String octet
A string octet is a piece of music written for eight string instruments, or sometimes the group of eight players. It usually consists of four violins, two violas and two cellos, or four violins, two violas, a cello and a double bass.
Notable string octets
Most frequently performed string octets include:- Felix Mendelssohn – Octet, Op. 20
- Max Bruch – String Octet in B♭ major
- Airat Ichmouratov – Octet for strings in G minor "Letter from an Unknown Woman"
- Luciano Berio – Korót
- Sylvano Bussotti – Poésies à Maldoror
- George Enescu – Octet in C major, Op. 7
- Niels Gade – String Octet in F major, Op. 17
- Reinhold Glière – String Octet in D Major, Op. 5
- Cristóbal Halffter – Fandango
- Gordon Jacob
- * Suite
- * Cello Octet
- Tomás Marco – Miró
- Darius Milhaud – Octet for Strings, Op. 291
- Arvo Pärt
- * Fratres
- * L'abbé Agathon
- * Joachim Raff - String Octet Op. 176
- Osmo Tapio Räihälä – Swarm
- Steve Reich – Cello Counterpoint
- Kaija Saariaho – Neiges
- Gunther Schuller – Hommage a Rayechka
- Peter Sculthorpe – Chorale
- Dmitri Shostakovich – Two Pieces for String Octet
- Giovanni Sollima – Violoncelles, vibrez!
- Louis Spohr – Double Quartets Op. 65, 77, 87, 136
- Johan Svendsen – String Octet in A major, Op. 3