Orchestral Crossover
Before what we think of as a modern wind band came into existence, wind players found the orchestra to be a suitable outlet for musical expression. Many composers took advantage of the different colors and capacities of wind players and wrote pieces of music that showcased these abilities. Composers such as Berlioz, Wagner, Holst, and Stravinsky all were key in the advancement of winds.
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) contributed greatly to the advancement of winds in the orchestra, which inevitably advanced the growth of wind bands. Wagner utilized brass in new ways, even prompting the development of new instruments such as the tenor tubas ("Wagner tubas") and the slide contrabass trombone. One of his greatest contributions to the repertoire was his Trauermusik, composed in 1844 for winds.
Other orchestral composers who began to widen their sights towards wind players included Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), whose Treatise on Instrumentation (1844) proved to be the most “informative history" that has been found regarding wind instruments prior to its publication.
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) in his early ballets L'Oiseau de feu (1910); Petrushka (1911); Le Sacre du printemps (1913) utilized extra-large wind sections. After the first World War, Stravinsky abandoned such huge orchestral writing and focused on smaller groups for a time, including wind groups. His work Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1920) for orchestral-sized wind section is considered one of the most important 20th century compositions written for wind instruments, and his two later works for jazz band Preludium for Jazz Band (1936/37) and Ebony Concerto for clarinet and jazz band (1945 - written for band leader Woody Herman) also have importance.
Read more about this topic: History Of Wind Band