Orchestra of St. Luke's members take on the monumental Octet in F Major, D. 803 by Franz Schubert, the composer's largest scale chamber work. Commissioned in 1824 by amateur clarinetist Count Ferdinand von Troyer of Austria, the piece features unique instrumentation inspired by Beethoven's Septet: clarinet, horn, bassoon, violins, viola, cello, and double bass. Through six movements and just over an hour of music, Schubert explores the musical possibilities within the structure of a traditional 18-century serenade, transporting the listener from the wild ruggedness of the Scherzo movement to a refined Viennese cafe in the Theme and Variations. About the Performers One of America's leading ensembles, Orchestra of St. Luke's grew out of a chamber ensemble that gathered in the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in Greenwich Village in 1974. Now St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble consists of 22 virtuoso artists with a diverse repertoire spanning Baroque to contemporary.
New York City, NY; NYC