Presents
Luigi Boccherini
Quintet for Guitar & String Quartet in D Major "Del Fandango", G.448
Boccherini's Guitar Quintet in D Major, G.448 has come down to us with the nickname “Del Fandango.” The Fandango movement was originally part of a String Quintet for two cellos, G.341 that Boccherini had composed in 1788. The version for Guitar Quintet came about a decade later a few years before the composer’s death when the Marquis Benavente, an amateur guitarist, asked for it to be made into a guitar quintet. Boccherini, who was broke at the time, was only too glad to oblige. But he did not merely arrange the string quintet for guitar, nor did he compose two other original movements. Instead, he recycled three movements—the first two, Allegro maestoso and Pastorale came from the first two movements of his String Quintet G.270. The last movement, Grave and Fandango is from the aforementioned String Quintet G.341. The opening Allegro maestoso is at times vigorous and other times elegant. The Pastorale is calm and peaceful. The finale begins with a solemn Grave, a lengthy introducgtion to the main section, the Fandango. a fiery, yet courtly, classical evocation of the Flamenco music of the Spanish Gypsies.
Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) was born into a musical and artistic family from Lucca, Italy and was a child prodigy. His talents as a cellist and composer enabled him to achieve a great reputation in his hometown, then in Rome, which in turn led to concert tours throughout Italy and France. In Paris, his concerts were quite popular and as a result, he was invited to Madrid by the Spanish ambassador in Paris, who had attended several of these concerts. Eventually, in 1769 he found a steady income being employed by the Infante Don Luis, brother of the Spanish King. He was given the title “Compositore e virtuoso di camera di S.A.R. Don Luigi infante d’Ispagnia.” With the death of Don Luis in 1785, he received commissions from Frederick II, the cello playing king of Prussia. Sources dispute whether Boccherini actually visited Prussia but it is known by 1797 after Frederick’s death, he was back in Madrid, where he was able to obtain occasional commissions. Sadly, this was barely enough to eake out a living and from then on until his death he was plagued by both money problems and ill health.
Parts: $29.95
