Jean-Baptiste Mengal
Variations for Horn and String Quartet
The Mengal brothers are frequently confused in the musicological literature. Both Martin-Joseph Mengal (1784–1851) and his younger brother Jean-Baptiste Mengal (1792–1878) were distinguished horn players. Some biographical notes on Martin-Joseph Mengal can be found here.
Jean-Baptiste Mengal studied in Paris with the horn player Domnich and won the first prize of the Paris Conservatoire in 1814, as his brothers had done in 1809. He was principal horn at the Paris Opera and composed for his instrument. For this reason, individual compositions cannot always be attributed with certainty to one brother or the other.
This work is based on the melody of the song “Un bouquet de romarin” and sets it in variations for horn and string quartet.