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The
wind section is traditionally known as "woodwind" even though
not all the instruments are made of wood. Woodwind usually include flutes,
oboes, clarinets, bassoons and saxophones. The
phrases "double-" "triple-" and "quadruple-"
woodwind are often used. These refer to the following lineups (saxophones
may be added):
Double
woodwind
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
Triple
woodwind
2 flutes + piccolo, 2 oboes + English horn, 2 clarinets + bass clarinet,
2 bassoons + contrabassoon
(N.B. this is the standard lineup for most symphony orchestras)
Quadruple
woodwind
3 flutes + piccolo, 3 oboes + English horn, 3 clarinets + bass clarinet,
3 bassoons + contrabassoon
Use
the links on the left to sample various woodwind scorings from the Philharmonia's
recorded archive.
Solos
with or without accompaniment:
Flutes
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COMPOSER
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WORK
|
CD
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EXCERPT
|
COMMENTS
|
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Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 4
|
Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80555
|
|
Flute
tune. Accompanied by bass clarinet, and low strings. |
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Igor
Stravinsky
|
Petrouchka
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK573274
|
|
Flute
solo |
Back
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Oboes
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COMPOSER
|
WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
|
COMMENTS
|
|
Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 4
|
Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80555
|
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A
typical woodwind passage, with oboe tune and horn joining in. |
|
Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 4
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Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80555
|
|
An
oboe melody in the low register. Bassoons accompany, and horns sustain
filling-in harmony. |
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Igor
Stravinsky
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Petrouchka
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Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK573274
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Cor
anglais solo. |
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Gustav
Holst
|
The
Planets: Venus
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Philharmonia/Gardiner
DG445 860-2
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Oboe
solo (upper register, piano). |
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Manuel
de Falla
|
El
Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-cornered Hat):
Farruca
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Philharmonia/Giulini
EMI CDM 69037 2
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Cor
anglais solo. |
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Manuel
de Falla
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El
Amor Brujo (Love the Magician): En la cueva
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Philharmonia/Giulini
EMI CDM 69037 2
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Oboe
solo. |
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Manuel
de Falla
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El
Amor Brujo (Love the Magician): Danza rituel del fuego (Ritual
Fire Dance)
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Philharmonia/Giulini
EMI CDM 69037 2
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Oboe
solo, later doubled on clarinet. |
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Magnus
Lindberg
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Cantigas
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Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony Classical SK 89810
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A
wide-ranging oboe solo. |
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Claude
Debussy
|
La
Mer
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Philharmonia/Cantelli
Testament SBT 1011
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Oboe
in the high register. |
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Clarinets
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COMPOSER
|
WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
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COMMENTS
|
|
Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 4
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Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80555
|
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Clarinet
tune with bassoon accompaniment. |
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Maurice
Ravel
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Bolero
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Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812
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Eb
clarinet. |
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Peter
Tchaikovsky
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Muti
EMI CZS 7 67314 2
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Low
clarinet in A. |
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Bassoons
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COMPOSER
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WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
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COMMENTS
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Jean
Sibelius
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Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SMK 66234
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Bassoon
solo over strings. |
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Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80569
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A
'character' passage for bassoon, with oboe. |
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Maurice
Ravel
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Bolero
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Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812
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High
bassoon. |
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Saxophones
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COMPOSER
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WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
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COMMENTS
|
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Maurice
Ravel
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Bolero
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Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812
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Tenor
saxophone. This is quite an old recording and the playing style is
classical French, with lots of vibrato. |
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Maurice
Ravel
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Bolero
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Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812
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Sopranino
saxophone. This is quite an old recording and the playing style is
classical French, with lots of vibrato. |
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Maurice
Ravel
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Bolero
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Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812
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Oboes
and clarinets in octaves. This is quite an old recording and the playing
style is classical French, with lots of vibrato. |
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Standard
combinations:
Unisons
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COMPOSER
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WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
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COMMENTS
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Camille
Saint-Saëns
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Symphony
No. 3
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Philharmonia/Yu
IMP 30366 00012
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Cor
anglais and bassoon in unison, answered by three flutes. |
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Igor
Stravinsky
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Petrouchka
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Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK573274
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Two
high clarinets in unison. |
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Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80569
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Woodwind
section in unison. |
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Claude
Debussy
|
Nocturnes
2: Fetes
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Philharmonia/Cantelli
Testament SBT 1011
|
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Flutes
and oboe in unison. |
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Octaves
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COMPOSER
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WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
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COMMENTS
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Camille
Saint-Saëns
|
Symphony
No. 3
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Philharmonia/Yu
IMP 30366 00012
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Flute,
clarinet and bassoon in octaves. |
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Jean
Sibelius
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SMK 66234
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Flutes,
oboes and clarinets in octaves. |
|
Igor
Stravinsky
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Petrouchka
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Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK573274
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Clarinets
and high bassoon in octaves. |
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Maurice
Ravel
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Bolero
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Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812
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Oboes
and clarinets in octaves. |
|
Manuel
de Falla
|
El
Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-cornered Hat):
Seguidillas
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Philharmonia/Giulini
EMI CDM 69037 2
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Flute
and bassoon melody in double octaves. |
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Claude
Debussy
|
La
Mer
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Philharmonia/Cantelli
Testament SBT 1011
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Cor
anglais, oboe and bassoon in octaves. |
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Peter
Tchaikovsky
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Muti
EMI CZS 7 67314 2
|
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Clarinet
and bassoon in octaves. |
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Peter
Tchaikovsky
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Muti
EMI CZS 7 67314 2
|
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Flute,
oboe and clarinet tune in octaves. |
Back
to top
Chordal
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COMPOSER
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WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
|
COMMENTS
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Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80569
|
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Horn
pedals, with delicate chords in flutes and clarinets, and a strong
phrase in the double reeds. |
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Edward
Elgar
|
Symphony
No. 1
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Philharmonia/Haitink
EMI CDC 7 47673 2
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Woodwind
in thirds and sixths. |
|
Edward
Elgar
|
Symphony
No. 1
|
Philharmonia/Haitink
EMI CDC 7 47673 2
|
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Clarinets
and flutes in thirds, accompanying. |
|
Maurice
Ravel
|
Bolero
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Philharmonia/Maazel
EMI CDE 7 677812
|
|
Woodwinds
in triads. |
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Ludwig
van Beethoven
|
Symphony
No. 7
|
Philharmonia/Klemperer
EMI 7 63354 2
|
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Typical
chordal woodwind writing. |
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Passagework
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COMPOSER
|
WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
|
COMMENTS
|
|
Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 4
|
Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80555
|
|
A
typical woodwind passage, with oboe tune and horn joining in. |
|
Jean
Sibelius
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SMK 66234
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Horns
2 and 4 and bassoons descend, oboe and clarinets alternate ascending
figures, with flutes taking over towards the end of the excerpt. |
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Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 5
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Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80569
|
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A
decorated melody for flute, oboe and clarinet, with occasional horn. |
|
Edward
Elgar
|
Symphony
No. 1
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Philharmonia/Haitink
EMI CDC 7 47673 2
|
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Passing
phrases around the woodwind. |
|
Ludwig
van Beethoven
|
Symphony
No. 7
|
Philharmonia/Klemperer
EMI 7 63354 2
|
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Flutes
with oboe, passing to oboe and clarinets, passing to bassoons with
horns. |
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Tuttis
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COMPOSER
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WORK
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CD
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EXCERPT
|
COMMENTS
|
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Igor
Stravinsky
|
Le
Sacre du Printemps
(The Rite of Spring)
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK45796
|
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Woodwind
tutti. |
|
Edward
Elgar
|
Symphony
No. 1
|
Philharmonia/Haitink
EMI CDC 7 47673 2
|
|
Passing
phrases around the woodwind. |
Back
to top
Various
combinations:
Familiar
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COMPOSER
|
WORK
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CD
|
EXCERPT
|
COMMENTS
|
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Jean
Sibelius
|
Symphony
No. 5
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SMK 66234
|
|
Flutes
and oboes prominent over strings and horns. |
|
Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 5
|
Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80569
|
|
A
decorated melody for flute, oboe and clarinet, with occasional horn. |
|
Claude
Debussy
|
Nocturnes
1: Nuages
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Philharmonia/Cantelli
Testament SBT 1011
|
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Clarinets
and bassoons, leading to a cor anglais solo. |
|
Claude
Debussy
|
Prélude
a l'après-midi d'un faune |
Philharmonia/Cantelli
Testament SBT 1011
|
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The
cor anglais leads a woodwind passage, with harp and strings accompanying. |
Unusual
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COMPOSER
|
WORK
|
CD
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EXCERPT
|
COMMENTS
|
|
Igor
Stravinsky
|
Le
Sacre du Printemps
(The Rite of Spring)
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK45796
|
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Two
bass clarinets, alto flute and cor anglais together. |
|
Igor
Stravinsky
|
Le
Sacre du Printemps
(The Rite of Spring)
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK45796
|
|
Oboe,
alto flute and Eb clarinet together. |
|
Igor
Stravinsky
|
The
Rite of Spring
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK45796
|
|
Wind
harmonics (with string harmonics too). |
|
Igor
Stravinsky
|
Petrouchka
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK573274
|
|
Clarinets
and high bassoon, with piano and trumpet. |
|
Igor
Stravinsky
|
Petrouchka
|
Philharmonia/Salonen
Sony SK573274
|
|
Cor
anglais and contrabassoon melody, accompanied by flute and harp. |
|
Gustav
Mahler
|
Symphony
No. 5
|
Philharmonia/Zander
Telarc 2CD-80569
|
|
A
decorated melody for flute, oboe and clarinet, with occasional horn. |
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