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Waldemar von Baussnern

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Quintet in F Major for Violin, Cello, Clarinet, Horn & Piano

Waldemar von Baussnern (1866-1931) was born in Berlin. He studied with Friedrich Kiel and Woldemar Bargiel at the Berliner Musikhochschule. Afterwards, he made a career as a conductor and as director of the Musikschule in Weimar and then later of the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. Baussnern composed in almost every musical genre and wrote a fair amount of chamber music. He drew particular inspiration from poetry especially that of Goethe. Stylistically, Baussnern stands out as a maverick to his contemporaries, remaining a composer who defies classification. Generally, however, his music is rooted in the 19th century, yet exhibits independence of form, ranging from extremes of conventional tonality to frequently polyphonic chromaticism, though never entering the realm of atonality.

This is one of the most original sounding chamber music works because of the unusual tone color effects. The nature of the instruments, by themselves alone, creates the stunning and rich effects. We know of only four such works. The earliest by the Austro-Czech composer Zdenek Fibich in 1893. It is not impossible, though probably unlikely that Baussnern may have been familiar with it when he composed his quintet in 1898. The big opening movement, In ruhiger Bewegung, begins in dreamy fashion with the horn and clarinet taking the lead. The themes are delicate, light and sparkling. A lively and playful Scherzo, with a spooky, march-like trio section, serves as the second movement. The third movement, simply marked Langsam, begins quietly with a long-lined melody, which after a while builds to a more dramatic funereal episode. The finale, Energisch bewegt, is a highly original cross between a march and a lop-sided dance.

This is a first rate work and now you can make and evening of it becaue we offer three other superb works for this rarely assembled ensemble: Zdenek Fibich's Quintet in D Major Op.42, Thomas Dunhill's Quintet in E flat Major, and Robert Kahn's Quintet in c minor, Op.54. This is a valuable addition to this repertoire and should interest amateurs and professionals alike. It has been out of print for many years and deserves to be rediscovered.

Parts: $39.95