Carter, Elliott: Quintet for piano and winds (1991) 24'
Scoring
ob.cl(=Ebcl).bn-hn-pft
World Premiere
9/13/1992
Philharmonie, Köln
Heinz Holliger, ob / Elmar Schmid, cl / Klaus Thunemann, bn / Radovan Vlatkovic, hn / András Schiff,
Composer's Notes Deutsch
When I accepted the commission by Heinz Holliger and Köln Musik to write this quintet for these remarkable performers, the thought of the masterpiece by Mozart for this combination led me to consider very seriously its range of expressive possibilities. TO heighten the dialectic interplay between the instruments, I decided to treat the group as having three contrasting elements: piano, horn, and trio of woodwinds. Each is assigned to its own musical vocabulary and its own type of expressivity and character, derived from its instrumental capabilities. Thus the interplay of commentary, answer, humorous detail, ironic, supportive of self-effacing were considered as part of the musical thought and expression. Although the quintet is in one continuous movement, there are frequent changes of mood, sometimes within one instrument’s part, at other times by groups.
The work was composed in Southbury, Connecticut, during the summer of 1991.
Elliott Carter
Scoring
ob.cl(=Ebcl).bn-hn-pft
World Premiere
9/13/1992
Philharmonie, Köln
Heinz Holliger, ob / Elmar Schmid, cl / Klaus Thunemann, bn / Radovan Vlatkovic, hn / András Schiff,
Composer's Notes Deutsch
When I accepted the commission by Heinz Holliger and Köln Musik to write this quintet for these remarkable performers, the thought of the masterpiece by Mozart for this combination led me to consider very seriously its range of expressive possibilities. TO heighten the dialectic interplay between the instruments, I decided to treat the group as having three contrasting elements: piano, horn, and trio of woodwinds. Each is assigned to its own musical vocabulary and its own type of expressivity and character, derived from its instrumental capabilities. Thus the interplay of commentary, answer, humorous detail, ironic, supportive of self-effacing were considered as part of the musical thought and expression. Although the quintet is in one continuous movement, there are frequent changes of mood, sometimes within one instrument’s part, at other times by groups.
The work was composed in Southbury, Connecticut, during the summer of 1991.
Elliott Carter
Mailing List
Sign up for news updates and offers via email
SIGN UP
Featured Publication
Rachmaninoff: Paganini Rhapsody
The sparkling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra is included in the Masterworks Library of full scores, ideal for conductors, students and music lovers.
READ MORE