Mendelssohn's Octet
Sparkling strings
Join the string musicians of the Sydney Symphony for a truly sparkling evening of music in the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room.
You can include this concert as part of a 2024 Create Your Own Package and save up to 10%*!
Duration
This concert will conclude at approximately 6:45pm. Latecomers might be admitted during a suitable break in the performance and will be guided to first available seats.
Your Guide to Music
This concert will be hosted by Genevieve Lang, who shall expertly guide your listening experience.
Concert Guide
Behind every great piece is a great story. Have a read through the concert guide to get all the details.
When 16-year-old Felix Mendelssohn completed his Octet in 1825, the prodigious young composer created a whole new genre of chamber music.
Unfolding over 30 completely captivating minutes, the work for four violins, two violas and two cellos was the first of its kind – and 200 years on, it has rarely been bettered.
A work of extraordinary invention and meticulous string writing, the Octet calls on every imaginable combination of voices possible from just eight string players. One critic summed it up when he wrote, "Its youthful verve, brilliance and perfection make it one of the miracles of nineteenth-century music."
A century earlier, Georg Philipp Telemann was an important link between the late Baroque and early Classical styles, and a major influence on Mendelssohn. His concertos for four solo violins are exquisite works, the strings weaving and dancing around each other with great verve and energy. It’s not hard to imagine Mendelssohn taking inspiration from these intricate delights.
Program
TELEMANN Concerto for Four Violins
MENDELSSOHN Octet
Artists
MUSICIANS OF THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Series Presenting Partner
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