Among classical music composers, genius often reveals itself at an early age.
Take, for example, two works that the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble will perform at the Peace Center on Oct. 9.
They were both written by teenagers.
Dmitry Shostakovich was only 19 years old when he composed his “Two Pieces for String Octet.”
Felix Mendelssohn, meanwhile, was all of 16 years old when he wrote his Octet in E-flat.
“It’s an extraordinary piece,” said violinist and ensemble member Martin Burgess, speaking of the Mendelssohn work. “To be able to do what he did, it’s amazing. At such a young age, he really understands the strengths of all the instruments. He finishes with a brilliant fugue that quotes from the ‘Messiah.’ It’s a beautiful piece I’ve played more than anything else, and it never gets old.”
The eight-member chamber ensemble is part of the larger internationally acclaimed Academy of St Martin in the Fields, a chamber orchestra based in London but frequently on tour throughout the world.
The chamber ensemble consists of top players from the larger orchestra. The ensemble is currently on a three-week tour of the U.S. that carries the group across the nation.
All three pieces on the program are virtuosic. In addition to the Shostakovich and Mendelssohn works, the ensemble will perform a sextet by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak.
“He’s another master of texture,” said Burgess, speaking by Zoom from his home in Brighton on England’s south coast. “We expect glorious melodies from Dvorak and that’s what we definitely get. It’s just so beautiful.”
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, established in 1959 at the church of that name bordering Trafalgar Square, is one of the most recorded chamber orchestras of all time, with 500 recordings to its credit.
Want to go?
What: Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble
When: Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Peace Center
Tickets: $35 to $65
Info: 864-467-3000 or peacecenter.org
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