String sextet

In classical music, a string sextet is a chamber music ensemble of six string instruments or a composition for this ensemble.

occupation

String sextets are not uncommon in the oeuvre of many classical composers - even if string quartets over the musical epochs (from the Viennese classical period onwards) were by far the most popular type of chamber string ensemble . By far the most common line-up for a sextet is:

two violins
two violas
two cellos

The above list can be used as a standard list as used by composers such as Brahms, Reger or Schönberg.

There are also a large number of other, but in direct comparison to the above cast rather seldom appearing compositions:

4 violins and 2 cellos
3 violins and 3 cellos
3 violins, 2 cellos and 1 double bass
2 violins, 1 viola, 2 cellos and 1 double bass

There are also string sextets, which are composed only of a singular group of instruments: for example 6 cellos or 6 violins.

For more unusually orchestrated string sextets a. the following classical composers are known: Joseph Haydn (1761), Bernhard Romberg (1821), Ferdinand David (1861), Ernst Rudorff (1865), Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow (1876), Arnold Krug (1897), Eduard Behm (1897?), Theodor Streicher (1897?), Hermann Suter (premiered 1917), Hans Werner Henze (1966), Georg Friedrich Haas (1982) and Renate Birnstein (2002).

Sextets, also and above all in the above arrangements, are not only found in classical concert music, but also not infrequently (analogous to the string quartet) in musicals, pop music, and also in film, video games or advertising music.

Works

Here is a selection of string sextets in chronological order. The works of the composers highlighted in bold are considered to be particularly important in terms of music history for this chamber music genre.

1761-1800

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): Echo , Divertimento in E flat major "for two violins and bass, set up in different rooms" (1761, Hob II: 39)
Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805): 6 string sextets op. 23 (written in 1776, printed ≈1780)
Anton Wranitzky (1761–1820): 6 string sextets
Ignaz Josef Pleyel : String Sextet in F major (B.261) (1780?)

1801-1850

Bernhard Romberg (1767–1841): String sextet in F minor op. 35 ( Elégie sur la mort d'un objet chéri 1821 [?], For solo cello, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass)
Mihály Mosonyi (1815–1870): String sextet in C minor (1844?)
Louis Spohr (1784-1859): String sextet in C major op. 140 (1848, "at the time of the glorious popular revolution to rediscover freedom, unity and greatness in Germany")
Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński (1807–1867): String Sextet in E flat major op. 39 (1849)
Per August Ölander (1824–1886): String sextet in A major (≈1850)

1851-1900

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): String Sextets in B flat major op. 18 (1859/60), G major op. 36 (1864/65)

Alexander Borodin (1833–1887): String sextet in D minor (1860/61)

Ferdinand David (1810–1873): String sextet in G major op. 38 (1861, for 3 violins, viola and 2 cellos)

Niels Wilhelm Gade (1817–1890): String sextet in E flat major op.44 (1865)

Ernst Rudorff (1840–1916): String sextet in A major op. 5 (1865, for 3 violins, viola and 2 cellos)

Joachim Raff (1822–1882): String Sextet in G minor, Op. 178 (1873)

Heinrich Hofmann (1842–1902): String Sextet in E minor, Op. 25 (~ 1875)

Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow (1844–1908): String sextet in A major (1876, for 3 violins, viola and 2 cellos)

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904): String Sextet in A major op. 48 (1878)

Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894): String Sextet in D major op. 97 (1878)

Nicolai von Wilm (1834–1911): String Sextet in B flat minor, Op. 27 (1882)

Eduard Franck (1817–1893): String sextets in E flat major op. 41 (printed 1882), D major op. 50 (printed 1894)

August Klughardt (1847–1902): String Sextet in C sharp minor op. 58 (1890)

Peter Tschaikowsky (1840–1893): Souvenir de Florence , String Sextet in D minor, Op. 70 (1890)

Louis Glass (1864–1936): String Sextet in G major op. 15 (1893)

Ernst von Dohnányi (1877–1960): String Sextet in B flat major (1893–96)

Gustav Holst (1874–1934): Scherzo for string sextet (1897)

Arnold Krug (1849–1904): String sextet in D major op. 68 (1897, for 2 violins, viola, violotta , cello and cellone )

Eduard Behm (1862–1946): String sextet (1897 [?], For 2 violins, viola, violotta, violoncello and cellone)

Theodor Streicher (1874–1940): String sextet in F major (1897 [?], For 2 violins, viola, violotta, violoncello and double bass)

Heinrich XXIV. Reuss zu Köstritz (1855–1910): String Sextet in D minor, Op. 12 (1899)

Arnold Schönberg (1874–1951): Transfigured Night , string sextet op. 4 (1899, based on the poem of the same name by Richard Dehmel )

1901-1950

Hakon Børresen (1876–1954): String Sextet in G major op. 5 (1901)
Hans von Koessler (1853–1926): String Sextet in F minor (printed 1902)
Heinrich XXIV. Reuss zu Köstritz (1855–1910): String Sextet in B minor, Op. 17 (1902)
Reinhold Glière (1875–1956): String sextets in C minor op. 1 (1902), B minor op. 7 (1904) and C major op. 11 (1906)
Frank Bridge (1879–1941): String sextet in E flat major (1906/12)
Max Reger (1873-1916): String Sextet in F major op.118 (1910)
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957): String Sextet in D major op. 10 (1914–16)
Hermann Suter (1870–1926): String sextet in C major op.18 (for 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos and double bass; premiered in 1917)
Erwin Schulhoff (1894–1942): String Sextet op. 45 (WV 70, 1920–24, WP 1924;dedicated to Francis Poulenc )
Joseph Holbrooke (1878–1958): String Sextet in D major op.43 (1924)
Egon Kornauth (1891–1959): String Sextet in A minor op.25 (1925)
Vincent d'Indy (1851–1931): String Sextet in B flat major, Op. 92 (1927)
Adolf Busch (1891–1952): String Sextet in G major op. 40 (1928)
Fritz Heinrich Klein (1892–1977): String Sextet op.44 (1932)
Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959): String sextet (1932)
Heinz Pauels (1908–1985): String Sextet in F sharp minor op. 7 (after 1932?)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958): Double Trio, string sextet (1938)
Richard Strauss (1864–1949): Prelude to the opera Capriccio op. 85 (premier 1942); can also be performed as a concert piece

1951-2000

Mauricio Kagel (1931-2008): String sextet (1953/57)

Josef Matthias Hauer (1883–1959): twelve-tone play for string sextet (1958)

Darius Milhaud (1892–1974): String Sextet op. 365 (1958)

Walter Piston (1894–1976): String Sextet (1964)

Hans Werner Henze (1926–2012): The young Törless, Fantasia for string sextet (1966, for 3 violins, 2 violas and cello; based on the music for the film of the same name by Volker Schlöndorff )

Wolfgang von Schweinitz (* 1953): Canon perpetuus II for string sextet, op. 4 (1973); String Sextet op.16 (1978, Hommage à Franz Schubert )

Robert Wittinger (* 1945): Omaggio - Musica in memoria di Bruno Maderna for string sextet, op.26 (premiere 1978)

Bertold Hummel (1925–2002): Adagietto for string sextet op.75d (1978/99)

Gerd Domhardt (1945–1997): string sextet (premiered 1982)

Günther Becker (1924–2007): Parenthesen, studies on pure-tone microintervals for string sextet (1982)

Georg Friedrich Haas (* 1953): string sextet (1982, premiered in 1988; for 3 violas and 3 cellos)

Wolfgang Stendel (* 1943): String Sextet (1982)

Dieter Acker (1940-2006): String Sextet (1983)

Iván Eröd (1936–2019): Serenade for String Sextet Op. 45 (1983)

Rudi Spring (* 1962): String Sextet op.18 (1983/92)

Alexander Mullenbach (* 1949): Three movements for string sextet (1987)

Pēteris Vasks (* 1946): Pavasara Sonata ('Spring Sonata ') for string sextet (1987)

Peter Mieg (1906–1990): Sextuor for string sextet (1989)

Hermann Sulzberger (* 1957): String Sextet op.12 (1987/88, WP 1993)

Rainer Bischof (* 1947): String sextet (1989/90)

Günther Zechberger (* 1951): String sextet (1990)

Wolfram Wagner (* 1962): Five Moments for String Sextet (1991)

Michael Denhoff (* 1955): Two once so one - Beckett Moments, string sextet op.66 (1992)

Max E. Keller (* 1947): dash - dot - dash, string sextet (1992)

Sven-Ingo Koch (* 1974): String sextet (1992)

Kurt Hopstein (1934–2013): Forgotten Gardens, String Sextet (1993)

Jörg Widmann (* 1973): 180 beats per minute for string sextet (1993)

Cristóbal Halffter (* 1930): Endechas para una reina de España for string sextet (1994)

Volker David Kirchner (1942–2020): Gethsemani, Notturno for string sextet (1994); Orphic Singing II for string sextet (1998)

Friedrich Cerha (* 1926): Eight movements based on Hölderlin fragments for string sextet (1995)

Wladimir Pantchev (* 1948): Mantras for string sextet (1995/96)

Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001): Ittidra, string sextet (1996)

Stefan Albert (* 1959): String Sextet (1997)

Joachim FW Schneider (* 1970): Night song for string sextet (1997)

Chaya Czernowin (* 1957): Dam sheon hachol ('The hourglass is still bleeding'), string sextet (1999)

Augusto Valente (* 1959): Six to Midnight, string sextet (1999/2000)

Since 2001

Horst Schiffbauer (* 1937): L'autre, pas d'ici, string sextet (WP 2002)

Renate Birnstein (* 1946): string sextet (2002, for 3 violins, 2 violas and violoncello)

Daniel Andres (* 1937): String Sextet (WP 2003)

Salvatore Sciarrino (* 1947): Cavatina ei gridi for string sextet (2002)

Xaver Paul Thoma (* 1953): String Sextet op.130 (2002/03)

Gerald Futscher (* 1962): die walrus, string sextet (2003)

Rudolf Dreßler (* 1932): Parksaal Seranade for string sextet ( WP 2003)

Salvatore Sciarrino (* 1947): Sestetto (2003)

Stefano Gervasoni (* 1962): string sextet (2004)

Wolfgang Danzmayr (* 1947): For example: Isolde, Streichsextett (2004); Wes' ear hears this musique, string sextet (2008)

Friedrich Radermacher (* 1924): String Sextet (2004)

Manuela Kerer (* 1980): Setting of 7 laws of the Italian Criminal Code for string sextet (WP 2005)

Rolf Urs Ringger (1935–2019): String Sextet (WP 2005)

Tatjana Komarova (* 1968): Forever and ever!?…, String sextet (2005)

Steven Heelein (* 1984): The seven last words of Jesus on the cross, string sextet (2006)

Johannes Kotschy (* 1949): It is enough !, string sextet (2008)

Volker David Kirchner (1942–2020): Wie ein Naturlaut , string sextet (premiere 2008)

Franz Rechsteiner (* 1941): ex nihilo-quo, string sextet (WP 2008)

Selkis Riefling (* 1983): String Sextet ( WP 2009)

There are also many arrangements of well-known works for string sextet.

literature

Michael Wackerbauer: sextet, double quartet and octet. Studies on large-scale chamber music for strings in the 19th century (Regensburger Studien zur Musikgeschichte [1] , Vol. 6), Tutzing 2008, ISBN 978-3-7952-1121-9

Individual evidence

↑ List of Compositions for String Sextet - IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. Retrieved May 26, 2018 (English).
↑ Pupils' Sextet No. 1, Op. 12 (Morris, Trevor M.) - IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. Retrieved May 26, 2018 (English).
^ "Transfigured Night". Sextet for 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 violoncellos op.4. Arnold Schönberg Center, accessed April 1, 2013 .
↑ Short biography of Hermann Suter. Retrieved April 1, 2013 .

[1] List of Compositions for String Sextet - IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. Retrieved May 26, 2018 (English).

[2] Pupils' Sextet No. 1, Op. 12 (Morris, Trevor M.) - IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. Retrieved May 26, 2018 (English).

[3] "Transfigured Night". Sextet for 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 violoncellos op.4. Arnold Schönberg Center, accessed April 1, 2013 .

[4] Short biography of Hermann Suter. Retrieved April 1, 2013 .