Lifelong friend of van Beethoven, Antonin Reicha (1770-1836)

Recently I have heard two CD’s from the “little” composer Antonín Rejcha (also known als Anton Reicha of Antoine Reicha 1770-1836, “lifelong friend of van Beethoven”) that took me by surprise. One with chamber music and one with piano works, that I found browsing through the BBC Music Magazine. Fine and original music, reminding me of Carl Philip Emanuel Bach in the keyboard works. The Quintet and quartet are part of a 3 CD box, with different performers, of which the first CD with Quartor Girard stands out. Coupled them together and *just listen*, I would say.

The music and performances gave me much pleasure :-)  

Antonín Rejcha (1770-1836)

-Tracks 01-04 String Quintet (with two violas) in F Major, Op. 92 No. 1 (c 1819)

Quatuor Girard

Hugues Girard : Violin

Agathe Girard : Violin

Odon Girard : Viola

Lucie Girard : Cello 

Tanguy Parisot (viola)

Antonín Rejcha (1770-1836)

-Track 05 Harmonie No.20 from Practische Beispiele (1803)

(Adagio Fantaisie 1. Un poco allegretto - Fantaisie 2. Allegro - Fantaisie 3. Allegretto - Fantaisie 4. Allegro vivace - Fantaisie 5. Adagio di molto - Fantaisie 6. Allegro)

-Tracks 06-08 Grande Sonate (c.1805) in C major

-Track 09 Capriccio No.7 from Practische Beispiele (1803) 

(Allegro assai - Un poco più lento - Tempo I - Un poco più lento - Tempo I)

-Track 10-12 Sonata on a Theme of Mozart (c.1805) in F major 

(Variations sur la 'Marche des Prêtres' du Second Acte de La Flûte enchantée de Mozart)

-Track 13 Fantaisie sur un seul accord

No.4 from Practische Beispiele (1803) Allegro - Presto - Tempo I - Tempo II

-Track 14 Étude, Op.97 No.1 in E minor 

(from Étude dans le genre fugué pour le piano-forte [...] à l'usage des jeunes compositeurs (?1815-17))

Ivan Ilic piano

Antonín Rejcha (1770-1836)

-Tracks 15-18 String Quartet in E Major, Op. 95 No. 1 (1824)

Quatuor Girard

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/4yXXEqfdAkUhVX3XgryBwy?si=jtdFjmbfT-GVRPbnBLC_kQ

(Webplayer link)