Martin-Joseph Mengal (1784–1851)
2 Fantaisies for Horn and Piano
The Mengal brothers are often mistaken for one another in the literature. There is Martin-Joseph Mengal (1784–1851) and his younger brother Jean Mengal (1796–1878); both were horn players of note. His younger brother Jean was trained in Paris by the horn player Domnich and, like his brother in 1809, won first prize at the Paris Conservatoire in 1814. He was principal horn at the Paris Opéra and composed for his instrument. For this reason, individual compositions cannot always be clearly attributed to one brother or the other.
The present work was first published around 1820 by the Parisian publisher Naderman. The title “Deux Fantaisies pour Piano et Cor, Composées et Dédiées à Madame la Baronne Seganville, par Mengal Aîné, De l’Orchestre de l’Opéra Buffa” indicates that the horn is not treated purely as a solo instrument here, but that the piano part is an equal partner.
