»Tastenspiele«

As far as it will go

Amédée Rasetti, who sometimes liked to describe himself as »God's favourite«, was a contemporary of Mozart who died at the early age of 40. One of his most famous works is the Trio for Flute, Bassoon and Piano in F major, op. 13 no. 1. The beginning, which turns out to be completely lovely, with a few harmonious surprises, is followed by a thoughtful, melancholy central movement in A minor and a thrilling final movement of outstanding virtuosity. The bassoon in particular is required to display a range that was unusually large for the times, with the d'' going beyond what was normal then. Rasetti's trios, with their unusual combination of flute and bassoon, are without a doubt amongst the highlights of the relatively modest repertoire for these instruments.

Antonín Dvořák composed his Piano Quartet in D major, op. 23 in 1875, his »Slavonic period«, and it can thus be regarded as a reflection of his deep affinity with the folk music of his homeland of Bohemia. The cello theme, which seems almost insignificant at the beginning, is shifted gently into the minor by the violin and immersed in the brightest sounds by the piano, before finally leading into a transition characterised by rhythm and power only to return in an intensified form later. The secondary theme of the movement is just as lyrical and traditional.

For almost a hundred years, the works of the French composer Louise Farrenc remained forgotten. It was only in the 1980s that they were rediscovered through a dissertation by Bea Friedland on the musicological study of gender and women in French Classicism. Her Sextet in C minor for piano and wind quintet, op. 40, from the year 1852 is wonderfully rich in musical invention and covers a vast range of the musical styles of the time. The flute expands the group of woodwind into a complete quintet, which has the effect of facing the piano with a complete body of sound. The structure of the piece is based on the Viennese classical tradition which can be seen most clearly in the splitting of the striking motif in the woodwind and by the thematic development.

Amédée Rasetti (1759–1799)
Trio for Flute, Bassoon and Piano in F major, op. 13 no. 1
Allegro molto – Andantino – Allegro assai

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Piano Quartet no. 1 in D major, op. 23
Allegro moderato – Andantino – Finale. Allegretto scherzando, Allegro agitato

– Interval –

Louise Farrenc (1804–1875)
Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Piano in C minor, op. 40
Allegro – Andante sostenuto – Allegro vivace