Rheinberger, Josef Gabriel

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger – Quartet in F major for oboe, violoncello, horn and piano

(b. Vaduz, March 17, 1839 – d. Munich, November 25, 1901)

(1857 / JWV 83)

———–

In the fall of 1857, Josef Gabriel Rheinberger composed a quartet for oboe, violoncello, horn and piano: the slow introduction Adagio non troppo in F minor is followed by the movement Allegro molto in F major, composed in sonata form. In addition to the counterpoint typical of Rheinberger, however, the formal structure of the quartet is unusual. A successful and highly regarded premiere of the quartet took place as part of the Seidel conerts in Munich on December 1, 1857. The quartet, part of the composer’s early works (JWV 83), has not yet been published. Nothing is known about further performances. The instrumentation can be classified as concertante chamber music, which was common at the time, but unusual for Rheinberger’s chamber music oeuvre.

The edition is based on three autographs by Josef Gabriel Rheinberger which are kept in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich: two dated scores and individual parts for oboe, horn and violoncello. The older score from September 15, 1857 (BSB Mus.ms. 4719) is accompanied by the individual parts. The younger score from September 20, 1857, can be found under the signature BSB Mus.ms. 4719-1. The autographs show the inaccuracies in slurs and dynamic indications typical of Josef Gabriel Rheinberger.

Julius Schumacher
Mainz, autumn 2023

Read the German preface to the score > HERE