top of page

Double wind quintet repertoire | Double Wind quintet music | Double woodwind ensemble music | Wind ensemble scores | Double woodwind quintet pieces | Wind chamber music | Double wind quintet compositions | Woodwind ensemble repertoire  | Wind decet | Decet chamber winds music | Chamber winds repertoire | Decet wind ensemble pieces | Chamber winds sheet music

DOUBLE WIND QUINTET MUSIC

TETRIS

for double wind quintet (decet)

Duration:

18 minutes
 

Instrumentation:   

2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets,
2 horns, 2 bassoons

Year Composed:  

2009
 

Written For:            
The Hindemith Quintet

Commissioned By:

Hochschule für Musik, Mainz, with kind support from the Annie Eisler Lehmenn Stiftung

Premiere Performance:

6 September 2011
Mainz, Germany
Hindemith-Quintet and students from the Hochschule für Musik

Movements:

1. Keep moving 
2. Gutter People
3. Getting busy
4. Keeping busy

double wind quintet

DOUBLE WIND QUINTET

THEMES:

NEW YORK
PACE

Program Notes:

Tetris — for double wind quintet, was written during the fall of 2009 in New York City. The city, with its fast pace of life, neurotic flow, continuous stream of people, traffic, and information, serves as the inspiration for this piece. Watching from the sidelines, the fast-moving people appeared to me like robots controlled by an above force, mechanically moving from one place to another, fighting against the clock, against the part of the brain that says – “Relax!” and against each other. Surviving amidst a jungle of brick walls and tall buildings. It seemed to me that people could not enjoy a full basic inhale-exhale process. Good breathing consumes too much time.

People were constantly looking for ways to juggle between many things at the same time. They seemed to me like Tetris players who try to match the bricks to a certain pattern, constantly in demand to increase speed. Though to the stranger, this pace of life looks fascinating and exciting, I felt that deep inside things look a bit different, quite tragic.

The piece consists of four connected sections: Keep moving, Gutter People, Getting busy, and Keeping busy. The first and fourth movements refer to the continuous, breathless pace of life. Restless people are the subject of the third movement, a short satire. The second movement is inspired by the thousands of people who spend all their lives in the cellar of a restaurant or shop after immigrating from far away, only to serve the ever-hurrying people above them.

Tetris was written for the Hindemith Woodwind Quintet. It was commissioned by the Hochschule für Musik, Mainz with kind support from the Annie Eisler Lehmann Stiftung.

LISTEN
VIDEO

"Tetris" for double wind quintet Videos

TETRIS - for double wind quintet
performed by the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble under the direction of Charles Peltz. 

NEC Wind Ensemble: "Tetris" by Lior Navok

NEC Wind Ensemble: "Tetris" by Lior Navok

Play Video
Score-Video

TETRIS - Score Video 

VIEW SCORE

Score of Tetris for double wind quintet

Selected Works for Double Wind Quintet (Wind Decet)

1. George Enescu – Decet, Op. 14 (1906)
Scored for 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, and 2 horns, this richly textured piece blends classical serenade traditions with Romantic lyricism and contrapuntal complexity.

 

2. Darius Milhaud – Dixtuor d'instruments à vent, Op. 75 (1921)
This colorful, polytonal work uses an expanded decet instrumentation including piccolo and bass clarinet. It reflects Milhaud's flair for rhythmic inventiveness and harmonic layering.

 

3. Florent Schmitt – Lied et Scherzo, Op. 54 (1910)
Composed for a double wind quintet with a featured horn soloist, this work is admired for its lush harmonies, evocative moods, and seamless interplay among the instruments.

 

4. Gunther Schuller – Double Quintet (1961)
Bringing together a woodwind and a brass quintet, Schuller explores the contrasts and synergies between the two timbral families in a bold and modernist structure.

 

5. Malcolm Arnold – Trevelyan Suite, Op. 96 (1967)
Originally written for an educational project, this approachable and spirited suite highlights Arnold’s melodic gifts and his knack for engaging ensemble writing.

 

6. Anna Clyne – Overflow (2020)
A recent and atmospheric piece for standard double wind quintet, Overflow uses gradually shifting textures and layered harmonies to create a sense of constant motion and fluidity.

 

7. Tilo Medek – Decet (1993)
Medek’s decet features a wide range of instrumental color, with doublings including piccolo, English horn, bass clarinet, and contrabassoon, offering a dramatic and nuanced soundscape.

 

8. Claude Arrieu – Dixtuor pour instruments à vent (1967)
This witty and neoclassical work combines winds and brass for a bright, clear ensemble sound, emphasizing charm, rhythmic clarity, and elegance.

bottom of page