Octet ‘Autumn Equinox’ (2016)
(for ensemble)

The additional name of my Octet, Autumn Equinox, comes from the relation the piece has to my new Opera Autumn Sonata. I worked on the opera over two and half years and during that time I also started working on the Octet.  Some of the moods and musical materials from the opera is therefore distantly present in the Octet- kind of as a reflection.When Liza Ferschtman asked me to compose a Octet, the thought of tackling the traditional ”Schubert Octet” instrumentation felt almost overwhelming but I have been enormously inspired by Liza´s and her colleagues wonderful musicianship and that gave me the impulse for composing this intensive and sometimes almost explosive chamber ensemble piece.

The Octet consists of 3 movements. In the beginning of the first movement all the basic musical material for the whole piece is presented. As in many of my latest works (both orchestral and chamber musical) the musical materials are very rhythmically charged and energetic. Overlapping and colliding they constantly create new multilayered situations that emerge and unfold in the music.

The second movement presents a very static sound world where harmonic and melodic structures from the first movement are slowed down and expanded. The movement ends with a quote from musical material from the opera. In the third movement all the rhythmic and energetic musical material return with force. I feel though, that working with the opera has given me a new insight in to the use of melody and long expressive musical arcs and this is something which I think is present in this composition in general as well.

Sebastian Fagerlund