View source for Septet

{{Short description|Musical group that consists of seven people}}
{{otheruses}}
[[File:Musical septet with intruments and trophy (21865307578).jpg|Group portrait of septet of jazz musicians with instruments and trophy, ca. 1920|thumb|300x300px]]
A '''septet''' is a formation containing exactly seven members. It is commonly associated with musical groups but can be applied to any situation where seven similar or related objects are considered a single unit, such as a seven-line stanza of poetry. 
== Classical and romantic period ==
One of the most famous classical septets is [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s [[Septet (Beethoven)|Septet in E{{music|flat}} major]], Op. 20, composed around 1799–1800, for [[soprano clarinet|clarinet]], [[bassoon]], [[French horn|horn]], [[violin]], [[viola]], [[cello]], and [[double bass]].<ref>[https://imslp.org/wiki/Septet_in_E-flat_major,_Op.20_(Beethoven,_Ludwig_van) Septet in E-flat major, Op.20 (Beethoven, Ludwig van)] ''imslp.org'', accessed 5 October 2020</ref> The popularity of Beethoven's septet made its combination of instruments a standard for subsequent composers, including [[Conradin Kreutzer]] (Op. 62, 1822), [[Franz Berwald]], and [[Adolphe Blanc]] (Op. 40, ca. 1864),<ref>[https://imslp.org/index.php?title=Category:For_clarinet%2C_bassoon%2C_horn%2C_violin%2C_viola%2C_cello%2C_double_bass&transclude=Template:Catintro Category:For clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass] ''imslp.org'', accessed 5 October 2020</ref> and, with small changes in the instrumentation, [[Franz Lachner]] (1824; violin, viola, violoncello, contrabass, flute, clarinet, horn),<ref>See: [https://rism.online/sources/456081794 D-Mbs Mus.ms. 5792] & [https://rism.online/sources/456081795 D-Mbs Mus.ms. 5793] ''RISM Online'', and Beyer's {{OCLC|19557729}} completion published in 1988 (perhaps in 1967 and reprinted - unclear).</ref> and [[Max Bruch]] (1849; No Opus; Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, two Violins, Cello and Contrabass). When [[Franz Schubert]] added a second violin in 1824 for his [[Octet (Schubert)|Octet]], he created a standard octet that influenced many other subsequent composers <small>{{harv|Kube|2001}}</small>. [[Camille Saint-Saëns]]'s [[Septet (Saint-Saëns)|Septet in E{{music|flat}} major]], Op. 65 (1881) is for [[trumpet]], [[piano]], [[string quartet]], and double bass.<ref>[https://imslp.org/wiki/Septet%2C_Op.65_(Saint-Sa%C3%ABns%2C_Camille) Septet, Op.65 (Saint-Saëns, Camille)] ''imslp.org'', accessed 5 October 2020</ref> The English composer [[Percy Hilder Miles]] composed his "Jupiter" Septet in Eb (1897) for the same forces as the Beethoven.

== 20th century ==
{{Refimprove-section|date=October 2020}}
The [[20th-century classical music|modern composer]] [[Bohuslav Martinů]] wrote three septets: a group of six dances called ''Les Rondes'' for [[oboe]], clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, two violins, and piano (1930); a piece called Serenade No. 3 for oboe, clarinet, four violins, and cello (1932); and ''Fantasie'' for [[theremin]], oboe, piano, and string quartet (1944). [[Darius Milhaud]] composed a string septet in 1964 for [[string sextet]] and double bass. [[Paul Hindemith]] composed a wind septet in 1948 for [[flute]], oboe, clarinet, [[bass clarinet]], bassoon, horn, and trumpet. [[Hanns Eisler]] composed two septets, both scored for flute, clarinet, bassoon, and string quartet: Septet No. 1 Op.&nbsp;92a ("Variations on American Children's Songs") (1941), and Septet No. 2 ("Circus") (1947), after Chaplin’s 1928 movie ''[[The Circus (1928 film)|The Circus]]''. Two component works in the series of ''[[Chôros]]'' by the Brazilian composer [[Heitor Villa-Lobos]] are scored for seven instruments: [[Chôros No. 3|No. 3]] (1925), subtitled "Pica-páo" (Woodpecker), is for clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, 3 horns, and trombone (or for male chorus, or for both together), and [[Chôros No. 7|No. 7]] (1924), actually subtitled "Septet", is for flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, violin, and cello (with tam-tam ad lib.).

There are some 20th-century works for seven instruments for which it is difficult to be certain that the term "septet" should be extended, if they are not obviously [[chamber music]] and may have titles pointing in other directions. Examples include [[Maurice Ravel]]'s ''[[Introduction and Allegro (Ravel)|Introduction and Allegro]]'' (1905), [[Rudi Stephan]]'s ''Music for Seven String Instruments'' (1911), [[Leoš Janáček]]'s [[Concertino (Janáček)|Concertino]] (1925), [[Arnold Schoenberg]]'s Suite, Op. 29 (1925–26),<ref>{{cite web |title=Arnold Schönberg - Biographie |url=https://eas.schoenbergmusic.com/fr/arnold-schoenberg-biography/ |website=eas.schoenbergmusic.com |access-date=15 March 2025}}</ref> [[Isang Yun]]'s ''Music for Seven Instruments'' (1959), [[Aribert Reimann]]'s ''Reflexionen'' (1966),<ref>{{cite web |title=Reflexionen |url=https://www.schott-music.com/en/reflexionen-no155086.html |website=www.schott-music.com |access-date=15 March 2025 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Dieter Schnebel]]'s ''In motu proprio'' canon for seven instruments of the same kind (1975) {{harv|Kube|2001}}. [[John Adams (composer)|John Adams]] wrote his string septet, ''[[Shaker Loops]]'', in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shaker Loops  for string septet |url=https://www.earbox.com/shaker-loops/ |website=www.earbox.com |access-date=15 March 2025}}</ref>

[[Jehan Alain]] composed the ''[[Messe modale en septuor]]'' in 1938 for seven parts, soprano, alto, flute and string quartet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Messe modale en septuor (Alain, Jehan) - IMSLP |url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Messe_modale_en_septuor_(Alain,_Jehan) |website=imslp.org |access-date=15 March 2025}}</ref>

== Popular music ==
[[BTS]], one of the most popular [[K-pop]] groups from [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]] is an example of a septet.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-02 |title=BTS: South Korea's history-making K-pop septet |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200902-bts-south-korea-s-history-making-k-pop-septet |access-date=2023-09-14 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Kube|2001}}|reference=Kube, Michael. 2001. "Septet". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by [[Stanley Sadie]] and [[John Tyrrell (musicologist)|John Tyrrell]]. London: Macmillan Publishers.}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}

{{Musical ensembles}}
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[[Category:Compositions for septet| ]]
[[Category:Chamber music]]
[[Category:Types of musical groups]]
[[Category:Septets| ]]
[[Category:Musical groups by numbers|7]]