Hour of Beauty

We often think of Schubert through the lens of his songs. He lived only thirty-one years, leading a life away from grand stages, public acclaim, and extensive travels. He could rely only on his loyal friends, who witnessed the performances of his chamber works, including the Octet in F major, during gatherings known as Schubertiades.

The Octet in F major was commissioned by clarinettist Ferdinand Troyer and completed by Schubert in March 1824. A review of its premiere, which took place in 1827 for a faithful group of listeners, was published in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung: At the last concert, two new works delighted the usually selective audience, which is open only to what is truly good. The first was an octet for five-string instruments and three wind instruments by Schubert. It is very solidly written, thoughtful in construction, clear, and effective in performance. It consists of six pretty long movements. The harmonic structure is, at times, really original, as is the excellent combination of instruments, and the variations are very effective and deserve praise. However, the reviewer noted that the lengthy duration of the work might require more than average concentration from the audience.

Indeed, Schubert's long phrases, which captivate us today, seemed tedious to his contemporaries, which is why the works did not break into concert programs. Only one public concert of his music was held before the composer's death. With the earnings, Schubert bought tickets for his friends to a performance by Paganini a few days later. It was not until more than thirty years after Schubert's death that the legendary performance with violinist Joseph Hellmesberger restored the work to the musical memory of performers and concert audiences.