Giuseppe Maria Cambini (1746-1825)
Quintet for flute, oboe, violin, viola, cello No. 1, Op. 8
The Italian composer Giuseppe Cambini was certainly one of the most prolific composers of the late 18th century, having written over 700 compositions. His intense compositional activity is evident from the moment he moved to Paris, where he continued to compose even during the years of the Revolution. His music is often considered to epitomise the French “style galant”.
Prominent among his numerous chamber music works are the six quintets, which featured a rare combination at the time, of flute, oboe, violin, viola and cello. In quintet No. 1, Op. 8 there is an intense, elegant style and clear melodic dominance of the flute. The graceful Allegro is followed by a virtuoso traditional Rondo, which features fresh rhythmic and melodic ideas in its intercalary parts while maintaining the rhythm of its tight structure.
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Oboe quartet in B flat major W. B60
Johann Christian Bach, the German son of Johann Sebastian Bach, was a talented composer and a great organist. He is considered the first great composer of the classical period, influencing the famous composers Haydn and Mozart with his style of composition.
Among his rich compilation of chamber music works, the quartet for oboe, violin, viola and cello in B flat major is a standout piece. Like the other five corresponding quartets, there are indications that it was written for the virtuoso oboist Johann Christian Fischer, whom the composer met in London. As was customary in the entertainment music of the classical period, it consists of only two movements. In the Allegro, the oboe takes the lead melodically, frequently interacting with the violin and viola lines. In the second movement, a classic Rondo in terms of its morphology, Johann Christian Bach skilfully incorporates all the instruments into the soundscape of this delightful chamber music piece.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Flute quartet in D major KV 285
Mozart is one of the few composers to have written masterpieces in every musical genre of his time. This particular chamber music piece was completed on 25 December 1777 and is the first of three quartets he composed in Mannheim, which were commissioned by the flutist Ferdinand Dejean.
The first movement resembles more of a concerto for flute and orchestra, showcasing the soloistic performance of an instrument that was becoming popular in European music centres at that time. The following Adagio is a serenade, the most prominent feature of which is the elegiac flute melody, widely considered to be one of the most beautiful pieces of the instrument’s repertoire. It is noteworthy that in this movement emerge the new string playing techniques of that era, the reins and training of which were in the hands of the musicians of the “Mannheim School”. The quartet’s joyful finale is in Rondo form, with the main melody passed around the ensemble in pairs. The lively rhythms of the interacting motifs highlight the ensemble’s collective virtuosity.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Oboe quartet in F major KV 370
Mozart composed his quartet for oboe, violin, viola, and cello in F major in 1781, a few years after he met Friedrich Ramm, a virtuoso oboist in the Munich Orchestra. The piece was written both to honour Ramm’s virtuosity and to emphasise the technical improvements that had been made to the oboe at that time. In the genre of classical-period oboe (or other wind instrument) quartets, the wind instruments seem to take the place that the first violin would typically hold in a string quartet. We can therefore also discern the melodic supremacy of the oboe as a solo instrument in all three movements in this quartet. A special mention should be made of the final movement, (Rondo. where the strings are skilfully interwoven to create the beautiful tonal palette of the now-mature Mozart.
Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)
Flute quartet in D major No. 1, Op. 5
The Italian composer and virtuoso cellist Luigi Boccherini left us a rich legacy of chamber music in the late 18th century. After becoming the court composer and cellist to Prince Luis Antonio de Borbón, he came across an excellent flute virtuoso in his orchestra, who inspired him to write several quartets and quintets featuring the instrument.
The quartet for flute, violin, viola and cello in D major showcases all the defining features of Boccherini’s music: passion, drama, lyricism, vitality and grandeur. The first movement is a virtuosic Allegro vivace that begins with a cheerful theme in constant dialogue with every instrument. The second movement is a minuet. The composer’s love of this genre is well documented. In this particular piece, the flute’s soloistic role and the cello’s large melodic lines are particularly notable. The relatively short Larghetto that follows celebrates the composer’s inner lyricism. As expected, the finale features an exaltation of melodic lines, with intense harmonic and rhythmic parallels between all four instruments. This presupposes the performers’ excellent virtuosity.
Giuseppe Maria Cambini (1746-1825)
Quintet for flute, oboe, violin, viola, cello No. 3, Op. 8
Composer and violinist Giuseppe Maria Cambini was probably born in Livorno, Italy, in February 1746. There is little information available about the early years of his life. However, we learn more about him from the moment he moves to Paris, where he was a very active composer for thirty years. He composed more than 600 purely instrumental pieces, including 149 string quartets, 114 string quintets, nine symphonies, and over 100 trios for various instruments.
In quintet No. we tentatively discern elements of early Romanticism, as well as some inspiration from the early works of Franz Schubert. In the first movement, a somewhat lively Allegro, the flute takes the lead melodically, though the oboe and violin still play prominent roles. In the second and final movement, a lengthy minuet, Cambini’s contrapuntal writing provides a foundation for beautiful melodic dialogues between instruments with a rich range of instruments.
