Presents
Luigi Boccherini
String Quintet in c minor, Op.45 No.1, G.355--New Edition
For 2 Violins, Viola & 2 Cellos or 2 Viola and Cello
The Op.45 No.1 String Quintet by Boccherini is the first of a set of four dating from 1792. It is not known why, however, it was not published until 1804, the year before his death, by Pleyel of Paris, his main publisher. The opening movement, Adagio, begins in a sad vein, almost the funereal in nature. It is certainly elegaic. The second movement, Allegro assai, is full of energy and restless, providing a great contrast to what has come before. The third movement is a typical Boccherini Menuetto, that is to say, not at all like the Viennese style minuets being produced by Haydn and Mozart. Boccherini, squirreled away in a remove village in Spain, well out of the main stream, was more or less, untouched by the styles then au courant in Paris and Vienna. Instead, his music has its roots in the Italian Baroque, the style with which he was familiar when he left Italy for a job with a ducal family in Spain. The finale, Presto, is redolent of the music of Spain, stormy and full of energy. The writing in those sections almost sounds as if a group of guitars were playing rather than a quintet of strings.
Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) was born in the town of Lucca in northern Italy. He studied cello and became a virtuoso eventually moving to Spain where he took employment with the Spanish royal family for the rest of his life. Boccherini wrote more than 120 string quintets, most for two cellos rather than the usual two violas. Why was that, one might ask. The answer lies in the fact that Boccherini spent more than half his life at the Spanish court in a remote palace where he had but few musicians for whom to write. It explains why so much of his oeuvre is chamber music. Already on the staff of the Spanish Infante when he was hired was the Font family string quartet, a father and three sons. If Boccherini, a cellist, were to take part in the music he wrote, it would have to be a quintet for 2 cellos. It is extraordinary, given that he had no prior example to guide him, how well Boccherini's cello quintets turned out. With two cellos, no one cello has to fulfill the bass line at all times. He then uses this freedom to achieve an extraordinay balance between the instruments with all of the voices having solo opportunities.
Our new edition eschews the use of the false treble clef for the cello and has rehearsal numbers. This is a good work with fine part-writing for all. The lovely, flowing melodies and rhythms are typical of Boccherini. It is suitable for both concert and home performance.
| (A) 2 Violins, Viola & 2 Cellos-Parts | $29.95 |
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| (B) 2 Violins, Viola & 2 Cellos-Parts & Score | $39.95 |
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| (C) 2 Violins, 2 Violas & Cello-Parts | $29.95 |
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| (D) 2 Violins, 2 Violas & Cello-Parts & Score | $39.95 |
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| (E) All Six Parts | $36.95 |
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| (F) All Six Parts & Score | $46.95 |
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Parts: $29.95
