Presents
Franz Anton Hoffmeister
Quintet for Horn and String Qurtet in E flat Major WoO
Today, the name of Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754-1812) lives on only because of his close friendship with Mozart, who named his K.499 D Major string quartet after him in recognition of all the money Hoffmeister had given him. (Mozart never bothered to pay Hoffmeister back, hence the quartet dedication) Few people are also aware that Hoffmeister became a famous music publisher, his firm known to us today as Edition Peters. Hoffmeister arrived in Vienna at age 14 from western Germany where he had intended to study law. Like so many before and after him, he was lured away by the siren song of music. He decided on a career as a composer and, like most of his contemporaries, was a prolific one. We know from contemporary accounts that his music was held in high regard and those who have had the opportunity to play or hear it usually agree that there is much of value to be found therein. He is thought to have composed several hundred works, a substantial number of which are chamber music.
It is not known exactly when Hoffmeister composed his Quintet for Horn and Strings. Some scholars believe that Mozart's Horn Quintet in E flat Major, K.407, which was composed in 1782, may have served as his model, even though the work was not published until 1883. Works frequently circulated in manuscript form and we know that it was performed during Mozart's lifetime and Hoffmeister might well have heard it. He might even have seen Mozart's manuscript, after all the two were close friends. But there are also some scholars who believe that Hoffmeister's Horn Quintet may have given Mozart the idea of writing a similar work. Hoffmeister's quintet is in two fast movements and as was typical during this time, the wind instrument is given the lion's share of the thematic material.
Our new edition is based on the original manuscript in the Austrian National Library (ÖNB)
Parts: $19.95
