3 Quartets for Horn, Violin, Viola and Cello – Series 1
Othon Joseph Vandenbroeck (often incorrectly spelled Vandenbrock or Van den Broeck) was born on 20 December 1758 in Ypres (Flanders) and died on 18 October 1832 in Passy (Paris). He was likely of Dutch descent. He trained under the horn virtuoso Spandau (active c. 1770–1780) in The Hague, and studied theory with Fuchs, Kapellmeister to the Prince of Orange, and composition with J. Schmitt. In 1781 he was a member of the orchestra at the Théâtre français in Maastricht; by 1783 he must have moved to Paris, since in January 1784 he performed a horn concerto at the Concert Spirituel. The editor of the Mercure considered him not yet ready to perform before a Parisian audience. By 1788, however, he appeared as a successful horn virtuoso at the Concerts de la Loge Olympique. His name appears on the rosters of several orchestras: principal horn at the Théâtre de la rue Feydeau (1789–1791), fourth horn at the Opéra (1793–1816), and musician of the "1re classe" in the Garde Nationale. In 1795 he became a professor at the Conservatoire de Musique but gave up the post with the "Réforme de l'an VIII" in 1800. By 1812 he was "attaché à la chapelle de l'Empereur et Roi", and he retired in 1816.
His first collection of 3 quartets was published around 1788 by the Parisian publisher Naderman. The writing shows an excellent command of the horn without ever becoming showy or overtly virtuosic.
