The Octet in F major is the largest of Schubert’s chamber works in instrumentation and duration. He composed it in March 1824 at the same time as he was writing the string quartets Rosamunde D 804 and Death and the Maiden D 810. Like so much of the composer’s music the work was not published during his lifetime—indeed, not until 1889 thanks to the advocacy of Johannes Brahms.
The Octet was commissioned by the clarinettist Ferdinand Troyer who requested a work similar to Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat Major Op 20 of 1800. The resultant Octet admirably satisified Troyer’s commission with Schubert following Beethoven’s model of presenting the work in six movements, scored for a string quartet, double bass, clarinet, horn, and bassoon – similar to the Beethoven Septet with an additional violin.
Here is Janine Jansen as she leads her friends in this wonderful music:
