Klarinet Archive - Posting 000048.txt from 2010/03

From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: Coincidence??? [kl]
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:02:09 -0400

David Whitwell, formerly of Cal State Northridge, brought some interesting
information to my attention:

1] The most important wind ensemble in the court of Louis XIV (1638 - 1715)
was the Les Grands Hautbois and it consisted of 12 players.

[2] When this idea of an oboe band spread to Germany, beginning c. 1690,
the ensembles were all 12 players

[3] The original of the Handel Fireworks music was for 12 players, 11 winds
and timpani

[4] Mozart's gran Partitta is scored for 12 winds and string bass

Was Mozart following some tradition in picking the size of the gran Partitta
and not just some larger Harmoniemusik?

And is there any logic for the number 12? Perhaps. One of the German oboe
bands called themselves, "the Apostles."

Dan Leeson
dnleeson@-----.net