Magnificent Winds

The winds of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center shine in this program featuring Louis Spohr’s landmark Nonetto and the bite-sized Bagatelles of György Ligeti. Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles began as a collection of short works for piano and 6 of the pieces were transcribed for wind quintet shortly after. They are short, mostly spirited pieces yet they provide each instrument with a range of dynamic and playing styles adding to the work’s color. Spohr’s Nonetto features the first-of-its-kind instrumentation of violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon. It was written shortly after the composer’s arrival in Vienna at the request of avid music benefactor, Herr Johann von Tost, who made sure to attend every one of the work’s performances bringing the scores along with him.