Septet

What it means

A septet is a composition for seven performers, or the corresponding ensemble that performs this scoring.

Unlike the string quartet or piano trio, no uniform standard scoring has become established for the septet; the combination of the seven instruments often differs considerably from one work to another.

Musical use

Well-known classical septets such as Beethoven's (for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, and double bass) or Saint-Saëns's often combine strings, winds, and occasionally keyboard instruments into unusual blends of timbre that correspond to neither a purely string nor a purely wind sound.

In jazz, too, the septet is a common ensemble size, offering enough voices for multi-part horn writing without yet reaching the dimensions of a big band.

The septet should be distinguished from the sextet and the octet, the neighboring ensemble sizes with six and eight performers respectively, which differ gradually in fullness of sound and density of texture without any sharp sonic boundary between them.

Performance practice

In a septet, pay particular attention to balance between the different instrument groups, since the unusual scoring often requires more careful mutual coordination than more homogeneous ensembles. Before rehearsing, clarify which voice carries the leading melody in which section, since this changes more often in mixed scorings.