Presents
Anton Reicha
String Quintet in F Major, Op.92 No.1--New Edition
Anton Reicha, (1770-1836, Antonin Rejcha in the Czech form) was born in Prague. Orphaned at an early age, he went to Bavaria and was adopted by his uncle, Joseph Reicha, a concert cellist and music director. He studied violin, flute, piano and composition while with his uncle. In 1785, his family moved to Bonn, where Joseph became music director at the electoral court. There, Anton got to know Beethoven with whom he became life-long friends. He traveled extensively. After living in Paris and Hamburg, in 1801 he moved to Vienna where he studied with Albrechtsberger and Salieri and resumed his friendship with Beethoven and Haydn. In 1806, in part because of the Napoleonic invasion of Vienna, he decided to move to Paris where he spent the rest of his life, eventually becoming a naturalized French citizen. He became a professor at the Paris Conservatory and was one of the most famous teachers of his time. George Onslow, Louise Farrenc, Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, Cesar Franck and Charles Gounod were among his many students. He also gained fame as a theorist. He was an innovator in many areas. Though perhaps not the inventor of the Wind Quintet, he was the first to popularize it. A prolific composer, he wrote in virtually every genre. Chamber music is a very important part of his oeuvre. He was always interested in experimenting and in many respects was way ahead of his time dabbling with polytonality and quartet tones. He wrote that he felt the most creative when he experimented trying new things rather than following traditional forms.
His String Quintet in F Major, Op.92 No.1 was completed between 1806-1807 while he was still in Vienna. That it was not published untilt published until 1820 can be explained by the fact that Reicha left Vienna in that year and moved to Paris where he was a relative unknown and probably could not get his work published. But by 1820, he was a professor at the Paris Conservatory and one of the most important composers then active in Paris. The quintet begins with an Allegretto poco andante in 3/4 with shifting harmonies, leading to an Allegro theme in f minor theme which then undergoes several transpositions. Several melodic subjects are introduced in unexpected keys which provide extraordinary contrasts. The music is full of dramatic outbursts and modulations as well as dynamic changes. The second movement, Allegro menuetto, allegro assai, dominated by its rhythm, is quite original sounding with staccato phrasing. An Andante, poco lento comes next. The theme is constantly varied with each reappearance. The use of triplets against plays a prominent role in creating tension. The work ends with a large scale Finale, in which the same technique used in the first movement is also to be found here.
Not only is this an historically important work by a composer who was in the vanguard of musical thought but because it is a highly interesting work on its own. Our new edition is based on the Antonio Pacini edition of 1820, plate no.344 as well as a manuscript copy of the score in the Bibliotheque National of Paris. It is an extraordinary sounding work. There is nothing which sounds like it. As such, bringing it into the concert hall is surely justified. It can also be managed by amateurs of a high technical standard with ensemble experience.
Parts: $29.95
