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A string octet is a piece of music written for eight string instruments, or sometimes the group of eight players.[1] It usually consists of four violins, two violas and two cellos, or four violins, two violas, a cello and a double bass.
Notable string octets
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Most frequently performed string octets include:
- Felix Mendelssohn – Octet, Op. 20
- Max Bruch – String Octet in B♭ major (with bass replacing the second cello)
Other string octets include:
- Airat Ichmouratov – Octet for strings in G minor "Letter from an Unknown Woman"
- Luciano Berio – Korót (eight cellos)
- Sylvano Bussotti – Poésies à Maldoror (eight cellos)
- George Enescu – Octet in C major, Op. 7
- Niels Gade – String Octet in F major, Op. 17
- Reinhold Glière – String Octet in D Major, Op. 5
- Cristóbal Halffter – Fandango (eight cellos)
- Gordon Jacob
- Suite (eight violas)
- Cello Octet (eight cellos)
- Tomás Marco – Miró (eight cellos)
- Darius Milhaud – Octet for Strings, Op. 291
- Arvo Pärt
- Fratres (version for eight cellos)
- L'abbé Agathon (eight cellos)
- Joachim Raff - String Octet Op. 176
- Osmo Tapio Räihälä – Swarm
- Steve Reich – Cello Counterpoint (eight cellos)
- Kaija Saariaho – Neiges (eight cellos)
- Gunther Schuller – Hommage a Rayechka (eight cellos)
- Peter Sculthorpe – Chorale (eight cellos)
- Dmitri Shostakovich – Two Pieces for String Octet
- Giovanni Sollima – Violoncelles, vibrez! (eight cellos)
- Louis Spohr – Double Quartets Op. 65, 77, 87, 136
- Johan Svendsen – String Octet in A major, Op. 3
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Riemann, Hugo. Dictionary of Music. Trans. J.A. Shedlock. Augener, 1900. 550.