Presents
Paul Wranitzky
String Quintet in B flat Major, Op.38 No.3
For 2 Violins, 2 Violas and Cello
Paul Wranitzky (1756-1808 Pavel Vranický in the Czech form) was born in the town Nová Ríše (then Neureisch) in Moravia. At age 20, like so many other Czech composers of that period, he moved to Vienna to seek out opportunities within the Austrian imperial capital. Wranitzky played a prominent role in the musical life of Vienna. He was on friendly terms and highly respected by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven who preferred him as the conductor of their new works. Wranitzky was, as so many of his contemporaries, a prolific composer. His chamber works number over 100. Although some scholars believe that Wranitzky studied with Haydn, there is no proof of this. But there can be no question that he studied and was influenced by Haydn’s quartets. Like Haydn, Wranitzky’s chamber music writing went through many stages of development beginning with the pre-classical and evolving to the finished sonata form of the late Vienna Classics. The majority of Wranitzky’s quartets and quintets are set in the three-movement format of the Parisian quatour concertant. In these works he explored the emerging Romantic style with (for the time) daring harmonic progressions, theatrical gestures, and virtuoso display.
The Op.38 Quintets date from around 1795 and were first published by Wranitzky's main publisher André in Offenbach. They are a set of three of which the Quintet in B flat Major is the third. The quintets were dedicated to a family friend Ferdinand Delorme (1755-1827) Copies of the André edition, upon which ours is based, can still be found in the libraries of Prague, Paris, Basle, Vienna, and London among others.
It is the only one of the set which is written in four movements. The opening movement is a genial, Haydnesque Allegro. The Adagio which follows is calm and stately, but Wranitzky inserts a surprise in the form of a playful Allegretto in the middle of things. The Adagio then returns to end this interesting and original movement. In third place is a typical Viennese Menuetto with a lovely Austrian Ländler for the trio section. The finale is a boisterous Rondo.
Writing about Wranitzky's chamber music in the last part of the 19th century, the famous Belgian critic and musicologist Fetis recalled:
“The music of Wranitzky was in fashion when it was new because of his natural melodies and brilliant style…I recall that, in my youth, his works held up very well in comparison with those of Haydn. Their premature abandonment of today has been for me a source of astonishment.”
We are pleased to reintroduce this work which has been out of print for roughly 200 years and feel confident that its freshness and originality will give great pleasure to chamber music lovers.
Parts: $24.95
