Octets in classical music are one of the largest groupings of chamber music. Although eight-part scoring was fairly common for serenades and divertimenti in the 18th century, the word "octet" only first appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, as the title of a composition by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, whose Octet Op. 12 (published posthumously in 1808) features the piano, together with clarinet, 2 horns, 2 violins, and 2 cellos. Later octets with piano were written by Ferdinand Ries (Op. 128, 1818, with clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and double bass), Anton Rubinstein (Op. 9, 1856, with flute, clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello, and double bass), and Paul Juon (Chamber Symphony, Op. 27, 1907) (Kube 2001).
Octets tend to be scored in one of the following arrangements:
Double quartet – Double quartets are made up of two string quartets, often arranged antiphonally. Louis Spohr composed four such octets between 1823 and 1847 (opp. 65, 77, 87 and 136), taking as a model a work by Andreas Romberg. Later examples in this mode include works by Nikolay Afanasyev (Housewarming and Le souvenir) and Mario Peragallo (Music for Double Quartet, 1948), as well as Darius Milhaud's paired 14th and 15th String Quartets Op. 291 (1948–49), which are composed to be playable simultaneously as an octet (Kube 2001).
Wind and string octet – a combination of forces, popularized by Franz Schubert (whose Octet is for clarinet, bassoon, horn, 2 violins, viola, cello, and double bass). A number of ensembles have been formed with this instrumentation, including the Octuor de Paris, for whom Iannis Xenakis composed Anaktoria (1969). By contrast, the Octet by Louis Spohr is scored for clarinet, 2 horns, violin, 2 violas, cello, and double bass. Paul Hindemith wrote a less well-known piece for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, two violas, cello and double bass. Another important 20th-century octet for winds and strings is Octandre by Edgard Varèse (1923), for flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, clarinet (doubling E♭ clarinet), bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, and double bass (Griffiths 2001). Alec Wilder composed a series of crossover octets between 1938 and 1940 which are scored for a quintet of woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon) backed by a rhythm section of harpsichord, double bass and drums.
Octets in jazz
The Aman jazz octet
Jazz ensembles of eight players will frequently be termed an octet. These ensembles may be for any combination of instruments, but the most common line-up is trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, trombone, guitar, piano, bass and drums, with guitar occasionally making way for another horn, for example baritone sax. The Jamil Sheriff Octet [1] is an example of a classic octet. Ornette Coleman's ensemble for the Free Jazz album (referred to as a double quartet) is an example of two quartets playing together at the same time.
Saxophonist David Murray leads an experimental jazz octet, the David Murray Octet.
The collaborations of trombonists J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding occasionally featured a trombone octet, most notably on their 1956 record Jay and Kai + 6.
Octets in popular music
British pop group the Dooleys were an eight-member group popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
British rock group Yes were an eight-member group during their Union tour in 1991.
Vocal octet
A vocal octet is a choir, or performance by a choir,[citation needed] of eight separate parts, for example, an SSAATTBB (1st & 2nd soprano, 1st & 2nd alto, 1st & 2nd tenor, baritone and bass) choir.
Griffiths, Paul. 2001. "Varèse, Edgard [Edgar] (Victor Achille Charles)". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
Kube, Michael. 2001. "Octet". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
Montagu, Jeremy. 2002. "Octet". In The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
Further reading
Antonov, Ivan Milkov. 2005. "A Catalogue of Twentieth-Century Cello Ensemble Music". DMA monograph. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Wackerbauer, Michael. 2008. Sextett, Doppelquartett und Oktett. Studien zur groß besetzten Kammermusik für Streicher im 19. Jahrhundert. Regensburger Studien zur Musikgeschichte 6). Tutzing: Hans Schneider. ISBN978-3-7952-1121-9.
March 08, 2023
octet, music, this, article, includes, inline, citations, they, properly, formatted, please, improve, this, article, correcting, them, parenthetical, referencing, been, deprecated, convert, shortened, footnotes, september, 2020, learn, when, remove, this, temp. This article includes inline citations but they are not properly formatted Please improve this article by correcting them Parenthetical referencing has been deprecated convert to shortened footnotes September 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message In music an octet is a musical ensemble consisting of eight instruments or voices or a musical composition written for such an ensemble Autograph manuscript score of Schubert s Octet Contents 1 Octets in classical music 2 Octets in jazz 3 Octets in popular music 4 Vocal octet 5 See also 6 Sources 7 Further readingOctets in classical music EditOctets in classical music are one of the largest groupings of chamber music Although eight part scoring was fairly common for serenades and divertimenti in the 18th century the word octet only first appeared at the beginning of the 19th century as the title of a composition by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia whose Octet Op 12 published posthumously in 1808 features the piano together with clarinet 2 horns 2 violins and 2 cellos Later octets with piano were written by Ferdinand Ries Op 128 1818 with clarinet horn bassoon violin viola cello and double bass Anton Rubinstein Op 9 1856 with flute clarinet horn violin viola cello and double bass and Paul Juon Chamber Symphony Op 27 1907 Kube 2001 Octets tend to be scored in one of the following arrangements String octet This arrangement is made up entirely of strings Felix Mendelssohn s Octet Op 20 is an example as are the octets of George Enescu Dmitri Shostakovich Niels Gade Carl Schuberth Johan Svendsen Carl Gradener Joachim Raff Woldemar Bargiel Hermann Graedener Reinhold Gliere Ferdinand Thieriot Max Bruch and Airat Ichmouratov Double quartet Double quartets are made up of two string quartets often arranged antiphonally Louis Spohr composed four such octets between 1823 and 1847 opp 65 77 87 and 136 taking as a model a work by Andreas Romberg Later examples in this mode include works by Nikolay Afanasyev Housewarming and Le souvenir and Mario Peragallo Music for Double Quartet 1948 as well as Darius Milhaud s paired 14th and 15th String Quartets Op 291 1948 49 which are composed to be playable simultaneously as an octet Kube 2001 Cello octet Eight cellos a combination popularized by Heitor Villa Lobos in his Bachianas Brasileiras nos 1 1930 and 5 1938 1945 though technically these are for cello orchestra with a minimum of eight players Villa Lobos also arranged three of the preludes and four fugues from Johann Sebastian Bach s Well Tempered Clavier for this ensemble Several all cello groups came into existence during the late 1970s and 1980s notably the Yale Cellos the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Conjunto Iberico cello octet and their popularity caused a surge of interest in cello ensemble writing among composers Some of the most prominent to compose cello octets include Luciano Berio Korot 1998 Sylvano Bussotti Poesies a Maldoror 1999 Edison Denisov Hymne 1995 Morton Gould Cellos 1984 Sofia Gubaidulina Fata morgana die tanzende Sonne 2002 Gordon Jacob Cello Octet 1981 Arvo Part version of Fratres 1983 Steve Reich Cello Counterpoint 2003 Kaija Saariaho Neiges 1998 and Peter Sculthorpe Chorale 1994 Wind octet Usually scored for 2 oboes 2 clarinets 2 horns and 2 bassoons Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven composed for this scoring also known as Harmonie Montagu 2002 though only Beethoven actually titled his one work for this grouping Octet The octets of Franz Lachner Op 156 Theodore Gouvy Op 71 and Carl Reinecke Op 216 are scored for flute oboe 2 clarinets 2 horns and 2 bassoons Igor Stravinsky s Octet for wind instruments has an unusual scoring of flute clarinet two bassoons two trumpets and two trombones George Antheil s Concerto for Chamber Orchestra is scored for an octet of flute oboe clarinet bassoon contrabassoon horn trumpet and trombone Wind and string octet a combination of forces popularized by Franz Schubert whose Octet is for clarinet bassoon horn 2 violins viola cello and double bass A number of ensembles have been formed with this instrumentation including the Octuor de Paris for whom Iannis Xenakis composed Anaktoria 1969 By contrast the Octet by Louis Spohr is scored for clarinet 2 horns violin 2 violas cello and double bass Paul Hindemith wrote a less well known piece for clarinet bassoon horn violin two violas cello and double bass Another important 20th century octet for winds and strings is Octandre by Edgard Varese 1923 for flute doubling piccolo oboe clarinet doubling E clarinet bassoon horn trumpet trombone and double bass Griffiths 2001 Alec Wilder composed a series of crossover octets between 1938 and 1940 which are scored for a quintet of woodwinds flute oboe clarinet bass clarinet bassoon backed by a rhythm section of harpsichord double bass and drums Octets in jazz Edit The Aman jazz octet Jazz ensembles of eight players will frequently be termed an octet These ensembles may be for any combination of instruments but the most common line up is trumpet alto sax tenor sax trombone guitar piano bass and drums with guitar occasionally making way for another horn for example baritone sax The Jamil Sheriff Octet 1 is an example of a classic octet Ornette Coleman s ensemble for the Free Jazz album referred to as a double quartet is an example of two quartets playing together at the same time Saxophonist David Murray leads an experimental jazz octet the David Murray Octet The collaborations of trombonists J J Johnson and Kai Winding occasionally featured a trombone octet most notably on their 1956 record Jay and Kai 6 Octets in popular music EditBritish pop group the Dooleys were an eight member group popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s British rock group Yes were an eight member group during their Union tour in 1991 Vocal octet EditA vocal octet is a choir or performance by a choir citation needed of eight separate parts for example an SSAATTBB 1st amp 2nd soprano 1st amp 2nd alto 1st amp 2nd tenor baritone and bass choir See also EditSilesian Guitar Octet Vocal octet OCTAVA Los Angeles Electric 8Sources EditGriffiths Paul 2001 Varese Edgard Edgar Victor Achille Charles The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians second edition edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell London Macmillan Publishers Kube Michael 2001 Octet The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians second edition edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell London Macmillan Publishers Montagu Jeremy 2002 Octet In The Oxford Companion to Music edited by Alison Latham Oxford and New York Oxford University Press Further reading EditAntonov Ivan Milkov 2005 A Catalogue of Twentieth Century Cello Ensemble Music DMA monograph Baton Rouge Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Wackerbauer Michael 2008 Sextett Doppelquartett und Oktett Studien zur gross besetzten Kammermusik fur Streicher im 19 Jahrhundert Regensburger Studien zur Musikgeschichte 6 Tutzing Hans Schneider ISBN 978 3 7952 1121 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Octet music amp oldid 1014928182, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
