Martin Joseph Mengal
3 Quartets for Flute, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon, Op. 19
The Mengal brothers are frequently confused in the specialist literature. There were two horn players of note: Martin-Joseph Mengal (1784–1851) and his younger brother Jean Mengal (1796–1878). Some biographical details survive for Martin Joseph Mengal. His younger brother Jean trained in Paris under the horn player Domnich and, like his brother in 1809, won First Prize at the Paris Conservatoire — in his case in 1814. He served as principal horn at the Paris Opéra and likewise composed for his instrument. As a result, individual compositions cannot always be attributed with certainty to one brother or the other.
The quartets edited here are the work of Martin Joseph Mengal and date from his time in Paris. The title page names Mengal as principal horn of the Royal Opéra-Comique in Paris. The print was published in 1816 by the Parisian publisher Bochsa.
These quartets are thoroughly convincing, both in their composition and their musicality. Mengal writes superbly for his own instrument, the horn, all but making the listener forget the limitations of the natural horn of the period — and the composer impresses across the board. What remains puzzling is that Mengal's works have, quite undeservedly, remained so little known to this day.
Quartet No. 1 in C major — Allegro – Theme and Variations – Allegro:
Quartet No. 2 in F major — Grazioso – Andante – Polonaise:
Quartet No. 3 in A major — Maestoso – Menuetto – Allegro:
