C15 Magic Eight

Schubert’s monumental Octet from 1824, sumptuously laid out over six movements, combines five string players with three winds. This is chamber music on a big scale, bringing together the Quatuor Van Kuijk with four prominent Australians.

Igor Stravinsky’s classic Octet for wind instruments (including two bassoons), came to the composer in a dream. As we celebrate its 100th birthday in 2023, the octet is anything but dreamy: it prattles and prances with the best of them.

Between these two classic pillars, a modern masterpiece by Danish composer Per Nørgård is sung by the eight voices of Luminescence Chamber Singers.  Wie ein Kind (Like a Child), conveys innocence and sophistication in settings of poetry by Adolf Wölfli and Rainer Maria Rilke.

Program

Igor Stravinsky, Octet (1923)

Per Nörgard, Wie ein Kind (Like a Child) (1980)

-interval-

Franz Schubert,  Octet (1824)

Artists

Luminescence Chamber Singers

Quatuor Van Kuijk

Sally Walker, flute

Oliver Shermacher, clarinet

Ben Hoadley and Zoey Pepper, bassoon

with members of Golden Gate Brass and Paolo Franks, trombone