George Onslow Wind Quintet

[ardcarp]

On Record Review Extra last night there was a complete performance of the above.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000kh8p

About 38 mins from start.

I was quite bowled over by this technically accomplished and architecturally conceived work by a composer I had barely heard of.
So strarnge that the prolific M. Onslow should have had a hugely successful life as a composer and to have disappeared from public notice.

The quintet is a sunny and joyful work throughout, so maybe there isn't enough strain and stress for a later taste. But his melodic and often chromatic harmonic language reminded me of early R. Straus. But this particular piece is the only one I have to judge him by.

[LMcD]

On Record Review Extra last night there was a complete performance of the above.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000kh8p

About 38 mins from start.

I was quite bowled over by this technically accomplished and architecturally conceived work by a composer I had barely heard of.
So strarnge that the prolific M. Onslow should have had a hugely successful life as a composer and to have disappeared from public notice.

The quintet is a sunny and joyful work throughout, so maybe there isn't enough strain and stress for a later taste. But his melodic and often chromatic harmonic language reminded me of early R. Straus. But this particular piece is the only one I have to judge him by.

Thank you for the link - I shall definitely investigate!

[DracoM]

Yes, a real addition to the wind repertoire. Good find.

[gurnemanz]

Thanks for the link. I got to know a couple of Onslow works a few years ago via a very enjoyable and good value 4CD set from Brilliant - two Piano Quintets op 70 and 76 from the Nepomuk Fortepiano Quintet. It was snip at £11 at the time, now only second hand and a bit more.

Maybe he's having a mini revival. There seem to be quite a lot of recordings available

[Dave2002]

George Onslow was tenuously associated with the area of Surrey in which I used to live, and there were recordings of his works available at National Trust locations such as Hatchlands and Clandon. His father Edward left to live in France, following a scandal - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Onslow His son George was born in France - I don't know whether he ever visited England, or the estates which his ancestors had owned previously.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Onslow_(composer)

[vinteuil]

.

... he was quite prolific - there is a useful list of works on the French wiki page -

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Onslow

He seems to have been a decent cove, and I like what I have heard of his compositions. The Nepomuk Fortepiano Quintet discs are very beguiling.

.

[ardcarp]

His father Edward left to live in France, following a scandal

Same sort of thing happened to one of the Courtneys (Earl or Viscount of Devon or some such thing)

The Third Viscount led a rather flamboyant lifestyle. He was a homosexual, and was forced to live abroad in consequence, first of all in the United States where he owned a property on the Hudson River in New York State, and later in Paris where he died in 1835. In 1831 he successfully applied to have the title of Earl of Devon, created in 1553, restored to the Courtenay family and became the 9th Earl. Despite having lived abroad for so long, he was dearly loved by his tenants who insisted that he be buried in stately fashion back at Powderham.

He had a wonderful music room built at Powderham Castle (the family seat). I've worked there as a musician many times.