This week’s Musical Moment is brought to you by FHS pupil, Teresa, who has just finished Year 11 and is about to begin studying A Level Music!

Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20 by Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn was a Romantic composer who was only sixteen when he wrote his Octet in E flat major in 1825. The most popular genre of chamber music at the time was the string quartet, and with this piece Mendelssohn helped to bring about the popularity of the string octet amongst other composers at the time, as it was still a fairly new concept. The piece, consisting of four movements, was given to Mendelssohn’s friend and violin teacher, Eduard Rietz, as a birthday present.

My personal favourite of the four movements is the first, as I recently played it at a small concert last Saturday with my chamber music group (link available to watch here). The octet is very exciting to listen to, but even more so to play. It opens with an exhilarating theme of rising sequences through nearly three octaves in the first violin part. The contrasting and more subdued theme, played by the other violin parts, violas, and celli includes syncopated chords, and tremolos, making the opening even more exciting. The melody then moves to the two cello parts, creating a deeper and richer tone, contrasting the much higher melody played by the first violin earlier. Mendelssohn’s Octet is considered one of his greatest works, demonstrating his astounding musical maturity and talent at such a young age.