3rd Chamber Concert

“In the face of Schubert’s music, tears stream from the eyes without first consulting the soul: they fall upon us so vividly and tangibly.” With these words, the philosopher and music critic Theodor W. Adorno described the unique impact of Franz Schubert’s music, which has become the very motto of the 3rd Chamber Concert. “It was always clear to me that one day I would have to find my own personal response to this musical world,” said composer and clarinetist Jörg Widmann in an interview. Time and again, Widmann has made direct references to Franz Schubert in his chamber music works, including in his 2004 Octet, which is directly inspired by Schubert’s F-major Octet composed 180 years earlier.

With the Octet for three wind and five string instruments, Schubert sought at the time to “pave the way to the great symphony.” And so the work thrives on the contrast and juxtaposition of intimate chamber music forms and orchestral grandeur, which Widmann drew upon in his own work. With his reminiscences of Schubert’s musical world, Widmann succeeded here in a unique way in building a bridge between the past and the modern era.