I listened with great pleasure today (10/03/2019) to the Octet by Franz Schubert. It was so wonderful that it put me to sleep. I woke up with the telephone ringing.. that was a disturbance, and totally not Schubert, nor a musical experience…
Schubert wrote his Octet in 1824, the same year as the A-minor “Rosamunde” and D- minor “Death and the Maiden” quartets. They were followed in 1826 by the G-major quartet; in 1827 by his two piano trios; and in his last year, 1828, by the amazing C- major two-cello quintet.
This creativity in writing instrumental music was born of frustration: ‘…I have composed two operas to no purpose whatever. I have done very little new in the way of songs; but to make amends, I have made several attempts in instrumental things, for I have composed two Quartets, beside an Octet…’.
Writing the Octet completely absorbed him; one of his friends wrote to another in March 1824 ‘He has now long been at work on an Octet with the greatest zeal…’
For me, this is music of the angels, or perhaps music OF angels!
Here are a group of friends led by violinist Janine Jansen, showing us what this music is all about:
