Chamber Series: Leila Josefowicz

The evening

Our Chamber concert series at Hallé St Peter’s is a unique opportunity to get up close to the music and enjoy smaller groups of musicians performing incredible music in a more intimate setting.

Leila Josefowicz, one of our Featured Artists this season, is joined by Hallé players for one of Shostakovich’s earliest surviving chamber works, his Two Pieces for String Octet. Written whilst still a student, the slow, deeply expressive Prelude is followed by the rhythmically driven and fast paced Scherzo, with energy that borders on the manic.

Brahms’ Sextet No.1 in Bb major, written for an expanded string quartet with additional viola and cello, has a dark, velvety richness. A favourite among performers for its glorious melodies, the piece was composed as Brahms was finding his own distinctive musical language.