Voices of Romance – Taffanel and Schubert

Syddansk Musikkonservatorium, Esbjerg, Saturday 16th August 2025 at 4 pm

ENKELTBILLETTER All-inclusive festivalbillet KR. 700,-

Paul Taffanel: Wind Quintet in G Major

Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D.956

Voices of Romance – Taffanel and Schubert

A Celebration of Winds and Strings

Written in 1876, Taffanel’s Wind Quintet in G Major is widely regarded as one of the cornerstones of the wind quintet repertoire. Known for his foundational role in the French wind school, Taffanel composed this work with the lyrical phrasing and virtuosic clarity characteristic of 19th-century French style. The first movement sparkles with buoyant rhythms and elegant interplay between the instruments, establishing a conversational and almost operatic tone. The second movement offers a graceful, song-like Andante that allows each voice to shine in turn, while the third, a vivacious scherzo, brings wit and energy with its crisp articulation and sudden shifts. The final Allegretto closes the piece with charm and fluidity, blending sophistication with light-heartedness. It’s a piece that celebrates the individual colors of the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn, while also revealing how seamlessly they can blend.

Composed in the final months of Schubert’s life in 1828, the String Quintet in C Major stands as one of the most profound and transcendent chamber works in the Western canon. With the addition of a second cello rather than the more typical second viola, Schubert deepens the sonic landscape, creating a dark, sonorous foundation that supports soaring melodic lines above.

The first movement is expansive and dramatic, alternating between radiant serenity and sudden turbulence. The heart of the work lies in the Adagio, often cited as one of the most moving slow movements ever written — a meditation on stillness and longing, with its gently pulsing accompaniment and ethereal melodic line. The Scherzo bursts in with rhythmic vigor and joyous momentum, only to yield to a haunting, introspective trio section that seems to suspend time. The final movement, a graceful Allegretto, offers a sense of return and farewell — balancing joy and melancholy with exquisite control.

This quintet not only showcases Schubert’s gift for melody and harmonic color, but also his unmatched ability to express the deepest human emotions through chamber music.

Celebrate the timeless beauty of French and Austrian chamber music — join us for this unforgettable concert!