Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971)
Octet for Wind

For all his long life, Igor Stravinsky preferred the sound of wind instruments to that of the strings. In most of his finest works the wind and brass predominate e.g. The Rite of Spring, the Symphony of Psalms - while the few works he wrote for strings alone are rarely performed. "Form in my music derives from counterpoint" said Stravinsky, when writing about this Octet specifically: "Wind instruments seem to me more able to give a certain rigidity of the form than other instruments ... the difference of volume of these instruments makes clearer the musical architecture. And this is the most important quality in all my recent compositions." Certainly the use of wind instruments enables a clarity, an accuracy, and a focus on the musical lines which is like a breath of fresh air when compared with the dense textures of Wagner, Strauss and Rachmaninov. The Octet was written in 1922 and 1923, and was first performed at the Paris Opera in October 1923, with Stravinsky directing the players. The style is usually called "neo-classical", a term Stravinsky himself disliked ("a much-abused expression meaning absolutely nothing" he said). The work manages to combine classical forms with jazz and dance rhythms, and a hint of parody of J.S.Bach, to create a work of great precision and wit.

There are three movements. The first has a slow introduction in E-flat, while the main body of the movement is in march time. A more lyrical second tune leads into an unstable middle section, which is ended by the 2nd and 1st subjects in reverse order. The slow movement has a broad melody, in a rather odd 8-note scale, followed by a set of 5 variations. The Finale starts in a bright C major, is characterised by busy "sewing machine" rhythms, and ends with a jazzy, swung coda.