Symphony Napa Valley Presents Crown Jewels Of Chamber Music April 28

Come experience for yourself the magic of composer Felix Mendelssohn, along with the romanticism of Reinhold Gliere's Octet, expertly performed by Maestro Guttman and members of Symphony Napa Valley at Lincoln Theater on April 28th.

Who was the greatest child prodigy of all time? Most people would say Mozart, but in fact it was Mendelssohn who composed one of the greatest masterpieces of the entire classical music literature, his famous Octet, at the tender age of 16. In 1821, German composer, Carlos Friedrich Zelter introduced Mendelssohn, then 12 years old, to his friend Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who was greatly impressed by the child.

Following the introduction, Goethe made perhaps the earliest confirmed comparison between Mendelssohn and Mozart, when he told Zelter, "musical prodigies are probably no longer so rare; but what this little man can do borders the miraculous, and I could not have believed it possible at so early an age."

As Goethe notes, Mendelssohn's talent, and at such a young age, was impressive. However, the most astonishing fact about the composition of Mendelssohn's Octet is that such an intimate, mature musical language is evident throughout the piece - which is an achievement for a composer of any age. While the work's lively mood and the organic development of its musical content would seem to indicate the piece was composed in a short, spontaneous burst of creativity, the work actually underwent significant changes before, and even after, its initial publication. These significant changes, of course, involved painstaking work on the young composer's part. It is therefore quite amazing that the Octet appears to have lost none of its vigor in the process, and maintained its light, vivacious qualities.

Mendelssohn's Octet will be performed by members of Symphony Napa Valley at Crown Jewels of Chamber Music on Sunday, April 28th at 3pm at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville. The performers will include Maestro Michael Guttman, Yasushi Ogura, the Friction Quartet, Julie Michael, and James Jaffe. Michael and Jaffe are frequent collaborators with the Friction Quartet.

Ticket prices are $30 to $65. To purchase tickets go to www.lincolntheater.org or call the Box Office at 707-944-9900.

About Symphony Napa Valley

Symphony Napa Valley, under the baton of Music Director Michael Guttman, has brought innovative and engaging music, education and community programs to the Valley. The orchestra is made up of some of the best professional musicians in Northern California, participants in the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center's Artists in Residence Program, as well as an array of internationally-renowned guest conductors and performers. Scalable in size from quartets and small chamber orchestras to large-scale configurations, Symphony Napa Valley also serves as the in-house orchestra for both produced and presented performances at the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater.

About Friction Quartet

Friction Quartet, Artists in Residence at Lincoln Theater, gave their Carnegie Hall debut as part of the Kronos Quartet Workshop in 2016. Their performances have been called 'terribly beautiful' by the San Francisco Classical Voice and the San Francisco Chronicle praised their 'high-octane music-making... a fine blend of rhythmic ferocity and tonal flair.' Members of Friction Quartet include Doug Machiz, Otis Harriel, Taija Warbelow, and Kevin Rogers.

To post a comment, you must register and login.