Ensemble Misto

Ensemble Misto consists of members of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. As the name suggests (misto means mixed), it is an ensemble comprising strings and wind instruments, which is also a prerequisite for being able to perform French composer Louise Farrenc’s (1804-1875) Nonet, composed for string quartet and wind quintet with a flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. 

Louise Farrenc was an incredibly skilled composer, a prominent concert pianist and a professor at the Paris Conservatory. Only in recent years has her music come into the light to find a place on the repertoire.

Ensemble Misto also performs Johannes Brahms’ gorgeous Serenade No. 1 in D Major from 1858. Brahms eventually landed on a version for large orchestra, but before then, he composed the piece for a smaller ensemble. We will hear a reconstruction of the original version here. It is a huge piece in seven movements and a runtime of about 40 minutes. Both this and Serenade No. 2, which came in rapid succession, were considered daringly modern. Serenade No. 1 in D Major also has traces of predecessors such as Haydn and Beethoven.