Presents
Franz Krommer
String Quintet No.4 in F Major, Op.8 No.4 for 2 Violins, 2 Violas and Violoncello
"Franz Krommer's String Quintets are sure to please those chamber music players seeking something new and fresh from the classical era. They can be recommended for concert performance as well as to amateur enthusiasts."---the famous chamber music critic Wilhelm Altmann writing in his Chamber Music Handbook.
Krommer’s String Quintet in F Major, Op.8 No.4 is the fourth of a set of six completed in 1797. They were published in 2 volumes: Nos.1-3 and 4-6. This second set was simultaneous published and dubbed Op.11 which has caused considerable confusion. These were his first string quintets and they are historically important because they show what a prominent contemporary of Haydn and Beethoven was doing. The quintets were composed before Beethoven’s first set of quartets and even before all but one of his string trios. Krommer’s music is original sounding, that is to say, it does not sound like an imitation of Haydn or Mozart. In fact, it sounds like no one else. Particularly interesting is his use of chromaticism. Quintet No.4 is in four movements. It opens with a charming Allegro moderato in which the second violin and violas are given the responsibility for introducing the main theme. Particularly striking is the syncopation in the lower voices upon the introduction of the second subject. In the Menutto allegro which follows, the cello delivers the first half of the main theme which is then completed by the first violin. The use of the cello, again, is particularly original. The trio is a real Austrian ländler. The lovely melody is entrusted to the first violin while the others provide the accompaniment. It is so vivid and well done, that one can easily imagine country musicians strumming the tune while young peasant couples dance. The third movement, Andante, though not so marked, is a theme and set of variations. The theme is entirely presented by the cello which is given a lengthy solo. Each variation is nicely executed and provides excellent contrast. Again there are several låndler episodes. The finale begins in extraordinary fashion with an subtantial, operatic Adagio introduction in which the first violin is given a gorgeous aria of some urgency. The introduction finally melts away seamlessly into a bumptious Allegro moderato.
Franz Krommer (1759-1831) was born in town of Kamnitz then part of the Habsburg Austrian Empire (today Kamenice in the Czech Republic) It had a mixed population of Germans and Czechs and though baptized František Vincenc Kramář by the time he was 15, Krommer began using the Germanized version of his name for the rest of his life, the name by which he beame known to the world. Krommer was one of the most successful composers in Vienna at the turn of the 18th Century. His reputation was attested to by the fact that his works were frequently republished throughout Germany, England, France, Italy, Scandinavia and even the United States. According to several contemporary sources he was regarded with Haydn as the leading composer of string quartets and as a serious rival of Beethoven. Krommer was a violinist of considerable ability who came to Vienna around 1785. For the following 10 years he held appointments at various aristocratic courts in Hungary. He returned to Vienna in 1795 where he remained until his death, holding various positions including that of Court Composer (Hofmusiker) to the Emperor, Franz I, an enthusiastic quartet player. He was the last composer to hold this august title and one of his duties was accompanying the Emperor on his various campaigns so that he could relax in the evenings playing quartets. There are more than 300 compositions which were at one time or another published, much of which is chamber music. He wrote more than 70 string quartets, 35 quintets, perhaps as many as 15 string trios, but also several works for winds and strings.
We have reprinted the original edition but have added rehearsal letters.
Parts: $29.95
Parts & Score: $37.95
