Jerusalem Quartet Photo: Felix Broede
New Zealand String Quartet Photo: Bruce Harris
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was raised in an intellectual environment and both he and his sister Fanny showed precocious musical talents as children. They both performed in public and composed from an early age. The 'Octet in E flat' was written when Felix was just 16 years old.
The four-movement work is scored for the combination of two standard string quartets and despite his youth, Mendelssohn shows a full and intuitive understanding of all the elements of music. It was completed in 1825. He had already completed 12 early string symphonies and this was two years before his first string quartet, which may explain the larger, almost orchestral scale of the piece.
In fact, the composer wrote on the original score: "This Octet must be played by all instruments in symphonic orchestral style. Pianos and fortes must be strictly observed and more strongly emphasized than is usual in pieces of this character."
Mendelssohn's magnificent 'Octet' makes a fitting finale at the 2019 Adam Chamber Music Festival in Nelson.
Recorded in Nelson Centre of Musical Arts by RNZ
Sound engineer: Darryl Stack
