Looking ahead to February and Schubert's "Octet"

Following January's "Partita Party" the Omaha Consort now prepares for the February presentation of Schubert's "Octet".

The concert will be at the Scottish Rite Theatre in downtown Omaha on February 13.

Tickets are $20 and, as always, there will be wonderful food and complimentary wine from our tremendous supporter and local wine shop, Morning, Noon, and Night.

When programming the first couple of seasons of Consort series I've focused on Vienna and surrounding regions from 1760-1800.  I believe this is an important cradle for chamber music as we know it today.  We have presented our audience with a generous dose of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven along with many important contemporaries of those famous masters like January's performances of Rosetti and Myslevicek.

Now we begin to look ahead to the next generation of European masters.  Remember the Spohr "Nonet" from last season?  He and Schubert were contemporaries... Schubert introduced Spohr to the music circles of Vienna.  Remember Beethoven's "Septet" from last season?  The "Septet" directly influenced the "Nonet" by Spohr and the "Octet" of Schubert.

I'm excited to start moving into the music composed after 1800 and am very happy that we will be able to reference the direct and important influences that the Viennese music of the late 18th century made on what followed.

I'll write a bit more about the "Octet" in coming posts but I would like to make one more mention here about Schubert.  Today I turn 32 and on this birthday I realize that makes me now a year older than Schubert was when he passed away much too soon.  This was a man beloved by his friends and provided such an incredible amount of masterful art in such a short time.  We are fortunate to have his "Octet" as it is one of the greatest masterpieces of chamber music in existence.  I hope you'll join us in February to hear it up close and personal.