Schubert’s expansive Octet in F major is paired with Howard Ferguson’s rarely heard 1933 Octet in an evening of rich chamber music.

Schubert’s Octet in F major, D.803, composed in 1824, is one of the great chamber works of the early Romantic period. Written for clarinet, horn, bassoon, two violins, viola, cello and double bass, it was commissioned by the clarinettist Ferdinand Troyer and modelled partly on Beethoven’s celebrated Septet. Yet Schubert created something much more expansive and personal. Its six movements combine the intimacy of chamber music with the breadth of a symphonic work. The serene Adagio and lively scherzo reveal his extraordinary gift for transforming simple melodies into music of remarkable emotional richness. Beneath the work’s genial surface lies a characteristic Schubertian melancholy: a sense that joy and transience are never far apart.

Written in 1933, Howard Ferguson’s Octet is a concise, finely crafted work for the same unusual combination of instruments as Schubert’s. Its four movements combine lyrical writing, rhythmic vitality and Ferguson’s distinctive harmonic language. Though rarely heard today, it is a substantial contribution to the chamber repertoire.

Programme

Ferguson: Octet

Schubert: Octet in F major, D.803

Description supplied by the event organiser.