Presents
Carl Reinecke
String Quartet No.5 in g minor, Op.287
In his Handbook for String Quartet Players, the famous critic Wilhelm Altmann writes,
“Whosoever hears Carl Reinecke’s String Quartet No.5 in g minor, Op.287, published in the year 1910 would never guess that it was the work of an 85 year old as it is so full of youthful vigor and warm-blooded melodies. It is truly a wonder. There is absolutely no indication that the composer of this quartet was an old man, to the contrary, the way in which the work is written suggests the opposite. The opening movement, Allegro, as well as the finale, Molto moderato e maestoso, are full of energy and interest. The second movement, Adagio, truly breathes the air of Romanticism. Next comes a lovely, charming Scherzo allegretto with trio. The exemplary writing is clear throughout and the composer’s intimate knowledge of string instruments is also on display here.”
Nowadays, Reinecke has been all but forgotten, an unjust fate for a man who excelled in virtually every musical field with which he was involved. As a performer, Reinecke was, during the mid-19th century, reckoned for three decades as one of the finest concert pianists before the public. As a composer, he produced widely respected and often performed works in every genre running the gamut from opera, to orchestral to chamber music. As a conductor, he helped turn the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra into a group with few if any peers. As its director, he helped the Leipzig Conservatory become what was widely regarded as the finest in the world. As a teacher of composition and of piano, he was considered to have few if any equals. Among his many students were Grieg, Bruch, Janacek, Albeniz, Sinding, Svendsen, Reznicek, Delius, Arthur Sullivan, George Chadwick, Ethel Smyth, Felix Weingartner, Karl Muck and Hugo Riemann. In his time, Reinecke and his music were unquestionably regarded as first rate.
Unavailable for more than half a century, we have reprinted the Breitkopf and Härtel edition of 1910 and warmly recomend this work to both professionals and amateurs alike.
Parts: $24.95
