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The woodwind section, which consists of
woodwind
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...
instruments, is one of the main sections of an
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
or
concert band.
Woodwind sections contain instruments given
Hornbostel-Sachs classifications of 421 (
edge-blown aerophones, commonly known as ''flutes'') and 422 (
reed aerophone
Reed aerophones is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. In order to produce sound with these Aerophones the player's breath is directed against a lamella or pair of ...
s), but exclude 423 (
brass instruments, which have
their own section.)
Orchestra
The woodwind section of a symphony
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
typically includes
flutes (sometimes with one doubling
piccolo),
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s (sometimes with one doubling
cor anglais),
clarinets (sometimes with one doubling
bass clarinet and/or another doubling
E-flat clarinet), and
bassoons (sometimes with one doubling
contrabassoon).
[Apel, Willi, ed., ''Harvard Dictionary of Music'', Second Edition, pp. 604-5. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969. SBN 674375017.] In the early part of the 20th century the woodwinds (as well as other sections) were often considerably expanded. For example,
Mahler
Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
in his
Symphony No. 8 (1910) employs 2 piccolos, 4 flutes, 4 oboes, cor anglais, 2
E-flat clarinets, 3 B-flat clarinets, bass clarinet, 4 bassoons, and contrabassoon.
[ After ]World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the number of instruments was often reduced, approaching the size of a chamber orchestra, with individual instrument combinations differing for each composition. The change can be illustrated by comparing two works by Stravinsky: ''The Rite of Spring
, image = Roerich Rite of Spring.jpg
, image_size = 350px
, caption = Concept design for act 1, part of Nicholas Roerich's designs for Diaghilev's 1913 production of '
, composer = Igor Stravinsky
, based_on ...
'' (1911–1913) with a large woodwinds section similar to the above and his ''Histoire du soldat
' (''The Soldier's Tale'') is a theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" () by three actors and one or several dancers, accompanied by a septet of instruments. Conceived by Igor Stravinsky and Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz, the piece was base ...
'' (1918), which only utilizes one clarinet and one bassoon.[
The woodwind section of the orchestra today, at a minimum consists of:
* Two flutes
* Two ]oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s
* Two clarinets
* Two bassoons
For early classical music, the clarinets may be omitted. The principal flutist is traditionally the section leader. The evolution of this section can be seen over Mozart's Symphonies. When emulating the classical style, Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, ...
used the above combination in his First Symphony.
The woodwind section of the orchestra frequently also includes one or more of the following, in typical score order:
* Piccolo (often played by the second or third flute)
* Cor anglais (often played by an oboist but commonly by a specialist cor anglais player)
* E-flat clarinet (usually played by a clarinet player)
* Bass clarinet (often played by a clarinet player but commonly by a specialist bass clarinet player)
* Contrabassoon (usually played by a bassoon player)
Less commonly used, in typical score order, are:
* Alto flute (usually played by a flute player)
* Bass flute (usually played by a flute player)
* Oboe d'amore (usually played by an oboist)
* Bass oboe
The bass oboe or baritone oboe is a double reed instrument in the woodwind family. It is essentially twice the size of a regular (soprano) oboe so it sounds an octave lower; it has a deep, full tone somewhat akin to that of its higher-pitched c ...
or Heckelphone
The heckelphone (german: Heckelphon) is a musical instrument invented by Wilhelm Heckel and his sons. The idea to create the instrument was initiated by Richard Wagner, who suggested it at the occasion of a visit of Wilhelm Heckel in 1879. In ...
(often played by an oboist but sometimes by a bassoonist)
* Basset horn (usually played by a clarinet player)
* Contrabass clarinet
The contrabass clarinet (also pedal clarinet, after the pedals of pipe organs) and contra-alto clarinet are the two largest members of the clarinet family that are in common usage. Modern contrabass clarinets are transposing instruments pitc ...
(usually played by a clarinet player)
* Soprano, Alto, Tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
or Baritone saxophones (sometimes played by a clarinet player, but more often by a dedicated soloist)
Concert band
The woodwind section of the concert band is generally much larger than the woodwind section of the orchestra. Also, the concert band generally has a larger variety of woodwind instruments than the orchestra.
The woodwind section of the concert band commonly contains, in normal score order:
* Piccolo(s)
* Flutes
*Oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s
* Bassoons
* B♭ clarinets
* Bass clarinet(s)
* Alto saxophones
*Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...
(s)
* Baritone saxophone(s)
Other woodwinds that are used in the concert band, but not as frequently as the ones listed above, in normal score order:
* Cor anglais (usually played by an oboist)
* Contrabassoon (usually played by a bassoonist)
*E♭ clarinet
The E-flat (E) clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, smaller than the more common B clarinet and pitched a perfect fourth higher. It is typically considered the sopranino or piccolo member of the clarinet family and is a transposing inst ...
(usually played by a B♭ clarinetist)
* Alto clarinet or basset horn (usually played by a B♭or bass clarinetist)
*Contra-alto clarinet
The contra-alto clarinet, E♭ contrabass clarinet, is a large clarinet pitched a perfect fifth below the B♭ bass clarinet. It is a transposing instrument in E♭ sounding an octave and a major sixth below its written pitch, between the b ...
or contrabass clarinet
The contrabass clarinet (also pedal clarinet, after the pedals of pipe organs) and contra-alto clarinet are the two largest members of the clarinet family that are in common usage. Modern contrabass clarinets are transposing instruments pitc ...
(usually played by a bass clarinetist)
* Soprano saxophone (usually played by the principal alto saxophonist)
Woodwinds that are sometimes, but very rarely, used in the concert band:
* Alto and bass flutes
*Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is one of the lowest-pitched members of the saxophone family—larger and lower than the more common baritone saxophone. It was likely the first type of saxophone built by Adolphe Sax, as first observed by Berlioz in 1842. It ...
Woodwind choir
A woodwind choir, also called woodwind orchestra, or woodwind ensemble is a performing ensemble consisting exclusively of members of the woodwind
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...
family of instruments. It typically includes flutes, oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s, clarinets, bassoons and saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
s, all of varying sizes. The woodwind orchestra has a small repertoire of original music written especially for the ensemble and arrangements of orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
l compositions, light music, and popular tunes.
History of the woodwind choir
Civic wind groups in the United Kingdom can be traced back to medieval times. The father of English literature Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in his poem House of Fame:
"Then I saw standing behind them, far away and all by themselves, many scores of thousands, who made loud minstrelsy with bagpipes and shawms and many other kinds of pipes, and skilfully played both them of clear and them of reedy sound, such as be played at feasts with the roast-meat, and many a flute and lilting-horn and pipes make of green stalks, such as these little shepherd-lads have who watch over beasts in the broom."
Wind music flourished in the courts of Europe. Henry VIII celebrated his coronation in 1509, which included three days of entertainment, with performances from several wind groups. In 1749 Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks
The ''Music for the Royal Fireworks'' ( HWV 351) is a suite in D major for wind instruments composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 under contract of George II of Great Britain for the fireworks in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. The ...
was performed as a piece for winds after King George II ordered Handel to remove the string parts.
Harmoniemusik played an equally important role in the eighteenth century for open-air and important social occasions. Together with the string quartet, the ensemble and genre most typifies the Classical era
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
. In 1782, Joseph II
Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
, Holy Roman Emperor, founded his Imperial Wind Ensemble in Vienna. Harmoniemusik had an important influence on the development of the symphony orchestra. Mozart and Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
became more daring in the way they wrote for the wind sections in their symphonic works. Anton Reicha
Anton (Antonín, Antoine) Joseph Reicha (Rejcha) (26 February 1770 – 28 May 1836) was a Czech-born, Bavarian-educated, later naturalized French composer and music theorist. A contemporary and lifelong friend of Beethoven, he is now best rem ...
and Franz Danzi
Franz Ignaz Danzi (15 June 1763 – 13 April 1826) was a German cellist, composer and conductor, the son of the Italian cellist Innocenz Danzi (1730–1798) and brother of the noted singer Franzeska Danzi. Danzi lived at a significant time in t ...
were two pioneering composers of the wind quintet
A wind quintet, also known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players (most commonly flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon).
Unlike the string quartet (of 4 string instruments) with its homogeneous blend of sound color, the in ...
but by the end of the nineteenth century, interest in this ensemble began to fade.
It was around this time that the concert band became an important vehicle for composers to advertise their operas and orchestral works. Rossini, Liszt
Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
and Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
appointed bandmasters to arrange their works to be performed to the masses at bandstand events. Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
, Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
and Grainger began writing original works for the concert band at the turn of the twentieth century. These works were the seeds which grew into the now extensive body of repertoire which exists for the medium. Further into the twentieth century came a renewed interest in the wind quintet. Many leading contemporary composers have produced wind quintets which have become standard chamber repertoire.
Much has been done to promote wind music through organisations, institutions, music retailers and passionate individuals but this would fall largely into the concert band genre. Indeed it is the development of the concert band which procured an environment whereby music for the woodwind section was required.
Original music for woodwind choir
* Ernest Bloch (1880–1959) ''Prelude and March'' (for woodwind choir)
*Alan Bullard
Alan Bullard (born 4 August 1947) is a British composer, known mainly for his choral and educational music. His compositions are regularly performed and broadcast worldwide, and they appear on a number of CDs.
Early career and education
He was ...
(born 1947) ''Journey Through Time'' (2010)
* Gary Carpenter ''Pantomime'' (2005)
*Martin Ellerby
Martin Ellerby (1957, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England) is an English composer. He was educated at the Royal College of Music, London, where he was taught by Joseph Horovitz.
His catalogue features works for orchestra, chorus, concert band, br ...
(born 1957) ''Sinfonia Aqua'' (2015)
*Adam Gorb (born 1958) ''Battle Symphony'', Op.26 (1997)
*Adam Gorb (born 1958) Suite for Winds (1995)
*Patrick Glenn Harper (born 1977) ''Excursion for Woodwind Ensemble'' (2006), ''Three Sketches for Woodwind Ensemble'' (2016)
*Christopher Hussey (born 1974) ''Dreamtide'' (2012)
*Christopher Hussey (born 1974) ''Twisted Skyscape'' (2008)
*Shea Lolin (born 1983) ''Lux Aeterna'' (2014)
*Hamilton G. McLean ''Promenade for Woodwind Choir''
*Philip Sparke
Philip Allen Sparke (born 29 December 1951) is an English composer and musician born in London, noted for his concert band and Brass band (British style), brass band music.
His early major works include ''The Land of the Long White Cloud – " ...
(born 1951) Overture for Woodwinds (1999)
*Josef Tal
Josef Tal ( he, יוסף טל; September 18, 1910 – August 25, 2008) was an Israeli composer. He wrote three Hebrew operas; four German operas, dramatic scenes; six symphonies; 13 concerti; chamber music, including three string quartets; ins ...
(1910-2008) ''Wind Quintet'' (1966)
*Jeffery Wilson (born 1957) ''Postcards: Play, Sing, Dance'' (2012)
*Ruth Young ''The Zoo Keeper'' (2006)
''Twisted Skyscape'', a recording of a woodwind choir, was made with the Czech Philharmonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by Shea Lolin in 2014.
See also
* String section
* Percussion section
The percussion section is one of the main divisions of the orchestra and the concert band. It includes most percussion instruments and all unpitched instruments.
The percussion section is itself divided into three subsections:
* Pitched percus ...
* Brass section
The brass section of the orchestra, concert band, and jazz ensemble consist of brass instruments, and is one of the main sections in all three ensembles. The British-style brass band contains only brass and percussion instruments.
They contain ...
* Keyboard section
The keyboard section of an orchestra or concert band includes keyboard instruments. Keyboard instruments are not usually a standard member of a 2010-era orchestra or concert band, but they are included occasionally. In orchestras from the 1600s to ...
References
{{Orchestra
Sections of the orchestra
Sections of the concert band
Woodwind instruments