MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger


Support us financially by purchasing this from

George ONSLOW (1784-1853)
String Quintet op. 74 E minor [27:21]
String Quintet op. 33 B flat Major [31:40]
Sextet op. 30 in E flat Major [35:26]
Quintet op. 79bis B flat Major [37:23]
Gianluca Luisi (piano)
Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt
rec. 2003/6, Zentralsaal Bamberg; Fürstliche Reitbahn Arolsen, Germany
MDG 603 2117-2 [59:16 + 73:02]

This attractively-priced, double CD reissue couples two long-sold-out single discs which originally graced the pages of the MDG catalogue and whose reissue was much requested - by me at least.

Born in Clermont-Ferrand in France, George Onslow was the son of a disgraced English aristocrat who had fled England to escape embarrassment and scandal. His autobiography points to musical education as being of little importance to his father; however, his father was implicated as a counter-revolutionary during the French Revolution and was forced to leave France, and in exile Onslow studied piano with Jan Ladislav Dussek, then was sent to England to stay with his family where he met Antonín Reicha, with whom he perfected his pianistic and compositional skills.

The two quintets for string quartet and double bass, were originally released on a single disc (MDG 603 1233-2), for which I had long been searching and had almost given up hope of finding. It was then more usual to employ a second cello in a string quintet but it seems that in his many quintets the composer’s preferred choice for a second instrument was the double bass. These are entertaining works which have given me great enjoyment; they show a mastery of the classical form with more than a nod towards the Romantic movement. I particularly enjoyed the Op. 33 Quintet with its charming opening Allegro con brio. However, the second movement Andante mestoso makes the greatest impression, its rich melodies firmly placing it in the Romantic tradition. An almost mournful opening leads into a more animated second section, then the third movement is the epitome of the classical Minuetto and the Finale rounds off this wonderful work with charm, grace and panache.

The second disc presents the works with piano and has been known to me for some time now as I managed to get a copy of the original disc (MDG 603 1442-2). It opens with the lovely Sextet, scored for piano, string quartet and double bass and dedicated to Onslow’s friend Johann Nepomuk Hummel. The Minuetto contains the works most memorable music, with its bouncy, catchy rhythm, but I once again find myself drawn to the work’s slow movement, whose charming tune is the basis for a set of variations. The Quintet for piano quartet and double bass, is a slightly less memorable work; here, it is the outer two movements that have always made the greatest impression on me, with their strong leaning towards the Romantic in the way that Onslow develops their main thematic material.

All four of these works are performed superbly well by the strings of the Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt; the addition of Gianluca Luisi’s piano for the works on the second disc only serves to heighten the enjoyment. The beautiful, well-balanced recorded sound comes up to MDG’s usual standard. The excellent notes seem to be derived from the original booklets. This is a wonderful re-entry into the catalogue.

Stuart Sillitoe



Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing