5th Chamber Concert

With the rare instrumentation of the string sextet and string octet, the 5th Chamber Concerto delivers a sound of almost orchestral power. For Felix Mendelssohn, his Octet, Op. 20, was “the dearest work of his youth.” At just 16 years old, he brilliantly mastered the compact eight-part texture with ease and in a highly individual manner, so it comes as no surprise that the octet made the young composer famous overnight. To this day, one cannot escape the freshness, the wealth of melody, and the unexpected musical twists of the octet, which brings us into close proximity to the airy, light music of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Joining this pinnacle of chamber music for strings is Johannes Brahms’ String Sextet No. 2, which, along with his German Requiem, also helped Brahms achieve his musical breakthrough, and which captivates in particular with its lush textures and contrapuntal mastery.