Rather than an ‘octet’, one is more inclined to call it a concerto for eight soloists, such is the prominence of the various parts as they take turns in the spotlight. Franz Schubert’s Deutsch 803 was written in 1824 in response to a commission from a Viennese aristocrat who played the clarinet, which explains why this instrument stands out from the ensemble on numerous occasions. It so happens, however, that the same is true of the bassoon, the horn and each of the string parts involved. The result is a composition that challenges every single performer, without exception, as well as the listener. It is nearly an hour of music that unfolds to the rhythm of a story being told, or a conversation taking place. It is music in its purest form: at times restless, at times serene, sometimes exhilarating, at other times measured and even elegant, flowing with crystal-clear clarity, crafted by someone who seems never to have been short of ideas.
Octeto de Schubert
Thursday, 8 October, 9.00 pm, Igreja da Boa Hora
Solistas da Metropolitana
F. Schubert Octet in F major, D. 803
Nuno Silva clarinet
Lurdes Carneiro bassoon
Daniel Canas French horn
José Pereira, Nuno Rodrigues violins
Joana Cipriano viola
Nuno Abreu cello
Vladimir Kouznetsov double bass
