6 Quintets, Op. 45

Abstract

Luigi Boccherini was a prolific writer of chamber music. He left some 125 string quintets, 91 string quartets and many more chamber pieces, as well as 4 cello concertos and 20 symphonies. Out of all these works, if one were asked to call to mind one particular piece, it would probably be the celebrated Minuet, which comes from the String Quintet in E major (op. 13 no.5). let his enormous output remains a splendid source of musical discoveries, with many works still largely unknown to the general public. In addition to the quintets for strings alone, there are 18 works for string quartet and one woodwind instrument. The 12 pieces of Opp.21 and 25 are for flute, while the 6 quintets recorded here, Op.45, are designated for oboe or flute. These 6 quintets were composed in 1797, when Boccherini was 54. At that time he enjoyed the patronage of the noble Madrid family of Benavente-Osuna, although this fortunate state of affairs was soon to come to an end. Eight years later, having lost his second wife and three daughters, Boccherini died in complete poverty in Madrid.The First Quintet, in G major, is in two movements. This and the Fourth Quintet are the only two of the group without a minuet and trio. No. 1 opens with a jaunty Allegro con vivacita, oboe and first violin in unison over a rich accompaniment for the lower strings. The second movement is a jolly Allegretto; this opens with a chromatic melody on the first violin, the oboe giving a couple of trills before joining in the fun. In the Quintet No.2 in F major, a lively Andantino leads to a Minuetto with a trio in the minor marked dolce. The reprise of the minuet ends with a beautiful pianissimo. An Allegretto marked soave (sweet, gentle), with many repeated notes and arpeggios for oboe, opens the Quintet No.3 in D major. This leads to the Tempo di Minuetto, in which the oboe chirps and trills happily throughout the entire movement.The opening movement of the Quintet No.4 in A major is a beautiful Andantino marked dolcissimo. The Allegretto which follows contains a plaintive minor passage with a delightful repeated note sequence for the oboe.The Quintet No.5 in E flat major begins with a chromatic passage underpinned by repeated notes on the cello. There follows a fine oboe solo over a pianissimo accompaniment. A Minuetto con moto leads to a modified repeat of the opening material. The Sixth Quintet, in D minor, is the only minor-key work of the set. It is introduced by trills which quickly spread through the ensemble — oboe and second violin start off, and are then joined by the first violin in bar 2, cello in bar 3 and viola in bar 4. More serious in outlook than the other opening movements, it is a rich and powerful piece. A plaintive Minuetto brings the work to its close.