by Layne Anspach
Hello musicians!
For the next few months, Chamber Music Corner will focus on repertoire of the same instrumentation—quintet for piano and winds. Unlike the Classical quintets of Mozart and Beethoven, these quintets exchange oboe for flute. The first such work discussed in CMC was Louis Spohr’s Quintet, Op. 52, in August 2023. This month, we will focus on Adolphe Blanc’s Quintet, Op. 37.
Adolphe Blanc (1828-1885) was a French composer, conductor, and violinist. Starting at age 13, he attended the Paris Conservatory. From 1855-1860, he was employed as conductor for the Theatre-Lyrique. In 1862, Blanc was awarded the Prix Chartier in chamber music. His successful chamber music oeuvre is unique in a time when the French public’s interest was in opera. Blanc’s work helped pave the way for future French chamber music composers.
Blanc wrote his Quintet, Op. 37 in 1859 while he was conductor at the Theatre-Lyrique. Although lost, there is record that he wrote an arrangement of Op. 37 for piano and strings. The first movement, Allegro, in sonata form, starts with the full ensemble together. The first theme is carried either by the tutti ensemble or passing between winds and piano. The second theme shifts instrumentation entirely with clarinet and piano only, only later adding other winds. Following a build-up near the end of the exposition, a dotted eighth-sixteenth rhythm from the first theme returns as transitional material. The development is driven motivically with this rhythm as piano and winds pass fragments of the theme back and forth. The recap begins as expected, but the return of the second theme uses horn (rather than clarinet) as the leading voice. The movement ends with a coda as the piano plays constant sixteenth notes and the winds recall the first theme. The first movement accounts for half of the entire work.
The second movement, Scherzo, is in the typical large da capo form. The first section follows a light downward-leading motif in minor. The Trio moves to the parallel major and features a quaint waltz. Then, without fanfare, the movement returns to the scherzo to conclude. The final movement starts with a slow introduction, Andante maestoso. The subsequent Allegro is a pleasant and entertaining conclusion to the work in which a few sections feature winds without piano. The piano writing is never heavy, providing, overall, a very enjoyable listening experience.
The reference recording is from Les Vents de Montreal’s album Adolphe Blanc: Chamber Music for Clarinet (ATMA Classique). The hornist on the album is Denys Derome.
