Click on the links below to see and hear each movement.
1st movement
2nd movement
3rd movement – Minuet
4th movement – Finale
Octet, Op. 103
Price range: £18.75 through £25.00
Description
While the wind band was not a major focus of Beethoven’s output, he did contribute meaningfully to the medium in his early years. This came primarily through his Octet, op. 103, which he composed in 1792 and 1793, while still in the service of the court at Bonn. Like much of the harmoniemusik of the day, it was considered light entertainment to be played at dinner parties. The first movement is in a lean sonata form, dominated by one central theme, buoyant and frothy. The second movement is a set of strophic variations riding on a lilting barcarolle rhythm. The third is marked “Minuet” but the spare melodic language begs the scherzo tempo that Beethoven would pioneer in such movements. And for the finale, a rollicking rondo full of Haydnesque solo gestures. Beethoven’s Octet is a tuneful and sunny summation of the charm and color of classical wind chamber music.
Additional information
| composer | |
|---|---|
| arranger | Robert Rainford |
| instrumentation | 2 Soprano saxes, 2 Alto saxes, 2 Tenor saxes, 2 Baritone saxes |
| Select an Option | |
| skill-level |
