The South Beach Chamber Ensemble will present “19th Century Genius,” on Friday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m., at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables. The event will feature two magnificent string sextets by master composers of the 19th Century.
The String Sextet in D minor “Souvenir de Florence,” Op. 70, composed in 1890 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). The work was titled “Souvenir de Florence” because the composer sketched one of the work’s principal themes while visiting Florence, Italy.
Also on the program will be Johannes Brahms’ String Sextet #2 in G major, Op. 36. Brahms (1833-1897) did most of the composition (1864-65) in comfortable country surroundings near Baden-Baden, Germany.
According to a Brahms biographer, it conceals a reference to the first name of Agathe von Siebold (with whom he was infatuated at the time) in the first movement. The work is characterized by its exotic sounding opening of the first movement, by innovative chord structures and its many contrasts both technical and melodic. Both string sextets are scored for two violins, two violas, and two cellos.
Tickets are $25 adults, $15 students and seniors, $5 children under 5. Tickets online www.boxofficetickets.com/go/event?id=307453 or at the door. More information is avaiable at www.sobechamberensemble.org.
