Octuor in major F (Schubert)

The Octuor in major F, D. 803 in six movements and lasting nearly one hour, is longest of works of chamber music of Franz Schubert. One can bring closer the Septuor to him, COp 20 of Ludwig van Beethoven which was probably used as model (addition of a second violin on the level instrumentation). The octuor was made up in March 1824 on the ordering of Ferdinand Troyer, a Clarinettiste of reputation. It is quasi contemporary quartet “Rosamunde” and quartet “the young girl and death”. Schubert is then corroded by the Syphilis which it contracted in 1822 and unproductive since two months.

The topic of the first movement is borrowed from the Lied “Der Wanderer”.

It is composed of six movements for Clarinette, Basson, Hautbois, two violins, a viola, a Violoncelle and Contrebasse:

Adagio - Allegro - Più allegro;
Adagio;
long-lived Allegro - Trio - long-lived Allegro;
Andante - variations. A poco più mosso - Più lento;
Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio - Menuetto - Coded;
Andante molto - Allegro - Andante molto - Allegro molto.

Fascinated by Beethoven, Schubert refers to the dominant figure of the musical art of its time: the octuor takes as a starting point the septuor op.20 same Beethoven, that it is by the formation that by the general plan of work. Moreover, this composition falls under a vaster project, that to open the way of the Symphonie to Beethoveniennes dimensions; a little later in 1825, he will write “the Great” symphony in major C D944.

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