Music at Woolmers: Intimate Grandeur

‘Intimate Grandeur’ showcases the beauty of classical chamber performance within the walls of Woolmers Estate.

This performance in the Music at Woolmers series explores the contrast between grand musical works and the intimate heritage setting, creating a uniquely moving experience for the audience.

Richard Strauss’s String Sextet (1942) was composed in the shadow of World War II as the prelude to his opera Capriccio. Rather than anticipating disaster, its luxuriant, late-Romantic language recalls the world of Brahms and earlier German chamber traditions, projecting poise and refinement at a time of personal and cultural upheaval.

Brahms’s String Sextet No 2 in G major (1864–65), written when the composer was in his early thirties, represents a bold expansion of the string ensemble’s palette. Building on Classical models, Brahms enriches the texture with autumnal lyricism, harmonic daring, and contrapuntal intricacy – qualities that helped secure his reputation as a master of large-scale chamber music.

Bookings are recommended as seating is limited.