Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) wrote this sunny OCTET, Op. 103 during his early period, between 1792 and 1793. It was written, as such Harmoniemusik ensembles were at the time, to serve as light entertainment during dinner parties and the like, and it likely found its first performance at the court at Bonn where Beethoven still served. While he composed the music in his youth, it was not published until 1834, hence the high opus number. Beethoven later reworked some of the material in his STRING QUINTET, Op. 4 (1795). Instrumentation: 0.2.2.2: 2.0.0.0. Reprint edition.