Brasses

Around mid-eighteenth Century, composers started using wind instruments in their symphonies (before only use strings instruments). The earliest wind instruments in the symphonies were oboe and horn and they usually appear in pairs (i.e. 2 oboes, 2 horns). Since it was still a try-and-error state, composers usually doubling the wind part with the strings. For example, they share the same melody so the oboe may plays exactly the same as the first violin. However, Symphony in E flat major (Them. Index 73) by Franz Xaver Richter (1709-1789) is a surprising one. It was written around 1760 and it was written for 2 oboes,  2 horns and a string orchestra. The composer used the wind instruments differently in this piece. He gave 'solo' moments to them. In the audio here, you could find that there is moments that the string orchestra rest when the wind instruments play. This writing gave a chance for the wind instruments to show their beauty instead of being covered by strings as usual. It also changed the tone color suddenly from loud strings repeated notes to elegant wind chords. In the later part of the movement, the wind instruments also create suspension in their parts, which increases the tension of the phrase. (Due to time limitation, the suspension passage cannot be shown in the audio) The audio presents the beginning of the first movement of the symphony, which is from the fast movement and it is the beginning of the whole symphony. Since the piece have not been recorded by anyone, the audio is produced by Sibelius 7 Sounds Chamber.