baker one is, i believe, done with West Coast musicians.. Don Christlieb, long time Hollywood studio musician, was the bassoonist...i think the others were LA musicians also...


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## fluteman

Heck148 said:


> Right, the L'Hisroire featuring Baker one is, i believe, done with West Coast musicians.. Don Christlieb, long time Hollywood studio musician, was the bassoonist...i think the others were LA musicians also...


Yes. Israel Baker, violin; Roy D'Antonio, clarinet; Don Christlieb, bassoon; Charles Brady, trumpet; Robert Marsteller, trombone; Richard Kelley, bass; and William Kraft, percussion. All major LA musicians, and not just in classical music. (I'm not an encyclopedia of freelance musicians, but I do have all of these records, on vinyl or CD or both.) Some argue that Stravinsky's own recordings of Le Sacre or L'Oiseau de feu have some shortcomings from a technical standpoint. After all, he was working with large studio orchestras that he did not conduct except to record his own music. But for smaller works like the Octet and L'Histoire, imo it is hard to find fault with his work. Simply brilliant.


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## Heck148

fluteman said:


> .....Some argue that Stravinsky's own recordings of Le Sacre or L'Oiseau de feu have some shortcomings from a technical standpoint. After all, he was working with large studio orchestras that he did not conduct except to record his own music. But for smaller works like the Octet and L'Histoire, imo it is hard to find fault with his work. Simply brilliant.


For smaller works, IS was very good as conductor....for larger works, he tends to be too rigid, mechanical....very strict and accurate time [he was very clear with mixed, asymmetric meters], but didn't allow much room for expression, rubato, etc...the musicians had to stick it in whenever they could, but they weren't getting much help from the podium....it was pretty much "tick-tock", straight ahead....
Loren Glickman told a funny story about recording L'Histoire with Stokowski....L'Histoire is a real tour de force for conductors with all the meter changes....Stoki couldn't deal with the mixed meters, so he just conducted in a straight 4/4 basically - the musicians knew how it went, so they put the accents in the right place....Stoki followed along!! That's a fine recording, btw!!


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## fluteman

Heck148 said:


> For smaller works, IS was very good as conductor....for larger works, he tends to be too rigid, mechanical....very strict and accurate time [he was very clear with mixed, asymmetric meters], but didn't allow much room for expression, rubato, etc...the musicians had to stick it in whenever they could, but they weren't getting much help from the podium....it was pretty much "tick-tock", straight ahead....
> Loren Glickman told a funny story about recording L'Histoire with Stokowski....L'Histoire is a real tour de force for conductors with all the meter changes....Stoki couldn't deal with the mixed meters, so he just conducted in a straight 4/4 basically - the musicians knew how it went, so they put the accents in the right place....Stoki followed along!! That's a fine recording, btw!!


Great story! And to be fair to Stravinsky, he started conducting and recording his own music as a second career when he was over 40, no doubt mainly because he needed the income. Like a number of other famous composers who can be heard on record conducting their own music (Copland, Hindemith, Kodaly come to mind), he certainly was competent, but their records aren't always my first choice. Stravinsky, though, had the advantage of a 40-year career of conducting and recording his own music during the golden age of classical music in America when NY and LA were home to legendary freelance players as good as any anywhere.


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## Roger Knox

Heck148 said:


> For Wind ensemble/concert band afficionados:
> 
> Have any of you heard of:
> 
> Carlos Surinach - <<*Paeans and Dances from Heathen Iberia*>>
> 
> I played this at Eastman, with Don Hunsberger [Fennells' successor] - wonderful piece, really excellent...should be a repertoire standard....We made a recording of it back in the late 60s-'70, for Polygram, iirc [long time ago] - also on the LP were H. Owen Reed - "*Fiesta Mexicana*", and Roger Nixon - "*Fiesta del Pacifico*" - great record, sadly, never, tmk, made it to CD.
> 
> I was listening Fennell's recording of "_*La Fiesta Mexicana*_" - which is really great, in terrific sound - Mercury 1954!! I think it was the first batch of recordings that Mercury did with Fennell/EWE....amazing sound - the percussion battery sounds great - notoriously difficult to record, due to huge dynamic and frequency range...


That's a great Eastman tradition. I went there in the early 1980's for a doctorate in composition. Hunsperger was conductor, and some brass players I got to know the first summer quickly brought my up to speed on the wind ensemble as compared to concert band. Too bad these performances and repertoire aren't better known.


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## hammeredklavier

Hummel: Partita in Es


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## Heck148

Roger Knox said:


> That's a great Eastman tradition. I went there in the early 1980's for a doctorate in composition.


Cool!! who did you study with?? Was Sam Adler still there?? Warren Benson??


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## Roger Knox

Heck148 said:


> Cool!! who did you study with?? Was Sam Adler still there?? Warren Benson??


Yes -- Sam Adler and Joseph Schwantner. I love Schwantner's music but Adler was a more suitable teacher for me. Benson too but I didn't study with him. All this over 40 years ago -- I can't believe it! Anyway I finished the degree and worked in the music field, though only partially in academia.


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## Enthusiast

Janacek's Capriccio for Piano (Left Hand) and Wind is a fine work that I forgot to include in this thread. I am listening to it now in the fine recording by Bavouzet with some Bergen Philharmonic winds (perhaps with Edward Gardner conducting if they needed it). It goes down well with Stravinsky's more austere Concerto (also piano & winds).


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