Overview

Designed as a companion volume to the author's earlier study The Piano Trio, this book surveys the development of the piano quartet and quintet from their relatively modest beginnings in the mid-eighteenth century to the present day. Developments during the first four decades of the nineteenth century resulted not only in Schubert's renowned `Trout' quintet, but also in works of much brillinace by Dussek, Hummel, weber, and others in which the piano predominates in a concerto-like role. Subsequently, Schubert's epoch-making quintet of 1842 initiated a broadly `symphonic' style, with large-scale structures and closely integrated textures, which was taken up by many later composers, including Brahms, Dvorak, César Franck, Fauré, and Elgar. the author also examinines the numerous changes in the nature of the genres which have occurred in recent times, and gives special consideration to a number of works by leading 20th-century composers, in which `mixed' media are formed by combining wind instruments with the normal strings-and-piano ensemble.Within his broad historical narrative, Professor Smallman provides descriptive analyses of key works, many with music examples, and also comments perceptively on local trends and developments. his book is likely to be of interest to all those who rae fascinated by this important repertoire - performers, students, and listeners, as well as the general reader.

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9780198166405

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This book should be on the shelves of all music libraries. Professor Smallman possesses the enviable ability to say what the music is like with an economy of means and a minimum of technical jargon; his writing is clear, lively, and acute. Each reader will find something new. --Brio.<br>

Smallman's writing style enlivens a topic that necessitated a fairly straightforward approach. Readers are likely to turn to this slender volume as a reference work. Chamber music performers will want to consult it for ideas on repertory. It is also a fine source for program notes for concert programs or compact disc album notes. The six-page bibliography provides ample material for further research.

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