Mendelssohn's String Octet
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Velvety. Spiky. A night of contrasts
Who’s on stage
Musicians from Royal Northern Sinfonia – a chance to hear them up close and personal in the more intimate atmosphere of our smaller venue, Sage Two. In the first half we hear from wind musicians, while in the second half the strings take to the stage.
What they’re playing
We’re got some of classical music’s biggest names on the programme, plus there’s also music from a less well known composer, Grażyna Bacewicz, the ‘first lady’ of Polish music – a trailblazer not just for female composers, but also one of Poland’s best composers, full stop.
Need to Know
Price: £18
Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.
Age: Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
Concert programmes: find out more about the music you’ll hear. Download now.
What you'll hear
Grażyna Bacewicz Wind Kwintet (10’)
Leoš Janáček Mládí (18’)
Richard Strauss Sextet from Capriccio (11’)
Felix Mendelssohn String Octet in E minor (33’)
Who's playing
Maria Włoszczowska director / violin
Eva Aronian violin
Jane Nossek violin
Sarah Roberts violin
Michael Gerrard viola
James Slater viola
Daniel Hammersley cello
Gabriel Waite cello
Helena Gourd flute/piccolo
Michael O’Donnell oboe
Jessica Lee bass clarinet
Peter Francomb horn
Stephen Reay Bassoon
What's happening in the music
There’s a bit of everything in this concert. Wistfulness in Leoš Janáček’s Mladi (youth) as he looks back on his younger years. Richard Strauss’ music is more in your face and doesn’t hold back. It’s sheer musical decadence in this extract from his opera Capriccio. At the start of the concert Bacewicz contrasts scrunchy spiky music with velvety smooth melodies, and we finish with the understated emotion of Felix Mendelssohn.
Hear our friends at the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra’s performance of Mendelssohn’s String Octet earlier this year.
