Igor Stravinsky: "Octet"
This is easily one of the most important and greatest pieces written for winds. Stravinsky's Octet, written in 1923 and widely regarded as his first truly neoclassical pieces, is written for an odd instrumentation (Fl, Clar, 2 Bsn, 2 Tpt, 2 Tbn) that, according to Stravinsky, appeared to him in a dream. This is a dubious claim at best, but interesting nonetheless. You can find some more specific information on the piece here.
Stravinsky also published an article on the Octet entitled "Some Ideas About My Octuor" in a 1924 issue of the American journal "The Arts". This was Stravinsky's first published writing on his music and his most famous writing regarding interpretation (a curse word for Stravinsky) in his music. When you take all this into consideration, it is hard to deny the Octet's import in 20th century music.
The Octet will be performed on our February concert that will also feature the conductor Matthew Tommasini. It should be a fantastic concert. In the meantime, enjoy the performance of the Stravinsky Octet linked below.