For Patreon Members in Creative Circle and Master Listener Tiers

Unlike the strings, the woodwinds in the orchestra are a variable ensemble. Early classical symphonies use any combination of flutes, oboes, or bassoons. The addition of clarinets in Mozart's time completed the quartet of woodwinds. Then came the auxiliaries. Piccolo and contrabassoon with Beethoven. Alto flute, the English horn, the E flat clarinet, the bass clarinet, and even the saxophone in the Romantic era. And occasionally more exotic woodwinds: bass flute, basset horn, contrabass clarinet, etc. Woodwinds provide essential sound color in the orchestra. But that is not their only contribution by far. We will listen to examples from the Classical Era up to our time to better understand the many dimensions of woodwinds.