Mozart
in romantic
company

Characteristic and intense

String quintet in F Major from 1879 is considered by many to be the most characteristic of the five chamber music works written by Anton Bruckner. The work consists of four movements and this performance will feature the third movement, which transitions from contrapuntal to frequent key shifts.

Pioneering work

Many claim that Mozart’s string quintets are his most important contribution to chamber music. He was practically alone in paving the way with this combination of instruments, consisting of two violins, two violas and a cello. Before intermission, the musicians will treat us to the ambitious String Quintet No. 3 in C Major from 1787, which, incidentally, was a great inspiration for Franz Schubert when he wrote his famous quintet a few decades later.

Rejected work

The concert concludes with Arnold Schönberg’s early string sextet Verklärte Nacht (1899). His innovative approach can already be seen here, which would later characterise the composer’s entire career. Starting with this work, Schönberg’s music was critically received and the piece was initially rejected by a jury tasked with determining whether it should be performed.

The theme is based on a poem by the German poet Richard Dehmel and portrays the contradiction between the passionate confession of a woman who is unfaithful to the man she loves and his acceptance of her infidelity.

Programme

Bruckner String Quintet – Adagio
Mozart String Quintet No. 3 in C Major
Schönberg Verklärte Nacht