Topic: Chamber music : Unusual ensembles

[Opus106]

Boccherini wrote numerous string quintets scored for two cellos.

Yes, I'm aware of those. And of course, the grander conception for the ensemble by Schubert.

Now, I just searched the forum for "two cellos." While I did not find post I was looking for, I did run into older ones which mention Arensky's string quartet employing two cellos. (No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35.)

[listener]

just bought Olympia OCD 710 containing L.Bernstein's Variations on an Octatonic Scale for recorder and cello

[glindhot]

Holst:quintet for piano, oboe,clarinet, horn and faggot.

Mozart: quintet for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn and faggot
Beethoven: quintet for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn and faggot
Rimsky Korsakoff: quintet for piano, flute, clarinet, horn and faggot

[Opus106]

check out Stockhausen's chamber/ensemble pieces...
http://www.stockhausen.org/Ensemble_works_Stockhausen.pdf

But none of that is music!

*Runs away*

[karlhenning]

You're trying to suggest that a piece for two harps is an unusual ensemble, is that it?

[Franco]

I wish Stockhausen had not gotten into electronic music and had written more music for conventional ensembles and instruments. 

[Franco]

What a moronic statement, but coming from you it's not surprising tho.

LOL

Nor is your response surprising.

[Ten thumbs]

If you don't know these, you should;
Bonis: Op 72 Septuor-Fantaisie ou Concerto for piano, two flutes and string quartet
                    Op 123 Scènes de la Forêt for piano, flute and horn (also arranged for harp, flute             and cello.)

[snyprrr]

In one of Chavez's songs, the singer is accompanied by a 'string quartet' which consists of flute, clarinet, viola, bassoon.

Xenakis- N'Shima, for 2 peasant voices, 2horns, 2tbones, cello



Here's my choice:

piccolo
trumpet
percussion/piano/harp/harpsichord/guitar/mandolin ( )
viola,... or, a santur (double  ),... or, is that a sambar?? haha
tuba

ALL STRANGE ENSEMBLES MUST HAVE A TUBA OR PICCOLO!!!

Soprano and doublebass, or flute and doublebass, is very popular (Dusapin, Dillon)



I hate things like, mmm,...violin and woodblock.

I HATE THE WOODBLOCK!!

[snyprrr]

Scelsi.

[abidoful]

I'm surprised that this one has been overllooked;
Claude Debussy (!) - Sonate pour flute, alto et harpe (1916)
    >

[Popov]

Vladimir Shcherbachov's strikingly beautiful 1919 Nonet is scored for soprano (without text), flute, harp, piano, string quartet - and mime!

So if you listen to a recording it's actually an Octet

[jochanaan]

Gould was a genius,one of the greatest musicians and musical thinkers of the last century ...

That may be, but he was a notorious misanthrope towards composers other than his beloved Bach.

I prefer Stravinsky's saying about Mozart: "Too easy for amateurs, too hard for professionals."

[Maestro267]

The Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote for some unusual chamber ensembles. For example, in the Choros series we have:

No. 3 for clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, 3 horns and trombone.
No. 4 for 3 horns and trombone
No. 7 for flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, violin, cello and an offstage tam-tam

Sexteto mistico, for flute, oboe, saxophone, harp, celesta and guitar

[Biffo]

Janacek wrote three chamber works for unusual combinations -

Mladi (Youth) - for the conventional wind quintet of flute, oboe, clarinet and horn plus a bass clarinet
Concertino - for piano, clarinet, bassoon, horn, two violins and viola
Capriccio - for piano (left hand), flute/piccolo, two trumpets, three trombones and tenor tuba - this is verging on the orchestral but still small enough to be considered chamber

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

While we are in the thread necropolis 

I'm surprised that this one has been [overlooked];
Claude Debussy (!) - Sonate pour flute, alto et harpe (1916)

But, its greatness has meant that many pieces have since employed that trio.

Why, I have written one, myself . . . .

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Two unusual ensembles of mine own:

Out in the Sun, Op.88 for two clarinets (cl 2 = bass cl), saxophone quartet (sop, alto, ten, bar), three trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass) and tuba

And, lo!  What should I discover by seeming chance this morning, but that the piece has been played again just this year!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/YdtFnpuugPc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/YdtFnpuugPc</a>

And:  In the Artist’s Studio (There’s a wide world in there), Op.107 for E^b sopranino clarinet, 3 oboes, alto flute, Cor anglais, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, 4 horns, three trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass), tuba & harp.

[Cato]

Two unusual ensembles of mine own:

Out in the Sun, Op.88 for two clarinets (cl 2 = bass cl), saxophone quartet (sop, alto, ten, bar), three trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass) and tuba

And:  In the Artist’s Studio (There’s a wide world in there), Op.107 for E^b sopranino clarinet, 3 oboes, alto flute, Cor anglais, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, 4 horns, three trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass), tuba & harp.

Amen!   

In the Artist's Studio is another all-around fave!  Maybe our Ann Arbor supporters can give that a test drive!

[Mirror Image]

One of my favorites from an unusual ensemble: Martinů’s Musique de Chambre No. 1, for clarinet, violin, viola, cello, harp and piano, H. 376. I wouldn’t say this is an unusual ensemble per se, but the clarinet added into the string-laden texture of the music is quite interesting plus the percussiveness of the piano part.

[Capeditiea]

...being a composer that already has strange instrumentation... (one of which is Organ, Harpsichord, Piano, Vibraphone, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)

i have a hard time seeing many strange works.

...*thinks,
...
...