Close-up: Schubert and Widmann

Franz Schubert

Schubert's Octet for three winds and five strings was written two hundred years ago, in 1824. The instrumentation was completely new at the time. In its large-scale design with six movements, it also points to later developments, but the music never feels heavy - light and melodiousness predominate.

Jörg Widmann

Clarinetist and composer Jörg Widmann is uniquely able to build a bridge from our confusing modern times to the past. His Octet is directly inspired by Schubert's. The heart of the energetic work is the third movement, a 'Lied ohne Worte' – a direct reference to Schubert, who created songs throughout his short life, even when he wrote instrumental music.

Close-up

In the chamber music series Close-up, musicians from the Concertgebouw Orchestra play self-composed programmes in the Small Hall. Each one is a special one-off concert that cannot be heard anywhere else. The way to experience the individual qualities of the orchestra musicians! The intimate concerts are organised by the Friends of the Concertgebouw and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.