Beethoven’s Septet Goes Modern

In celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020, the Goethe-Institut Boston commissioned the composers Heather Stebbins and Diana Rodriguez, both with strong ties to Boston, to compose works based on his Septet in E-flat major, op. 20. The premiere, performed by ensembles Sound Icon and Winsor Music alongside Beethoven’s septet, was to be premiered in November 2020 but had to be postponed due to the pandemic. We are thrilled to be able to  present the concert in person a year later to a reduced audience.

Beethoven’s septet, scored for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola and cello, was one of his most popular and frequently performed works during his lifetime. The exceptional instrumentation and the divertimento-like format with six movements instead of four added to its fame and helped it become one of Beethoven’s most arranged works. Today the septet is rarely performed.

Performers:
Rane Moore, clarinet
Marina Krickler, horn
Rachael Elliott, bassoon
Gabriela Diaz, violin
Jessica Bodner, viola
Jan Müller-Szeraws’ , violoncello
Anthony D’Amico, Double Bass