Recently Published Chamber Music

The Viennese violin virtuoso JOSEPH MAYSEDER (1789-1863), was by all accounts from those who heard him play, the equal of any of the leading virtuosi then active before the public.. He knew and gave concerts with all of the leading players of the time including Hummel, Beethoven, Czerny, Moscheles, Chopin, Schubert and Clara Schumann to name but a few. Paganini, with whom he often played string quartets when the Italian was in Vienna, thought highly of him.. He was a very accomplished composer as well and his chamber works were extremely popular. Besides his work as a soloist, he was the leader of several important string quartets. Chamber music was one of his main interests. If you want to present a chamber work which will insure the audience jumps to its feet shouting Bravo, you can do no better than performing his STRING QUINTET NO.1 IN E FLAT MAJOR.	FERDINAND THIERIOT (1838-1919), is one of those many fine Romantic era composers whose music though often performed while they were alive soon disappeared not long after their deaths. Thieriot studied with same teacher as his friend Brahms, although his music sounds very different from that of Brahms. In his charming PIANO QUARTET NO.1 IN E MINOR, one of his early youthful works, we hear echoes of Mozart, Schubert and Weber. There are appealing melodies and good part-writing for all. Good enough to be brought into the concert hall, it can be especially recommended to amateurs looking for a fine work to perform as it is not at all difficult to play.
THEODORE DUBOIS (1837-1924), along with his almost exact contemporary Camille Saint Saens, was one of the leading composers of the French Romantic Movement. Dubois and Saint Saens both eschewed Impressionism. It is surprising and inexpicable that his music is not as well known as that of Saint Saens for it is every bit as good. Fame is a fickle thing. His TWO PIECES IN CANONICAL STYLE FOR OBOE, CELLO AND PIANO are charming and appealing. Though written for two virtuoso players who, like him, taught at the Paris Conservatory, it is a work which is very easy to play and presents absolutely no technical difficulties. A good choice for concert but certainly a work which amateur should not pass up.	IGNAZ LACHNER (1805-1895), the second of the three famous Lachner brothers, was without doubt the one who had the greatest gift for melody. That he might almost be called a second Schubert was no accident for Lachner, during his time in Vienna, became close friends with Schubert. His STRING QUARTET NO.3 IN C MAJOR is a stellar example of his melodic gifts. However, Lachner was not just a melodist, but also an expert in composition as the fine part-writing in this quartet shows. Along with his other quartets, it enjoyed great popularity throughout the 19th century. If brought into the concert hall, audiences will regard it as a great treat. Amateurs also will get much pleasure from it.
The German composer and teacher GUSTAV SCHRECK (1849-1918) not only was a professor of composition and music theory at the Leipzig Conservatory but held the prestigious post of cantor of the Thomas Church in Leipzig, Bach's church, and arguably the most important such position in the world. Also a found of the New Bach Society, he became an important editor of Bach's works. He mostly wrote religious music, much of it performed by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. His NONET FOR WINDS IN E MAJOR was almost certainly composed with the member of that orchestra in mind. Full of appealing melodies and superb part-writing for each instrument, this is a work which will do very well in concert and can be recommended to amateur groups as well.	That the Italian composer VINCENZO DE MEGLIO (1825-1883) is not better known in part must be due to the fact that he lived his entire life in Naples, rarely traveling anywhere, not even to the larger Italian cities like Rome or Milan. But within Naples and envirions, he and his music enjoyed a considerable reputation. He was not only a composer but also as a popular and sought after concert and salon pianist. His ANDANTE AND ALLEGRO FOR PIANO TRIO, a work which sounds like it was written for the tastes of salon audiences is a perfect example of his talent. The part-writing balances all 3 voices masterfully. The melodies are highly appealing and while it certainly will do well in concert, it can be tackled by amateurs as well.
GEORGE SZELL (1897-1970) is known by most music lovers as one of the most famous conductors of the 20th century. However, Szell was a child prodigy of the first order, not only as a pianist, but also as a composer. At the age of 14, he composed his PIANO QUINTET IN E MAJOR, a work which sounds like it was written by a mature composer decades older than a mere child. So impressed was the famous Vienna publishing firm Universal Editions, that they gave the 14 year old boy a ten year contract for the exclusive rights to publish his works. It would be no exaggeration to say that this is a work of the first order, a masterwork deserving concert performance.	GIOVANNI BATTISTA SAMMARTINI (1700-1775) was one of the most important composers of the late Baroque and pre classical era. Multi-talented he was a fine performer on the violin and the organ. He was also recognized as a first rate composer and was a much sought after teacher who counted Gluck and Myslivecek among his many students. A compositional innovator, scholars believe that Haydn among others learned from his advances. His TRIO FOR TWO VIOLINS AND CELLO is from his earlier period when he wrote in the Baroque style. It is an appealing work which can be brought to to the concert hall but should also be considered by amateurs who are sure to enjoy it as present no technical difficulties.
Today, most scholars regard PETER HÄNSEL (1770-1831) as the principal representative of the true quartet style of Haydn and Mozart. Hänsel not only studied with Haydn, he absorbed more of the master's technique than anyone else. No one's quartets sound more like they were written by Haydn than Hänsel. They are so well done that if you did not know otherwise, you would certainly believe they had been written by Haydn. As such they are perfect in every way. His STRING QUARTET IN A MAJOR is a superb example of how well he succeeded. This is a first rate quartet, the equal of the very best of Haydn's certainly deserving concert performance and recommended to amateurs also.	CARL CZERNY (1791-1857), a student of Beethoven, Clementi and Hummel was a child prodigy on the piano as well as one of the most famous piano teachers of all time. He was also a prodigious composer of over 1000 works. His publishers insisted he write salon pieces which were incredibly popular and made them rich. Critics who were unfamiliar with his wonderful chamber music, attacked him as a hack. Had they ever heard works such as his NONET FOR PIANO, STRINGS & WINDS IN E FLAT MAJOR they would have realized that he not only had a gift for melody but also was an immaculate craftsman as a composer. This is a superb work deserving concert performance.