BEATLES IN CONCERT for Woodwind Quintet

BEATLES IN CONCERT Woodwind Quintet: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb, Horn in F and Bassoon - Arrangement by Everardo García

The Beatles were a British rock band formed in Liverpool during the 1960s. They are considered one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century. Worldwide, they challenged paradigms and stereotypes, addressing all the sociocultural issues of the time. From 1962 until their dissolution in 1970, the Beatles comprised John Lennon (1940–1980), Paul McCartney (1942–), George Harrison (1943–2001), and Ringo Starr (1940–).

They are considered the most important band of the 1960s countercultural movement and in the history of music. Rooted in 1950s skiffle, beat music, and rock and roll, their sound often incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop, among others, in innovative ways in their songs. The band would later work with a wide range of musical styles, from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting, and artistic presentation, the nature of their enormous popularity, which had first emerged with the “Beatlemania” trend, transformed as their songwriting grew more sophisticated, revolutionizing various aspects of the music industry and becoming perceived as the embodiment of the progressive ideals of the era’s youth and its social and cultural movements.

Led by the Lennon-McCartney duo, they would build their reputation in the Liverpool and Hamburg underground scenes over a three-year period beginning in 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe on bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958 as part of The Quarry Men, would play alongside multiple drummers (including Pete Best) before asking Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr, to join them in 1962. Established as a professional group after being offered management by Brian Epstein, and with their musical potential enhanced by the creativity of producer George Martin, they would achieve commercial success in the United Kingdom in late 1962 with their first single, “Love Me Do”. From there, they would acquire international popularity over the following years, during which they would do an extensive number of tours until 1966, the year in which they ceased live activity to dedicate themselves solely to recording in the studio until their official dissolution in 1970