César Franck (1822-1890): A Birthday Tribute

by Hermione Lai

César Franck was born in the city of Liège on 10 December 1822, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. His father, Nicholas-Joseph was a minor clerk, unemployed at the time, but he had great plans for his prodigious musical child.

César was a child genius who loved drawing and playing the piano. His father spotted these talents early and decided to market his young son as a piano prodigy. We come across irresponsible and ambitious parents in the arts all the time, but Nicholas-Joseph was especially aggressive.

The young César Franck

He took his son from one concert tour to the next and made him enrol at the Conservatoire, only to withdraw him from his studies for lengthy concert tours. Much later in life, César confided in his diary, “my father had grand ideas of money flowing like a river towards us, but unfortunately, it was not so.”

The press took strong exception to the highly aggressive promotional efforts of his father, and only at the age of 24 did César Franck walk out of his parent’s house, making a clear break. But life wasn’t easy as his compositions received only mixed reactions and were not embraced by the public. On the anniversary of his birth on 10 December, we decided to pay tribute to this marvellous composer who played an important role in French music.

Violin Sonata in A major, 

Let’s get started with Franck’s most famous work, the Violin Sonata in A major. Written in 1886, it is like a musical rollercoaster, full of twists and turns. It is a vibrant and passionate piece that is already a favourite for violinists and audiences. Actually, it’s considered a cornerstone of the violin repertoire and is cherished for its rich thematic material and emotional depth.

One can easily hear Franck’s famous “cyclic structure,” which just means that themes reappear in different movements. This creates a wonderful sense of unity throughout the piece. The opening theme sweeps you into a world of deep emotions, but just when you think it’s getting serious, the music lightens up and dances through playful, joyful passages.

César Franck’s Violin Sonata

The way the violin and piano work together is like a conversation, with each instrument taking turns to lead, complement, and surprise the other. With its lush harmonies and soaring melodies, the sonata has this magical ability to move you, making you feel like you’re on an exciting adventure through sound. This piece is a true gem of the late Romantic period, brimming with passion, warmth, and joy.

Symphony in D minor 

Initially, nobody much liked Franck’s D-minor symphony. It was first performed in 1889 with critics unsure about its place in the symphonic tradition. Some found the work bold and thrilling, while others were critical of the harmonic language and the overall structure. It was just too unconventional for its time. Times have changed, however, and today, it is considered one of Franck’s greatest masterpieces, full of emotional power and depth.

The music is like a thrilling, whirlwind musical journey. It’s packed with rich and sweeping themes and plenty of dramatic contrasts. The more I listen to it, the more it feels almost cinematic. There is bold and fiery energy from the very beginning, and just listen to these almost heroic declarations in the interaction between strings and brass. But it’s not all drama, as the second movement offers lush and lyrical melodies in a quiet conversation between the string and woodwinds.

The third movement is a bit of a surprise, as it is almost mischievous at times. It seems full of life and certainly puts a smile on your face. In the finale, Franck pulls out all the stops. He takes all the themes and musical ideas that have been bubbling throughout the piece and brings them together in a thrilling and triumphant conclusion. It is a masterpiece containing intense drama, moments of reflection, and pure moments of joy.

Trois Pièces for Organ

Organ of Sainte-Clotilde, Paris

Franck had always aspired to become an organist, and when he was appointed at the church of Sainte-Clotilde, his dream became a reality. As he later explained, “if you only knew how I love this instrument. It is so supple beneath my fingers and so obedient to all my thoughts.” His improvisations became legendary, and his organ compositions stand at the apex of the Romantic organ repertoire.

Franck’s Three Pieces for Organ are like musical gems, each with its own distinct character, but all combining the composer’s genius for combining passion, drama, and tenderness. Composed in 1878, these pieces are full of vivid contrasts and stunning harmonic colours, almost like sweeping landscapes painted with sound.

The “Fantaisie” transports us into a grand cathedral with organ pipes resonating through the space. Expansive chords and soaring themes offer a diverse musical flow, with moments of turbulent energy followed by calm reflections. The powerful sound of the organ takes centre stage in the “Pièce Héroïque.” It is majestic and commanding, full of energy, and almost like a call to arms. But even within this intensity, there are tender moments that add layers of emotional depth. The “Cantabile” returns to a more intimate and serene space. It is the heart of the set, a gentle and lyrical work that contrasts with the fiery drama of the previous movements.

Prelude, Fugue, and Variation

As I wrote in the introduction, Franck was an exceptional pianist. For a time, he seemed to be in competition with Franz Liszt. They personally met on a couple of occasions, and Liszt later wrote to a friend. “He will find the road steeper and rockier than others may, for, as I have told you, he made the fundamental error of being christened César-Auguste, and, in addition, I fancy he is lacking in that convenient social sense that opens all doors before him.”

Clearly, Franck was never comfortable under the glaring light of the virtuoso stage, and to prove that point, he composed the “Prelude, Fugue, and Variation” in 1884. Franck was at the height of his maturity as a composer, and this beautiful and intricate work, initially for organ but later arranged for solo piano, reflects Franck’s rich harmonic language and his deep understanding of counterpoint. It’s basically a homage to Bach, and each section offers a different way of approaching the initial theme.

Franck introduces us to a beautifully simple theme that is immediately inviting and conversational. The real fun begins in the “Fugue” when Franck stretches out the theme, and each new entry of the theme adds its own twist. He also incorporates surprising harmonic turns or playful rhythms, with each voice giving a new level of depth to the original theme. In the “Variation”, he dresses the theme in different costumes, with each variation showing a new side of its character. He certainly is having fun exploring all the possibilities of what the theme has to offer.

The Cursed Hunter

Pierre Petit: César Franck

I just love a good story translated into music. And that is exactly what Franck did in 1883 when he composed “The Cursed Hunter.” It tells the story of the count of the Rhineland who commits the sacrilege of going hunting on a Sunday. He happily ignores the sound of the bells and the singing of the faithful on their way to Mass. But very soon, his horse stopped, and his hunting horn fell silent. A terrifying voice utter a horrendous curse; the huntsman is condemned to ride forever, pursued by demons.

Franck’s symphonic poem, and he composed five such colourful stories in music, is a wild ride through a dark and eerie forest full of dramatic twists and unexpected turns. He brings the legend of the hunter to life with a mix of spooky moments and frantic energy. It all starts with a somewhat mysterious theme, setting the mood for the cursed ride.

The music continues to build, and the orchestra bursts into action with various bold and sweeping melodies that hint at danger. As you might expect from this story, the rhythm is relentless as it mimics the endless chase. Darker and more ominous tones suggest the curse, but finally, it seems that the chase might be over. It all ends in a dramatic and unresolved way, but it is clear that the hunter won’t escape. What a thrilling and atmospheric work, full of suspense and excitement; that’s why I love symphonic poems.

Symphonic Variations 

Franck composed his Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra in 1885. One of Franck’s most approachable compositions, it showcases the composer’s love for harmonic complexity and his mastery of orchestration. However, it also contains moments of deep emotional richness.

The principal theme is introduced by the piano. It is an elegant and simple theme, almost a dreamy melody that is then echoed and explored by the full orchestra. What is really fun about this piece is how Frank takes that theme and spins it into something new and exciting with every variation. He offered different moods, tempos, and textures, alternating between light and playful utterances and bold and dramatic statements.

A real highlight of this work is the interaction between the piano and orchestra, with the theme constantly evolving. It certainly reveals the composer’s deep understanding of both thematic development and orchestral colour. To be sure, Franck uses his gift for blending beauty and drama in a mixture of elegance and compositional genius. It’s a wonderful example of blending tradition with innovation, and it is one of the composer’s most accessible works.

“Nocturne” 

The mélodies by César Franck were only known to a small circle of connoisseurs during his lifetime. Today, however, they are recognised for their expressive power and the composer’s ability to merge lyrical melodies with rich and complex harmonies. A scholar wrote, “His contributions to the French mélodie genre helped bridge the gap between the more traditional Romantic style and the more modern, impressionistic approaches that were developing around the turn of the 20th century.”

César Franck at the organ

One of my favourite is “Nocturne,” composed in 1882. It is the setting of a poem by Paul Verlaine and captures the serene and contemplative atmosphere of the night. The gently flowing melody is both lyrical and expressive, with the piano providing a shimmering backdrop. And you can hear how Franck’s chromatic harmonic and shifts of tonality enhance the sense of longing conveyed in Verlaine’s text. What a wonderful mélodie, both tender and sophisticated, as it fuses emotional depth with harmonic complexity.

Panis Angelicus (Angelic Bread)

César Franck’s Panis Angelicus

Stanley Sadie described César Franck as “a man of utmost humility, simplicity, reverence and industry.” We have seen that his reputation rests largely with a few large-scale orchestral and instrumental works of his later years. However, most of his compositions are associated with his employment as an organist, a position he held for over 30 years. Naturally, he composed a vast number of organ compositions, but we also find numerous sacred vocal works.

Among his most celebrated compositions is a musical setting of “Panis Angelius,” a serene piece that feels like a musical prayer. The title refers to the Eucharist, and it was composed in 1872 as part of a larger work. The music perfectly captures a sense of reverence and tranquillity, and the simple melody is surrounded by lush harmonies that give it an almost heavenly quality.

Franck’s setting has been described as invoking a sense of “serene anxiety.” This musical paradox also governs the vocal line, as the soloist performs a melody of angelic lyricism enriched by surprising harmonic inflection and the occasional strain of chromatic intonation.

I hope you enjoyed our little excursion into the musical world of César Franck, a world full of emotional intensity and spirituality. Franck was a wonderful composer whose reputation, especially outside of France, took a little longer to develop. But his influence remains powerful, specifically in organ music and in late-Romantic orchestral and chamber works. Happy Birthday Mr. Franck.

Piano Practice: Etudes for Intermediate Beginners

by Hermione Lai  

Félix Le Couppey

I started piano lessons at the age of six, and it was a lot of fun. There were so many exciting things to explore, and thankfully I had a very nice and knowledgably teacher. At that age, I didn’t get bored with finger exercises and I just loved the first little piano pieces with cute and charming melodies. Many of these first etudes are custom-written for younger children—they certainly sound that way—which really doesn’t help beginning adult students. Nowadays there are countless piano methods on the market that promise to make the learning process easy and fun. At some point, however, you will still have to stumble across various etudes to strengthen your technique without numbing your brains. Finding etudes for your second or third years of piano studies that are both technically beneficial and musically entertaining isn’t an easy task. It was nevertheless a lot of fun finding interesting etudes composed for the intermediate-beginner pianist. Let’s get started with a graduated set of etudes by the French music teacher, pianist and composer Félix Le Couppey (1811-1887). 

Félix Le Couppey: L’Alphabet, Op. 17

Félix Le Couppey was a student at the Paris Conservatoire, and by the tender age of 17 he was already employed at that institution as an assistant professor of harmony. He went on to receive the first prize in piano and harmony in 1825, and in piano accompaniment in 1828. Couppey became a full-time professor in 1837, and he taught piano at the Conservatoire from 1854 to 1886. He wrote a substantial number of textbooks on the piano, and an equally large number of studies and etudes. His most famous set is a series of elementary etudes called L’Alphabet. We find 25 etudes in total, and they do get progressively more difficult. These little charming didactic pieces offer an interesting approach to polyphony and harmony, and they are simply delightful.

Carl Czerny: Preliminary Studies to the
School of Velocity for piano, Op. 849

Any list of rudimentary etudes has to include the name Carl Czerny (1791-1857). So let’s get him out of the way. Czerny was greatly concerned about acquiring and maintaining piano technique, and he invested much time and energy in providing students with a graduated progress. He composed studies and etudes for all skill levels, and his Thirty New Studies in Technics, (Preliminary School of Velocity) Op. 849 bridges the gap between the Practical Method for Beginners, Op. 599 and The School of Velocity, Op. 299. Despite getting all the bad press, Czerny was a skilled pedagogue who tried to write pleasing compositions that combine musical potential and technical benefit. 

Cornelius Gurlitt

The German composer Cornelius Gurlitt (1820-1901) counted Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms among his close personal friends. Like Brahms, he hailed from Hamburg, and he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory with the famed Carl Reinecke for six years. He first appeared publically at the age of seventeen, and subsequently decided to go to Copenhagen to continue his studies. While taking organ, piano, and composition lessons, Gurlitt became friends with Niels Gade.

Cornelius Gurlitt: Morning Greeting, Op. 130 No. 1

Originally, Gurlitt took on a position as organist, and later moved to Leipzig where Gade was musical director of the Gewandhaus concerts. Always on the move, Gurlitt traveled to Rome and graduated as a Professor of Music in 1855. Returning to the Hamburg region, the Duke of Augustenberg engaged him as a teacher for three of his daughters. Gurlitt also worked as a military bandmaster, and then as an army conductor. He produced a vast number of compositions, including operas, songs, cantatas, and symphonies. But he is best known for his small and delightful piano works for students and amateurs. His 35 Easy Etudes, Op. 130 are charming musical miniature and portraits, prefaced by imaginative titles, that become gradually more challenging. Play

Béla Bartók

Béla Bartók composed a good many of my favorite pieces during my initial years of piano studies. Bartók traveled throughout remote regions of Eastern Europe and North Africa to record folk music. The songs and sounds he gathered became a fundamental element of his musical voice, and he was highly enthusiastic of passing on these cultural treasures to subsequent generations. His Mikrokosmos, a collection of 153 piano pieces in six books of graded difficulty is a work of great pedagogical value. But it is not a conventional piano method. According to Bartók, “technical and theoretical instructions have been omitted, in the belief that these are more appropriately left for the teacher to explain to the student.

Bartók: Mikrokosmos III

The first four volumes of Mikrokosmos were written to provide study material for the beginner pianist and are intended to cover, as far as possible, most of the simple technical problems likely to be encountered in the early stages. The material in volumes 1–3 has been designed to be sufficient in itself for the first, or the first and second, year of study.” The large-scale Mikrokosmos occupied him for several years. Bartók described the genesis of his new piano work in 1940: “Already in 1926, I was thinking of writing very easy piano music for the teaching of beginners. However, it was only in the summer of 1932 that I really began working on it, and at that time I composed about 40 pieces; in 1933-34, another 40 pieces, and an additional 20 in the following years. Finally, in 1938 I had 100-odd pieces together. But there were still some gaps. I filled in these last year, and among others, completed the first half of volume one.” These fantastic pieces are arranged in order of difficulty, so it is very easy to tailor assignments to the abilities of the student. 

Hans von Bülow

Today, Hans von Bülow (1830-1894) is remembered as a highly influential conductor, and as the husband of Cosima née Liszt, who left him for Richard Wagner. What is frequently overlooked is his lasting influence as a pianist. During his American tour in 1876, a critic wrote, “Those who heard Hans von Bülow in recital, listened to piano playing that was at once learned and convincing. He was a deep thinker, analyzer; as he played one saw, as though reflected in a mirror, each note, phrase and dynamic mark of expression to be found in the work.” Bülow was one of the first performers to play the complete 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven, and contemporaries described him as the “greatest living authority on Beethoven.”

Hans von Bülow by Hans Schliessmann

In addition, Bülow premiered Liszt’s B-minor Sonata, and he also was one of the most successful pedagogues of the 19th century. He was employed in Frankfurt and Berlin and famous for his exacting master classes. Richard Strauss attended the Frankfurt classes and wrote, “I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that Bülow is not only our greatest piano teacher but also the greatest executant musician in the world.” Bülow’s legacy for today’s piano student is not expressed in original compositions, but in his precise editions. Aimed at players who might need technical and musical guidance, “Bülow’s editions offer very specific practical and artistic suggestions based on his own understanding of the works as teacher and performer.”

Jean-Baptise Duvernoy

Many of his editorial suggestions, such as pedal marks, dynamics, articulations, and musical commentaries are often explained at length in the prefaces and footnotes. Bülow favors long phrases, lyrical expression, and dramatic effects, which are achieved through fingering suggestions or by the addition or deletion of original slur marks and dynamics.” His prose footnotes explain how to execute certain passages in order to effectively bring out the appropriate expressions such as singing quality, humor, or drama—suggestions whose poetic and aphoristic style was also an important characteristic of his teaching.” And for the beginning student he edited a delightful collection of 25 Studies by the French pianist and composer Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy (1802-1880). 

Christian Louis Köhler

The German pianist, composer, critic and teacher Christian Louis Köhler (1820-1886) was born in Brunswick and sent to Vienna to study music. He studied piano with the famed C.M. von Bocklet, and theory with the esteemed teachers Sechter and Seyfried. Köhler eventually settled in Königsberg, now Kaliningrad, and worked as a conductor in the local theatre. From 1847, Köhler devoted himself exclusively to piano pedagogy and to writing about music. He was music critic for the “Hartungsche Zeitung” and his correspondence articles from Königsberg for Brendel’s “Neue Zeitschrift für Musik” brought him to the attention of Liszt and Wagner in 1852. His first book, “The Melody of Language” established him as one of the leading German writers. In addition, Köhler remained influential throughout his career in the area of piano pedagogy. “He published collections of graded instructional pieces and books of exercises, published new editions of the works of Classical and Romantic composers, wrote widely disseminated books about piano pedagogy, and taught a great number of pupils. In all, he published over 300 original compositions, pedagogical works and editions, including 12 Easy Etudes, Op. 157. 

Ludvig Schytte

The Danish composer, pianist and teacher Ludvig Schytte (1848-1909) originally trained as a pharmacist. He received his first musical training at the age of 22, and made such rapid progress that he was still able to embarked on a successful musical career abroad. He took lessons from Niels Gade in Leipzig, Wilhelm Taubert in Berlin, and from Franz Liszt in Weimar in 1884.

Ludvig Schytte: Easy Characteristic Etudes, Op.95

Schytte was appointed at various conservatories in Vienna, and by 1907 he had settled in Berlin as a teacher at the Stern Conservatory. He composed an imposing piano concerto, and his expansive piano sonata “bears witness to a more serious approach to the problems of musical form.” However, Schytte was also considered a master of miniature forms, and he is primarily remembered for about 200 attractive piano pieces, some of which became extremely popular. He composed numerous pedagogical piano methods, of which his collections of Etudes, especially, opp. 75, 95, 106, 161 and 174, are still in widespread use.

Henri Jérôme Bertini

Henri Jérôme Bertini (1798-1876) was born in London, but quickly returned to Paris with his parents. He received his early musical education from his father and his brother, a student of Muzio Clementi. There was no doubt that Bertini was a child prodigy, and his father took him on a concert tour of England, Holland, Flanders, and Germany. After studies in composition in England and Scotland he was appointed professor of music in Brussels but returned to Paris in 1821. Robert Schumann reviewed one of Bertini’s trios, and wrote, “Bertini writes easily flowing harmony but the movements are too long. With the best will in the world, we find it difficult to be angry with Bertini, yet he drives us to distraction with his perfumed Parisian phrases; all his music is as smooth as silk and satin.” We also know that Bertini gave a concert with Franz Liszt on 20 April 1828, playing Bertini’s transcription of Beethoven’s 7th symphony for piano eight hands. Bertini’s playing was described as “having Clementi’s evenness and clarity in rapid passages as well as the quality of sound, the manner of phrasing, and the ability to make the instrument sing characteristic of the school of Hummel and Moschelès.” And let’s not forget that Bertini was a celebrated teacher who concentrated on strict pedagogy. In all, he published 20 books of roughly 500 studies for all levels and abilities.

Giuseppe Concone

Giuseppe Concone (1801-1861) was one of the most influential singing instructors of his time. Originally born in Turin, he initially tried his hands at theatrical composition and produced an opera that failed to meet expectations. Discouraged he relocated to Paris to become a famous vocal and piano teacher. He published a good many books of vocal exercises that are still in use in vocal studios today. Specifically, he achieved worldwide recognition for a book of 50 solfeggi for a medium voice, 15 vocalizzi for soprano, 25 for mezzo-soprano, and a book of 25 solfeggi and 15 vocalizzi, 40 in all, for bass or baritone. “The contents of these books are melodious and pleasing, and calculated to promote flexibility of voice. The accompaniments are good, and there is an absence of the monotony so often found in works of the kind.” Concone returned to Turin after the French revolution of 1848, and he was appointed organist of the Royal Chapel. Besides publishing vocal primers, Concone also issued a collection of 15 Studies in Style and Expression for the piano. Sporting imaginative titles like “Anxiety,” “Melancholy,” “Robin Redbreast,” and “The Waves,” these etudes are especially appropriate for the early advanced pianist in developing appropriate expression and interpretation.

The 10 Most Beautiful Piano Quintets in Classical Music

by Hermione Lai, Interlude 

A piano quintet is generally a composition for piano and four other instruments. Composers throughout the ages have combined a variety of instruments to play along with the piano, but the standardised form of instrumentation features the string quartet.

Piano Quintet

Interestingly, piano quintets are less common than keyboard chamber music for smaller ensembles, probably because of the challenges of clearly defining the relationship between piano and strings. Piano quintets had been written before, but it was only by the middle of the 19th century that this particular genre took on the seriousness of other prestigious chamber music genres.

Are you ready to explore the 10 most beautiful piano quintets in standardised scoring? Once again, we do have a rather substantial number of works on offer, and all playlists of this kind are subject to personal taste. However, one thing we can probably agree on is that the Schumann E-flat Major Piano Quintet is one of the greatest works in this genre.

Robert Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44 

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was rather severely harassed by his sceptical father-in-law. In order to prove potential earnings from composition, Schumann wrote over one hundred songs in 1840. In 1841, he wrote nothing but symphonic works, and in 1842, he turned his attention towards chamber music. To prepare, he studied quartets by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, and composed a piano trio, three string quartets, a piano quartet, and the Piano Quintet Op. 44.

Dedicated to his wife Clara, Schumann featured a complete string quartet with added piano. The opening “Allegro brillante” features a bold and sparkling musical idea that organically expands. Almost immediately, however, this is contrasted by a soft and tender dialogue between the viola and the cello. In due course, both themes are extensively fragmented and subjected to far-reaching modulations. The second movement unfolds in the manner of a funeral march, with a dark and mysterious melody accompanied by sobbing musical rhythms.

Robert Schumann, 1850 © pianolit.com

The “Scherzo” joyously and exuberantly presents ascending and descending major scales, contrasted by two “Trios,” which sound a lyrical canon and Hungarian gypsy music, respectively. Schumann’s contrapuntal and expressive prowess emerges in the concluding “Allegro”, as he blends strict canonic and fugal passages with passages of nervous lyricism. The coda is cast as a double fugue and breathtakingly combines the main themes of the first and last movements.

Johannes Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34 

In terms of the Piano Quintet, it is difficult to say Schumann without also saying Brahms. However, the marvellous Brahms Piano Quintet started out as a quintet for two violins, viola, and two cellos. Clara Schumann was enthusiastic and praised that “inner strength and richness written for the instruments.” However, when Brahms sent it to Joseph Joachim, the famous violinist had reservations and suggested that it “lacked charm and sounded artificial in spots.”

Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms

Not entirely confident in his abilities, Brahms reworked the piece as a piano sonata for two pianos. When he played it with Clara, she was overwhelmed by the music’s grandeur but refused to call it a sonata. As Clara wrote, “it is so full of ideas that it requires an orchestra for its interpretation.” Brahm once again started to transform the work, and it was the conductor Hermann Levi who suggested that it should be recast as a piano quintet.

In the end, the piano quintet is a hybrid of two earlier versions, combining Brahms’ youthful exuberance with sophisticated musical textures and a logical way of constructing motives and their subsequent development and continuation. When Levi heard the finished composition in 1865, he wrote, “The quintet is beautiful beyond measure; Out of the monotony of the two pianos a model of tonal beauty has arisen; a restorative for every music-lover, a masterpiece of chamber music.”

Gabriel Fauré: Piano Quintet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 89 

Not unlike Brahms, it took Gabriel Fauré a number of years before he came to terms with his first Piano Quintet. First published in 1906, drafts for the work actually date from 1887. Four years later, Fauré contemplated the addition of a second violin to what might have been a third piano quartet. After drafting two movements, he put the work aside once more and only returned to work again in 1903. The composer referred to the work as “this animal of a quintet”, and the piece was finally completed towards the end of 1905.

John Singer Sargent: Gabriel Fauré, 1896

The work is dedicated to Eugène Ysaÿe, and a first performance in Brussels with the Ysaÿe Quartet in March 1906 was repeated in Paris the following month. Commentators heard a “strangely inward melancholy” possibly connected to some medical problems the composer experienced during the 1880s. Fauré experienced dizziness and severe headaches, and suffered from depression possibly related to the death of his father in 1885. He also started to experience hearing loss, which began to affect him in earnest in 1902. Fauré grew tired “of repeating himself endlessly in his music,” but the Op. 89 Piano Quintet stands apart from his other chamber works, including his 2nd Piano Quintet, Opus 115.

Jean Sibelius: Piano Quintet in G minor

Jean Sibelius

On 19 January 1890, Ferruccio Busoni performed the Piano Quintet in E minor, Op. 5 by the Norwegian composer Christian Sinding at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. In the audience, by invitation from Busoni, was Jean Sibelius. It has long been suspected that this occasion provided the impulse for Sibelius to start work on his own five-movement Piano Quintet in G minor. The work was completed in April 1890, and the first concert performance took place in Helsinki, with Busoni playing the piano part.

While Busoni greatly admired the composition, Sibelius’ former composition teacher, Martin Wegelius, was highly critical of the piano writing, especially in the first movement. As he commented, “his curious whims and fancies have obscured his real self.” Surprisingly, the “Finale” was never performed during the composer’s lifetime, and it first sounded in public only in 1965. A scholar writes, “maybe Sibelius feared that it would never actually be performed and wished to salvage some of its musical material; or perhaps he felt that he had not exhausted the potential of its themes.” In the event, the Piano Quintet is one of the most impressive chamber works by Sibelius, with the composer “striving for a new ruggedness and severity of mood.”

Antonín Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A Major

Following in the footsteps of his idol Johannes Brahms, Antonín Dvorák (1841- 1904) exhibited a heightened sense of musical insecurity. The Piano Quintet in A Major, published as Op. 5 in 1872, makes a convincing case in point. Although received enthusiastically by critics and audiences alike, Dvorák remained highly dissatisfied with the work and destroyed the manuscript soon after its premiere.

Dvořák in New York, 1893

Fifteen years later, the composer reconsidered and began to make extensive revisions to the work. However, rather than submitting the revised work for publication, he cast it aside for good and instead worked on a brand new quintet in the same key. The resulting Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81 not only secured Dvorák’s international reputation but also produced a distinctive masterpiece of Nineteenth-Century chamber music.

The gently flowing piano accompaniment provides the colouristic background to one of Dvorák’s most expressive and lyrical melodies, stated in the cello. However, this sense of tranquillity is suddenly interrupted by a rhythmically animated transition in the minor mode that propels the music forward. This process is once repeated before the viola sings another lyrical melody. Subsequently, both themes are thoroughly developed—relying predominantly on the first and second violin—before a rhapsodic recapitulation feeds into a sparkling and virtuosic coda. The second movement invokes a Ukrainian lament, known as “Dumka,” and the ”Scherzo” is cast in the style of a Bohemian folk dance called “Furiant.” Not to be outdone, the “Finale” presents yet another vigorous dance, a Polka.

Edward Elgar: Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84

Edward Elgar was born in a small village and initially earned his living by working in the office of a local solicitor. He received no formal musical training, but nevertheless succeeded his father as organist and played the violin in an orchestra at Birmingham. His early attempts at composition are patterned after the music of Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Wagner, but plans to attend the Leipzig Conservatory were never realized.

Edward Elgar

With his A minor quintet, one of three chamber compositions dating from the concluding years of WWI, Elgar returned to the themes and musical aspirations of his youth. Unwilling to participate in modernist musical experimentations, Elgar provided a summary review of 19th-century European musical practices from a distinctly English perspective.

The first movement opens with a hauntingly beautiful introduction that canvasses a slow-moving melodic fragment played by the piano against a rhythmically animated commentary given by the strings. Sounding at once rhapsodic and almost improvisatory in nature, Elgar himself described the introduction as “ghostly stuff.” The opening movement clearly pays homage to Brahms’s musical personality, while the “Adagio” explores the musical tensions of an extended emotional narrative. The final movement, which also relies on a slow musical introduction, provides the fitting nostalgic conclusion to Elgar’s musical gesture of resignation.

Béla Bartók: Piano Quintet in C Major 

Let’s now turn to Béla Bartók (1881-1945), one of the most influential figures in the history of classical music. Composer, performer, educator, and ethnomusicologist, Bartók powerfully shaped the way subsequent generations approached and listened to music. Bartók displayed great musical talent at an early age. He could distinguish between different tunes and rhythms before he started talking, and by age 4 he had roughly 40 pieces in his piano repertory.

Béla Bartók in New York, 1944

Bartók composed the four movements of his Piano Quintet in 1903 and 1904, and thematically, they are reminiscent of the music of Johannes Brahms and Richard Strauss. Yet, Bartók was not slavishly following traditional compositional standards. In the final two movements, we find early inclusions of folk elements, resulting in a distinctive Hungarian flavour.

A tightly organised formal structure builds on the continual repetition and variations of themes and unfolds within a highly flexible tonal space. The consistent use of asymmetrical rhythms completes a vocabulary of stylistic features that would soon become familiar elements of Bartók’s expressive language. For one reason or another, Bartók had to be persuaded not to destroy this composition. Thankfully, he took the manuscript with him to the United States, where it was published after his death.

Dmitry Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57 

My list of top 10 Piano Quintets must necessarily include the G-minor work by Dmitry Shostakovich. It was composed during the summer of 1940 and written for the Beethoven Quartet and himself. The work followed on the heels of his Sixth Symphony, a work that received a rather mixed reception. The success of the Piano Quintet, however, was unqualified and long-lasting. In fact, the composition was awarded a Stalin Prize of 100,000 rubles.

Dmitry Shostakovich, 1925

Robert Matthew-Walker writes, “a glance at the list of movements might lead one to imagine that this is a neoclassical work, but its direct emotional power and thematic integration place it on altogether a higher level than mere pastiche.” The opening movement titled “Prelude” opens with a declamatory three-note cell that provokes an impassioned response from the strings. The four-voiced “Fugue” begins with a strict exposition by muted strings that build into an elegiac web of sound, eventually joined by the piano adding a bass line.

The music continues immediately with a whirlwind “Scherzo,” with the piano presenting a witty theme that interacts with the strings. The first trio sounds a gypsy-like air, while the second involves playful pizzicato. A cool and relaxed “Intermezzo” unfolds over a walking bass accompaniment in the cello, with the remaining strings sounding a bitter-sweet counterpoint. In the “Finale,” the piano sounds a gentle theme over an animated accompaniment. Once the mood quietens, the work returns to the impassioned beginning but ends in a quiet and contented close.

Nicolai Medtner: Piano Quintet in C Major 

Nicolai Medtner, who died in London on 13 November 1951, was one of the very last Romantic composer-pianists. Overshadowed by his contemporaries Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, Medtner made the piano the focus of his creative activity and frequently tempered a Russian spirit with music firmly rooted in the Western classical tradition. A scholar writes, “Fully developed almost from the time of his first published works, his musical idiom changed very little throughout his career, and his entire output is remarkably consistent in quality.”

Sadly, the Piano Quintet in C Major was Medtner’s final composition on which he had worked intermittently for almost 45 years. Initial sketches date from 1904 and 1905, and the work was completed towards the end of 1948. A severe heart attack prevented the composer from rehearsing and recording it. Jeremy Lee writes, “Fervent, sincere, personal, and above all intensely soulful, Medtner’s Piano Quintet certainly is one of the most deeply satisfying works ever written.”

Grażyna Bacewicz: Piano Quintet No.1 

Let me conclude my list of the 10 most beautiful piano quintets with a work by the Polish violinist, pianist, and composer Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969). One of the most significant voices in European music of the twentieth century, she studied with Nadia Boulanger and the violinists André Touret and Carl Flesch. Her compositional development initially focused on clarity, wit and brevity, while her works from the time of World War II “show a greater muscularity and daring disregard for traditional classical structures.”

Grażyna Bacewicz

Her first piano quintet dates from 1952, and it presents a sound world that mediates between folkloric impulses “and the developmental rigour of classical principles.” It is a highly personal work, and you can hear the use of folk materials directly and indirectly. I hope you enjoyed my selections, but for every piano quintet featured, I had to sadly neglect some equally wonderful choices. The Borodin quintet is fantastic, as are the piano quintets by Rubinstein, Franck, Bruch, Suk, Vierne, Granados, Reger, Amy Beach, Bax, Dohnányi, Milhaud, and many others; would you like to see some of them featured?