The Romantic Woodwind Quintets, Part I

Aliabiev, Alexander Nikolaievich (1787-1851)

Also spelled Aliabiev, Alyabyev, Aljabjew.

Quintet in C Minor

Aliabiev’s Quintet was published in Moscow by Muzycka press and a modern edition was published in 2000 by P. J. Tonger, in Köln (Cologne, in French and English). Although the beginning and end of the work are in C Minor, the bulk of the work is in a cheerful C Major. Although it is one of the earliest works on this list and only a single movement, Aliabiev never actually finished it. It was completed later by B. Dobrochotow (of whom there is almost no information in English, not even his first name). It is also available from Sheet Music Direct via download.

(Alexander Aliabiev should not be confused with his contemporary, Alexander Micholaevich Alabiev, 1802-1852.)

Ashton, Algernon Bennet Langton (1859-1937)

Quintet

Algernon Ashton’s Quintet was not published in the composer’s lifetime and was probably destroyed, after the composer’s death, in a fire during the London Blitz in World War II.

Barthe, Adrien (1828-1898)

“Adrien Barthe,” or “A. Barthe,” was a pseudonym for Grat-Norbert Barthe.

Aubade (1884)

Published in Paris by A. Pinatel in 1893.

The original Pinatel version is available for download from the International Music Score Library Project.

On a historical note, the Aubade was one of the works on the first concert of the Société de Musique de Chambre pour Instruments à Vent on Feb. 6, 1879 in the Salle Pleyel in Paris. This group, founded by Paul Taffanel, played an important role in developing wind chamber music for 14 years and, afterwards, inspired other groups dedicated to the composition and performance of new music for winds.

Passacaille (1899 or earlier)

Publishers:

• Paris: Alphonse Leduc, ca. 1899
• San Antonio, Texas: Southern Music
• There may have been additional editions by Kjos and Rubank.

The Passacaille is also included in the popular Albert J. Andraud 22 Quintets published by Southern Music.

The Leduc edition is now available for free download from the International Music Score Library Project, here.

Both pieces (Aubade and Passacaille) were recently published as a set, titled “Two Pieces for Woodwind Quintet” by Prairie Dawg Press in Manhattan, Kansas. The owner, Bruce Gbur died recently and I don’t know who has taken over the catalog, if anybody.

Benzon, Siegfried (1793 to ca. 1825? or possibly 1832)

Quintett Op. 11 in E-flat Major

• Adagio
• Allegro Molto
• Andante
• Bolero Moderato

Benzon’s Quintet was published in Augsburg by Gombart in 1819, which means this work was probably written at the same time that Reicha was finishing his own quintets and published a year or two before Danzi’s Quintets. (The careful reader might notice this stretches my rule of including works between 1820 to 1919. But it still is a Romantic-era quintet.) A modern edition was published in Rot an der Rot by Musikverlag Rundel in 1994 (Heft 198) see https://www.rundel.de/ . It is also available on microfilm in Berkeley, California: University of California Library Photographic Service, 1998.

Duration: 8:20.

Berthold, Hermann (1819-1879)

Quintettino

• Vorspiel
• Liebeslied
• Floetenuhr (antiquarischer Musikautomat)
• Schwedisches Volkslied
• Kanonischer Marsch in simultan variablen Metren

Published in Leipzig: Edition Peters 1972

The flutist doubles on piccolo.

Caveat: I’ve found no info about the composer or the work other than what I have here.

Böhme, Oskar (1870-1938?)

Fantasie über russische Volksklange, Op. 45

This Fantasy on a Russian Folksongs (literally, Russian Folk Sounds) was published in Leipzig by Karl & Wendling Ruhle.

Brennsteiner, Wolfgang

Quintetto in B-flat Major (1829 or later)

This quintet was published in St. Cloud, Minnesota by Medici Music Press, 1982 (T. Donley Thomas, editor). The cover page lists this as an “Urtext Premiere Publication”. The first page of the score, after the composer’s name, prints “Berchtesgaden, 1829.” It is unclear whether this refers to the date of composition, or the birth of Brennsteiner himself. Obviously, if that is his birth year, the date of composition would have been much later. Other than this single work, Brennsteiner appears to be invisible on the internet.

Briccialdi, Giulio (Baldesarre) (1818-1881)

Giulio Briccialdi is unique among the Romantic quintet composers as being thoroughly immersed in the Italianate opera style of composition. However, researching quintets by Briccialdi is difficult because: 1. There is no complete list of his works; 2. There are three conflicting numbering systems (“Opus” numbers and “Series” numbers plus the numbering on the www.giuliobriccialdi.com/ website.); 3. When some quintets are listed, they have the opus numbers of other works attached to them; 4. The International Music Score Library Project has the only useful list of Briccialdi’s opus numbers online, and it is incomplete and doesn’t list works without opus numbers.

There are at least four woodwind quintets by Briccialdi: 1) The Quintet in D Major, Op. 124 (which is the best known of the quintets); at least two Quintets in B-flat major (listed as Series 10, Nos. 2 and 3, although some libraries might list them as Nos. 1 & 2), and Potpourri Fantastico sul Barbiere di Siviglia del Mo[nsignor] Rossini (in B-flat Major), Series 10, No. 4. Two recently published editions of B-flat major Quintets are probably the Series 10, 2 & 3, but that is unconfirmed. Clearly, more scholarship needs to be done on Giulio Briccialdi and his catalog.

Quintet in D Major, Op. 124 (written 1875 or before)

• Allegro marziale – Piú mosso
• Andante – Meno moto
• Allegro

List of Publishers

• Mainz: B. Schott’s Sohne, 1875
• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic, 1992
• Boca Raton, Florida: Masters Music, 2004 [Edited by Conrad Marshall]
• Lancaster, UK: Phylloscopus Publications
• Niedernhausen: Edition Kemel, 2008 (Reprint of the Schott 1875 edition)
• See also https://www.giuliobriccialdi.com/

The parts for the original Schott edition of 1875 may be downloaded from the International Music Score Library Project. Duration: 13:15. This work is dedicated to “Monsieur Le Comte Tommaso Lauri.”

Quintets in B♭ Major, catalog Series 10, Numbers 2 & 3

Recorded by the Quintetto Briccialdi and at least one recorded by the Avalon Wind Quintet CD 8.553410 Naxos. Instead of opus numbers, these works use Series numbers. Both quintets in B♭ appear to be three-movement works. Duration for S. 10/2 is 13:15; for S. 10/3 is 13:50.

Potpourri Fantastico sul Barbiere di Siviglia del Mo[nsignor] Rossini (in B-flat Major), Series 10, No. 4

Published in Salem, Connecticut by Cimarron Music Press, 2007, cimarronmusic.com “Edited by the Borealis Wind Quintet”

Duration: 9:35. Based on Rossini’s Barber of Seville opera. It appears that Briccialdi composed it for woodwind quintet, although the Borealis Wind Quintet may have edited it for their own performance and recording, “A La Carte – Short Works for Winds.” Their recording is available on www.CimarronMusic.com and also on YouTube.

Wind Quintet No. 1 in Bb Major, Op. 56, Arranged by Vincenzo Lai

Published in Niedernhausen with Edition Kemel by Noten Roehr, 2023

The Opus number of 56 is suspect. The list of Briccialdi’s works on the International Music Score Library Project website gives this opus number to Potpourri sur des Motifs de l’Opera: J montecchi ed I Capuleti, de Bellini for flute and piano, published by Schott in 1849. However, this work could be one of the B-flat Major Wind Quintets with The Series 10 designation (see above), possibly the Series 10, Nr. 2.

Second Quintet in B♭ major, Op. 132 (revised by Robert Ostermeyer?)

• Allegretto
• Andante sostenuto
• Allegro

Published in Wernigerode, Germany as Robert Ostermeyer Musikedition, 2005, ROM 169.

The Opus number is (again) problematic, with giuliobriccialdi.com giving that opus number to “Sedici Duettini dialogati per due Flauti.”

This edition is based on a manuscript from the library of the Accademia de Santa Cecilia in Rome (Ms. 3206). It appears that this work might be the work catalogued Series 10, Number 3; see above.

Brod, Henri (1799-1838

Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 2, No. 1

• I. Adagio–Allegro vivace
• II. Andante
• III. Minuetto (allegro)
• IV. Presto

Publishers:

• New York: McGinnis & Marx 1960
• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic, 1992
• Middleton, Wisconsin: A-R Editions, 2008
• Surbiton, Surrey: Rosewood Publications, 2000
• All three quintets by Brod were published in Middleton, Wisconsin by A-R Editions in 2008, and may be found in many music school libraries. Duration: 22:59.

Quintet in F Major, Op. 2, No. 2

• I. Lento–Allegro
• II. Andante
• III. Andante
• IV. Finale

Publishers:

• Originally published by [Francesco Gaetano Saverio Antonio] Pacini in Paris
• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic, 1992
• New York: McGinnis & Marx
• Surbiton, Surrey: Rosewood Publications, 2000

Duration: 22:04.

Quintet in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3

Publishers:

• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic, 1992
• New York: McGinnis & Marx
• Surbiton, Surrey: Rosewood Publications, 2000

Duration: 24:15.

Chretién, Hedwige (1859-1944)

Quintett in B-flat Major en deux mouvements (ca. 1887)

Original publication in Paris by Millereau, in 1887. Also published in San Antonio, Texas by Southern Music.

Available for download from the International Music Score Library Project.

2 movements, as the title says. Duration: 7:35. Hedwige Chretién is one of the few women composers of 19th century quintets. A 2013 live concert recording by Quintette Allegria is available on YouTube: 1^st movement and 2^nd movement .

Clarke, Alphonse, Comte de Feltre (Count of Feltre) (1806-1850)

Quintet

This composer is sometimes listed as Alphonse de Feltre. Whichever name you use, he was a student of Anton Reicha, so this is likely a woodwind quintet, but I’ve not been able to confirm the exact scoring.

Coenen, Johannes Meinardus (1824-1899)

Quintet in A Minor

• Allegro
• Andante
• Scherzo
• Finale. Allegro

Published in Amsterdam by Edition Compusic, in 1992. Duration: 28:00.

Johannes Meinardus Coenen was a Dutch bassoonist and conductor. The Grove Music Online article on Coenen erroneously gives the key for this quintet as A Major and gives the composition date of 1990, which would have been 91 years after his death. (Which would have been an astonishing achievement, if true.)

Colomer, B. M. (1840-1917)

His full name was Blai Maria Colomer i Pérez and also listed as Blas María Colomer i Pérez.

Menuet

Publishers:

• Paris: Evette & Schaeffer, ca. 1870
• New York: Carl Fischer, 1970 (but not listed in their current catalog)
• San Antonio: Southern Music

This quintet and the Bourrée below are included in the Andraud 22 Quintets collection. The original Evette & Schaeffer parts (and a cleaner, modern edition) for the Menuet (only) may be downloaded from the IMSLP Petrucci Music Library here.

Bourrée

A companion piece to the Menuet, it appears only to be available through the Andraud woodwind quintet collection, which also publishes the Menuet (see above).

De Nardis, Camillo (1857-1951)

Allegro giocoso

Camillo De Nardis was a Neapolitan instructor of composition who wrote and arranged works for wind ensembles. There is only one reference to a woodwind quintet by this composer, and it could be an arrangement of one of his works, if it actually exists.

Deshayes, Prosper-Didier (ca. 1750-ca. 1815)

Also spelled Des Hayes

Quintette No. 1

The original publisher was Gobert in Paris. A modern publication is available from Lancaster, UK by Phylloscopus Publications.

Quintette No. 2

As with Quintet No. 1, the original publisher was Gobert in Paris. A modern publication is published in Lancaster, UK by Phylloscopus Publications.

The dates of composition for these two quintets are unknown. One or two other lists incorrectly ascribe these works to Marie Deshayes.

Deslandres, Adolphe Édouard Marie (1840-1911)

Trois Pièces en Quintette (1903)

• 1. Andante
• 2. Scherzo
• 3. Finale

Publishers:

• The composer self published this quintet in 1908 in Paris
• Tunbridge, Vt.: Trillenium Music Co., 1999.
• Warngau: Accolade Musikverlag, 2017
• Andraud (now Southern Music) see the Andraud 22 Quintets collection.

Egidi, Arthur (1859-1943)

Quintett in B-flat major, Op. 18 (1909)

Publisher – Wolfenbüttel: Verlag für Musikalische Kultur und Wissenschaft, 1937

A lone listing in WorldCat indicates Egidi’s Op. 18 was published in 1909, but there is no confirmation elsewhere. (With an early opus number of 18, it is likely that it was composed well before our cut-off date of 1919.) The most complete biography of Egidi that I’ve found is in the German-language Wikipedia, which describes him as an organist, composer and music pedagogue. There is no catalog of his works, to my knowledge, nor have I found a recording. There is a copy at the Staatsbibiothek zu Berlin – Preussischer Kulturbesitz Haus Potsdamer Strasse. Another copy is at the Rita Benton Music Library at the University of Iowa.

Egidi also wrote a Quartet for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, Op. 19. It might be worthwhile for someone with access to one of libraries listed above to get a copy and perform (and possibly record) the quintet (and maybe the quartet, too).

Foerster, Josef Bohuslav (1859-1951)

Kvintet, pro dechove nastroje (Quintet for Wind Instruments), Op. 95 in D Major (1909)

• 1. Allegro moderato – Un poco meno mosso – Meno mosso (quasi Andante) (D Major)
• 2. Andante sostenuto (E-flat major)
• 3. Allegro scherzando (due batutte) (C minor)
• 4. Moderato e tranquillo – Allegro moderato. (D Major)

Publishers:

• Prague: Hudební Matice Umelecké Besedy, 1925 (selling agents: Max Eschig, J. & W Chester, Breitkopf & Härtel)
• Prague: Cesky Hudebni Fond (Czech Music Foundation)
• Tallevast, Florida: TrevCo Music, 2004
• Prague: Editio Bärenreiter Praha
• Score and parts of the 1925 edition are available for download from the International Music Score Library Project.

Duration: 19:20.

The original score oddly offers a piano part, which is a reduction of the score and has sections which look completely unplayable, but might be useful for study. Grove Music Online appears to incorrectly refer to this as Quintet in F Major.

The IMSLP site allows you to listen to an excellent recording of Foerster’s quintet by the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. A nice video of this work is available on Youtube, performed by an ensemble at the University of Maryland. There are many other recordings of this work, as well.

Fricke, Hugo (1829-1894)

Divertimento

The Divertimento was in the possession of the Internationale Musikbibliothek in Berlin, an East German library that became defunct after Reunification. Perhaps a German librarian or musicologist could find where this library’s collection landed. I’ve found no other listing nor a publisher for the work.

Gebauer, François René (1773-1845)

Quintet [No. 1] in B-flat Major

Publishers:

• Vienna: Universal Editions, 1972
• New York: McGinnis & Marx, 1966

Woodwind Quintet No. 2 in E-flat Major

• Allegro
• Menuett – Trio – Menuett
• Andante sostenuto
• Rondo: Valse

Publishers:

• London: Universal Edition, 1972
• Munchen: F. E. C. Leuckart 1971
• New York: McGinnis & Marx, 1966
• Planegg bei München: Verlag Thomi-Berg, 1971

Originally published between 1820 and 1830 by Richault. Parts for only this quintet are available for download from the International Music Score Library Project here.

Bläserquintett, Nr. 3, C Minor

• Allegro Moderato
• Menuetto
• Thema con Variatione – Andante + 5 Variationen
• Rondo (Allegro)

Publishers:

• Munchen: F. E. C. Leuckart, 1971
• New York: McGinnis & Marx, 1966
• Warngau: Accolade Musikverlag, www.accolade.de

Ghedini, Giorgio Federico (1892-1965)

Quintet No. 1 (1910)

• I. Allegro moderato
• II. Romanza
• III. Finale

Published in Milano (Milan, Italy) by G. Ricordi, in 1976 and 1992.

Duration: 13:00. Recorded on the Fonè label in Livorno, Italy, in 1990. Grove Music Online obstinately maintains that this quintet was unpublished. If you cannot find a copy elsewhere, Trevco Music includes it in their catalog; plus one is available in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek München.

Viewing only excerpts of the oboe and bassoon parts, the work doesn’t look too technical. A good quintet should record this and make it available.

Gouvy, Théodore (1819-1898)

Sérénade en quintette pour instruments à vents in F Major (without opus number), restoration by Alain Thiel

Published in Hombourg-haut, France by Editions de l’Institut Theodore Gouvy in 2010.

It’s been 14 years since this work was published and yet there is no recording publicly available. Some ensemble should fix that!

Held, Jan Theobald (1770-1851)

The composer is also listed as Johann Theobald Held.

Menuetto Scherzoso

The Manuscript is available in the Janackova akademie muzickych umeni, Brno, Czech Republic.

Heim, Max (1853-1905)

Quintett in Es dur (E-flat Major) (1903)

• Allegro vivace über ein ungarisches Thema
• Andante
• Rondo
• Presto

Published in Heilbronn by C. F. Schmidt

Parts are available from the International Music Score Library Project to download here.

Holbrooke, Joseph (Charles) (1878-1958)

A Miniature Characteristic Suite, Op. 33b (1897)

Publishers:

• London: Rudall, Carte and Co., ca. 1910
• London: Boosey & Hawkes

Holst, Gustav Theodore (1874-1934)

Wind Quintet in A-flat Major, Op. 14 (1903)

• Allegro moderato
• Adagio
• Minuet (in canon) and trio
• Air and variations

Publishers:

• London: Faber Music, 1983
• New York: G. Schirmer, 1983
• Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England: Sky Dance Press, 2006
• London: Boosey & Hawkes

Duration: 16:00. Although an early work, it was apparently not performed until 1982.

If you are expecting a work along the lines of Holst’s Suites for band or The Planets, you may be disappointed. However the work has been described as operatic, if not strictly in the Romantic style. See the commentary by Marcia Schweitzer in our catalog. (Use the link above.)

Ingenhoven, Jan (1876-1951)

Quintet in C Major, Op. 23 (1911)

Publishers:

• Koln, Munich: Wunderhornverlag, Tischer & Jagenberg G.m.b.H., 1912
• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic, 1997

Uses clarinet in A which is prominent through much of the score. Score and parts are also available for download from the IMSLP here.

Kjellberg, Johann Gustav (1846-1904)

Quintet (1895)

Published in Sweden by Blås-Basen (http://www.blas-basen.se/) (see Trevco Music in the U.S.) Duration: 8:00.

Klughardt, August Friedrich Martin (1847-1902)

The composer is sometimes listed as Klughart.

Wind Quintet in C Major, Op. 79 (1898-1901)

• I. Allegro non troppo
• II. Allegro vivace
• III. Andante grazioso
• IV. Adagio – Allegro molto vivace

Publishers:

• Bayreuth: C. Giessel, 1901
• Frankfurt: Zimmerman, 1902, 2000 (distr. Peters)
• Kalmus, 1990,1996
• Leipzig: F. Hofmeister, 1960
• New York: McGinnis & Marx
• Mettawa, Illinois: Edition Silvertrust, http://www.editionsilvertrust.com

Duration: 23:00. Parts also available for download from the International Music Score Library Project here.

Recorded by the Bergen Blasekvintett, PCS 1094 Simax, CD, 1992. There are several professional and amateur videos on YouTube of this work.

Korich, Carl (1869- ?)

Quintett

Published in Leipzig and Berlin by Jul. Heinr. Zimmerman, 1915.

Lachner, Franz Paul (1803-1890)

Quintet in F Major (No. 1) (1823)

• Andante; Allegro assai
• Scherzo: Allegro assai
• Andante; Allegro; Andante
• Allegro

Publishers:

• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic, 1992
• Middleton, Wisconsin: A-R Editions, 2004

Manuscripts for both of Lachner’s quintets are located at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich.

Quintet No. 2 in E-flat Major (1827 or 1829)

• 1. Allegro
• 2. Andante con moto
• 3. Menuetto. Allegro assai
• 4. Allegretto

Publishers:

• Monteux, France: Musica Rara, 1984
• Middleton, Wisconsin: A-R Editions, 2004. A-R Editions also offers a full score of both quintets (without parts).

A note on the German Flute Page (https://www.flutepage.de/) explains that the “The difficult-to-read manuscript from the Bayerischen Saatsbibliothek in Munich was converted into a playable edition by Frans Vester” for the Musica Rara edition.

Laurischkus, Max (1876-1929)

Aus Litauen [From Lithuania], Op. 23 (1910)

• Von Land und Leuten (Of the land and people)
• Abendstimmung (Evening song)
• Daina: litauisches Volkslied (Daina: Lithuanian folksong)
• Dorfserenade (Village serenade)
• Metturgis: kirmes

Publishers:

• Leipzig: Simrock ca. 1915
• Hamburg: Anton J. Benjamin, 1966
• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic, 1992
• Bradfield, Berkshire, England: Rosewood Publications
• Available from the International Music Score Library Project here.

Duration: 13:00. Several catalog entries list this as a quartet (without clarinet), which is an error. The score and parts you can download from the IMSLP show Aus Litauen, is definitely a woodwind quintet.

Lefebvre, Charles Edouard (1843-1917)

Suite, Op. 57 (ca. 1884)

• Moderato
• Allegretto scherzando
• Finale: Allegro leggiero

Publishers:

• Paris: J. Hamelle, ca. 1884, 1968 /
• New York: International Music Co. /
• New York: Carl Fischer, 1970 /
• Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania: Elkan-Vogel (now Theodore Presser)
• Also published in Andraud’s 22 Woodwind Quintets (Southern Music)

Also available for free download from the International Music Score Library Project, here.

Lickl, Johann Georg (1769-1843)

(Alternate names: Hans-Georg Lickl; György Lickl)

Quintetto Concertante in F Major

• 1. Allegro
• 2. Menuetto
• 3. Adagio
• 4. Polacca
• 5. Thema con Variazioni (Andante)

Published in Basel by Edition Kneusslin (Edited by Fritz Kneusslin), 1966 (available in New York from C.F. Peters Corp., also 1966).

Edited from manuscript. The original parts are at the library of the Prince of Thurn and Taxis in Regensburg.

Lindner, Friedrich (1795-1846)

Quintet in B-flat major, Op. 1 (ca. 1820)

• Allegro
• Menuett-Trio
• Andante
• Tempo Polacca

Publishers:

• Hofmeister, 1820
• Amsterdam: Edition Compusic
• Bradfield, Berkshire, England: Rosewood Publications

Another quintet written about the time Reicha and Danzi were finishing their quintets.

Some vendors refer to the wrong Lindner in their catalogs. There is also a Friedrich Lindner (1542-1597), but it is unlikely he wrote a woodwind quintet since the clarinet hadn’t been invented during his lifetime, and the bassoon just barely. The traditional reference books don’t list a Lindner of 1795-1846, but several online resources refer to him, including the OCLC WorldCat database.

Lysenko, Nikolay Vital’yevich (1842-1912)

Also listed as Mykola Vtaliyevych Lysenko

Suite

Published in Moscow by Soviet Central Publisher. (Note that there wasn’t a Soviet press (or a Soviet Union) until after Lysenko’s death.)

No dates for the composition of the suite or for its publishing are available online.

Copyright © 2024 by Andrew Brandt