In chamber music, we can consider the wind quintet to be the wind equivalent of the string quartet. It offers a harmonious combination of the soft sound of the flute, the more pronounced sound of the clarinet (a single-reed instrument), the incisive sound of the double-reed oboe and bassoon, and finally the round, warm tones of the horn, a member of the brass family. Advances in instrument making enabled this chamber music group to play an increasingly important role during the nineteenth century. Many composers have appreciated this repertoire and have discovered a desire to compose specifically for the wind quintet. 

What better way to discover this repertoire than through original works? 

Franz Danzi, a contemporary of Beethoven, pursued a career as a conductor and composer, but also as a teacher at the Stuttgart Conservatoire, where he was in charge of the wind instrument classes. It was therefore only natural that his works include several wind quintets. His operatic compositions convey an expressiveness that we find in his quintets. His Op. 56 No. 2 enchants with the freshness of its inspiration and the charm and expressiveness of its "cantabile" passages. Almost a century later, in a post-Romantic style, August Klughardt wrote his Wind Quintet. This work shows a perfect balance between contrasts, timbral variety and expressiveness, with humour never far away. The composer, who was also a conductor and the author of numerous symphonies, was familiar with this repertoire. Finally, Ligeti's Six Bagatelles, written in the mid-twentieth century, take us into a dizzying whirlwind of changing tempos, rhythms and contrasting atmospheres. Although there are hints of Hungarian folklore and even a touch of jazz, the writing is resolutely "classical".

Accessible and far removed from contemporary compositions from across the border, it can be listened to but also observed, so surprising is the interaction of the instrumentalists.  This colourful programme showcases the unique place held by the wind quintet repertoire.

Text from Sophie Gaillot Miczka