George Onslow - String Quintets Nos. 11 & 30 (Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt)

Information

Composer: George Onslow

• (01) String Quintet No. 30 in E minor, Op. 74
• (05) String Quintet No. 11 in B flat minor, Op. 33

Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt
Peter Agoston, violin
Klaus Schwamm, violin
Wolfgang Tluck, viola
Sabine Krams, cello
Timm-Johannes Trappe, double bass

Date: 2004
Label: Musikproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm

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Review

The name of George Onslow does not crop up often in the English music genre and one could safely say that this is one of the best ever releases of his chamber music. MD&G continue to put lovers of this genre in their debt with their release schedule of consistently obscure but rewarding repertoire.

One cannot make claims that these are some of the lost masterpieces of the quintet genre but they make for an entertaining listen nonetheless. The Op. 33 is far more interesting than the later number with a lovely Andante mestoso really the kernel of the work. The Frankfurt Ensemble are really imbued into these works and offer a fine interpretation on all counts. Recommended to all lovers of rare chamber music.

-- Gerald Fenech, Classical Net

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George Onslow (27 July 1784 – 3 October 1853) was a French composer of English descent. His wealth, position and personal tastes allowed him to pursue a path unfamiliar to most of his French contemporaries, and more similar to that of his contemporary German romantic composers. Onslow was a prolific composer of chamber music (including 36 string quartets, 34 string quintets and 10 piano trios). He also wrote four symphonies, four operas and other works for piano and strings. Esteemed by many of the critics of his time, his reputation declined swiftly after his death and has only been revived in recent years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Onslow_(composer)

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The Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt was established in 1987 by members of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, and is now a highly acclaimed string quintet, which sometimes also includes other instruments such as piano or wind. The music that the Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt performs and makes accessible to a broad public includes not only well-known classical and Romantic masterpieces of the 18th and 19th century but also – and primarily – unknown masterpieces from this period of time. The Ensemble’s high artistic standard has been demonstrated by radio productions and award-winning CD editions.
http://www.ensembleconcertantfrankfurt.de/ECF/Ensemble_Concertant_Frankfurt_eng.html

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