Mendelssohn was a 16 year old prodigy when he composed the Octet for double string quartet, his first indisputable masterpiece. He presented the autograph score as a birthday present to his violin teacher, Eduard Rietz. From contemporary accounts of those in attendance at that performance, the Octet delighted and amazed its audience, a reaction that this work has been evoking ever since.
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Octet in E-flat major for Strings, Opus 20
By Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
I. Allegro moderato con fuoco
IV. Presto
Mendelssohn was a 16-year-old prodigy when he composed the Octet for double string quartet, his first indisputable masterpiece. He presented the autograph score as a birthday present to his violin teacher, Eduard Rietz. From contemporary accounts of those in attendance at that performance, the Oc...