Note that in my modest opinion the best chamber music work of K.M. von WEBER is written for the same set of instruments. For instance, Weber's quintet with clarinet has too much concerting features: impossible for Weber to challenge Mozart on that ground !
Such a beautiful piece! And speaking as a flutist, please don't suggest changing the flute part to violin--we have so few Romantic pieces available as it is...
Louise Farrenc is a totally unknown composer, which deserves to be "resurrected". This formation for fulte, cello and piano had been succesfully used by Weber in what was probably his best piece of chamber music. The work by Louise Farrenc is quite typical of her time, but avoids any spectacular virtuosity to concentrate on intrinsic qualities of the music itself. The form is classical but very well dominated.Moreover, sg he wrote "serious" music together with very few colleagues (e.g. Boellmann a a bit later on) at a quite sueeficial time when Offen bach was the king of music in France. These "happy few" paved the way to the wondeful musical French school between 1871 and 1914. Last but not least, she was one of our leading composer ladies together wih such names as Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Lili Boulanger or Germaine Tailleferre, and quite recently the Finnish born Katia Saariaho, who develops a very specvific language.
I randomly came across this composition. First time ever I've heard of Luise Farrenc. I'm astonished, such a delicate yet powerful, solid piece of music. I'd have easily mistaken it for an early Brahms.
If you click on the tab "show more" you will see Midsummer's Music. That is the name of the group. Other names were not listed, but I can re-check my CD to see if the names were printed in the booklet somewhere
Thanks. Would appreciate that, if there is more information. The sound quality of the flutist and the variety of color that he/she makes is particularly attractive in this recording.
David, it took a little digging, but here are the players: Jean Berkenstock, flute Walter Preucil, cello William Koehler, piano Jean and her husband Jim founded Wisconsin's Midsummer's Music. Yes, very fine playing. And thank you for all of your beautiful playing over the years. BTW, I went to school with Sue Carroll, who, iirc, played on a horn that used to be yours! Sue really played beautifully.
No, not to my ears. Bass would be historically more likely a generation or two earlier, and in Vienna, not Paris (see Mozart's flute quartet, KV 285, and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, if played one on a part: no cello, only doublebass!). Viola da gamba, as a third consideration, was used in France later than elsewhere in Europe, but not for chamber music in mid-nineteenth century Paris.
As a double-bassist myself, I have to agree that it really does sound like a proficient bassist is playing the cello part here. That is, everywhere except for the higher registers (and/or when the cellist is playing on the A string)...which are just a bit too bright to be a bass. A slightly muffled recording and a very sonorous cello must be the trick's combination here ;-).
I have contacted Centaurus (the Publisher). The group is composed by: Jean Berkenstock, flute ; Mel Warner, clarinet ; James Berkenstock, bassoon ; Jonathan Boen, horn ; Laura Miller, violin ; Patrick Brennan, viola ; Walter Preucil, violoncello ; Gregory Sarchet, double bass ; William Koehler, piano ; James Berkenstock, artistic director
