The silent common thread: Clarinetist Graeme Steele Johnson discusses his discovery of the lost Loeffler "Octet" * Oregon ArtsWatch

"Deep in the archives of the U.S. Library of Congress Johnson found the jumbled score of an octet composed by the early American composer Charles Martin Loeffler. The octet had been played by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, but the last performance that Johnson was able to verify was 1897. Although the octet and its composer were quite popular at the turn of the century, they both fell out of favor for various reasons, and the octet was, in effect, lost for more than a century."

"After discovering the octet, Johnson spent several years in the painstaking process of editing and revising some 75 pages of the manuscript score to make it playable. In the process he was assisted by some of his New York City musician friends, who eventually joined forces to perform the octet in several venues all around the country. They have also recorded the octet on a new label combining Delos and Outhere Music."

"All of these pieces require ensembles that are somewhat different than the usual chamber music program for string quartet, sometimes joined by a clarinet or an extra viola. In addition to the two violins, viola, and cello, these works have, at times, added the double bass, flute, clarinet (or two clarinets as in Loeffler's Octet), and in the case of Debussy and Loeffler, the harp, contributing that ethereal touch."

Graeme Steele Johnson discovered a jumbled score of an octet composed by early American composer Charles Martin Loeffler in the U.S. Library of Congress archives. The octet, last performed in 1897 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, had been lost for over a century despite its initial popularity. Johnson spent several years meticulously editing and revising approximately 75 pages of the manuscript score to restore it to playable condition. With assistance from New York City musician friends, he formed an ensemble to perform the octet across multiple venues and recorded it on a new label. The concert program combines the Loeffler Octet with arrangements of Debussy pieces and Schumann's Fantasiestücke, featuring expanded instrumentation including harp, flute, and double bass.

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