Ensemble East presents Pieces of Eight, 20 April

Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries

Two treasures in the chamber music repertoire that involve eight players feature in this first concert of our Autumn Series - Bach’s Concerto for two violins in D minor & Mendelssohn’s celebrated String Octet in E-flat Major. Written when he was just sixteen, and as a gift to his then violin teacher, Mendelssohn’s Octet overflows with some of the most iconic and captivating melodies. He had already established his distinct musical language which includes his signature scherzo. The last movement, an eight part fugue, is a nod to his hero, Johann Sebastian Bach, whose double concerto opens the concert.