Divertimento K. 138 / 125c

Mozart's Divertimento in D major, K. 138/125c, arranged for the exact instrumentation of Schubert's Octet — 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. You get eight good players in a room to do the Schubert Octet, and then you look for what else they can play together — and there's nothing. The repertoire for that exact combination is essentially one piece. So the Schubert becomes half a program, and the other half is a scramble: a string quartet while three players sit out, a wind trio while five do, something padded to fill the time. This arrangement is the second piece. Same instrumentation, no substitutions, no one waiting backstage — which means the ensemble you assembled can carry an entire concert as one ensemble. The string parts are unchanged from Mozart's original. The added wind parts aim at Mozart's own inventiveness and humor while staying inside the language of the period.

• •PDF includes the full score and all seven instrumental parts, ready to play

Instruments: Violin · Viola · Cello · Double Bass · Clarinet · Bassoon · French Horn · Professional level

Perfect for octet ensembles built around the Schubert Octet, looking for a genuine second piece to pair it with, not a reduced-lineup substitute.