Although Beethoven’s Septet, Op. 20 proved to be one of the composer’s most popular and enduring works during his lifetime — much to his chagrin — the effortlessly charming qualities of the work shine through to this day. The piece is written in the form of a grand divertissement, a large scale work of about an hour in length that was fashionable amongst the aristocracy well into the nineteenth century, and includes such works as Mozart’s Gran Partita and Schubert’s Octet. Clarinetist and composer Jörg Widmann’s Oktett nods to both Schubert’s Octet and Beethoven’s Septet through biting parody and earnest homage. The work, cast in early Romantic forms such as the Minuet and a Song without Words, belies its seeming naïveté with its thoroughly contemporary voice that nonetheless remains deeply referential.

Jörg Widmann, Oktett | Beethoven, Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20

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