The wind quintet from the orchestra formation used at the court of Joseph II (1741-1790) in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two oboes, two clarinets, two French horns, and two bassoons.
At the time, the influence of the composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was decisive in the writing of compositions for this group, as well as in the evolution in the manufacture of the aforementioned instruments, offering a wider range of possibilities for this formation.
Based on the orchestral formation, it underwent several changes until it reached the current formation: a Flute, an Oboe, a Bassoon, a French horn, and a Clarinet.
The term wind quintet also designates a musical composition written for this formation.
In addition to Haydn, the twenty-four quintets by Anton Reicha (1770-1836) and the nine quintets by Franz Danzi (1763-1826) are references in the genre.
It is worth noting the interest in this formation by 20th-century composers such as Luciano Berio (1925-2003), György Ligeti (1923-2006), among others.
The wind quintet is a standard chamber music group, valued for its versatility and timbre variety.
The Navy Band's Wind Quintet is made up of five wind instrumentalists, and they perform on stage as follows: flute, oboe, French horn, bassoon, and clarinet.
Since its formation, the Navy Band's Wind Quintet has performed on the most diverse occasions, in both military and civil contexts.
Its repertoire covers the period between the 2nd half of the 18th century and the 21st century, including Portuguese popular music.