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Antoine-Joseph Reicha (1770-1836) published this work, the first of his Six Quintuors Op. 100, with the House of Schott [Mainz] in 1824, the plate number being Z 1. The Z refers to the original 1820 Chez Zetter [Paris] plates, which had been acquired by Schott.  Schott had a Netherlands satellite in Brussels (now in Belgium) and it was from the Library Koninklijk Conservatorium - Conservatoire Royal, Brussels, that the parts used to make this modern edition were derived.

The quintets themselves are entitled in Italian (Quintetto) within the parts, but in French (Quintuors) on the Frontispiece. The instruments, too, are given French names on the frontispiece: flûte, hautbois, clarinette, cor and bassoon; but again, Italian pervades the actual parts: flauto, oboe, clarinetto, corno, and fagotto. No scores are supplied by Schott for any of the Op. 100 quintets; in fact, it would have been quite unusual had this been the case. Like madrigals published in the 16th Century, we have‘part-book’ format in use for these works.

Clarinet in C is specified for this work, while the hand-horn player uses the F crook. I have supplied parts for the Bb Clarinet, in order that modern players might avoid transposition at sight in such a complex work.

The Op. 100 Quintuors are set in the following keys:

No. 1 Fà majeur
No. 2 Ré mineur
No. 3 Mi b majeur
No. 4 Mi mineur
No. 5 La mineur
No. 6 Si b majeur

The original quintet for which this work was composed consisted of the following members:

Joseph Guillou (1787-1853) flute
Gustave Vogt (1781-1870) oboe
Jacques-Jules Bouffil (1783-?) clarinet
Louis-François Dauprat (1781-1868) horn
One Monsieur Henry was the bassoonist in the ensemble.

First Movement
Metronomic markings are as follows: Lento [Eighth note=92]; Allegro con brio [Half note=100] (Seems frantic: 88 is more like it). Reicha gives an alternative to Maëlzel’s Metronome: utilizing a string at a specific length with a small weight attached to its bottom, the invention is swung to and fro. To this purpose Reicha provides the length of the string in centimeters immediately following the metronomic rubric; for example Eighth note=92 is registered as 0.42 Centimeters.

Scott Ellington adds this valuable information:“The tempo, the way Reicha apparently measured it at one beat in each direction, would be: Tempo = 598/sqrt (l). Tempo is in beats per minute, and l is the length in cm, and sqrt means square root. The lengths designated for the pendulums Reicha used to designate tempos seemed awfully short, so I calculated the lengths.  It turns out the published values should be multiplied by 100, e.g., 99 cm instead of 0.99 cm for 60 beats per minute.  It is also evident that Reicha counted two beats for each complete cycle of the pendulum, one in each direction.”

After a slow introduction, a straightforward but very energetic sonata form commences. Its exposition contains no less than seven distinctive themes; an eighth theme appearing at the end of the masterly development is used again at the beginning of the short coda. Near the start of the exposition, the oboe ascends to F3, the highest note on Vogt’s Delusse oboe. Theme 3 of this movement is noteworthy because of its distinctively Slavic character, and Reicha makes much of it during the development section, but it does not reappear in the somewhat modified recapitulation. The disruptive avant-garde techniques associated with the Op. 99 quintets are abandoned in this well-conceived movement.

Second Movement
Metronomic markings are as follows: Adagio [Quarter note=58].

Intricate subdivision characterizes this slow movement which is set in the relative minor. The structure appears to be a sonata form minus the central development section; but in Reicha’s mind there are really only two sections in sonata form: exposition and development. And to be sure, the recapitulation here is more like a recapitulation/development. The content of this movement includes excellent thematic integrity and imaginative scoring: this is truly outstanding writing.
                     
Third Movement
Metronomic markings are as follows: Menuetto. Allegro vivo [Dotted half note=112] (96 seems more like it)

This is a most unusual scherzo built up from five thematic entities (A B C D E) which alternate as follows to produce a rondeau with 7 couplets: A | B C | A (canon) | D E | A | D C E (developed) | A | B E D | A (canon) A | C D | A (canon) A | C | A | D. It would seem that the master has decided to begin to explore the possibilities for creating a new kind of structure for the scherzo.

Fourth Movement
Metronomic markings are as follows: Finale. Allegro vivo [Half note=104] (96 is more realistic)

The triple tonguing in flute is the only really special aspect of this sonata-form finale. It should be noted, though, that the writing for the hand horn is quite wonderful and, overall, this is an extremely well-crafted and detailed movement. Students working on an analysis of its structure will find three primary themes and five closing themes. The development is composed primarily of Theme 1 [in the tonic], Closing Theme No. 5, and the transition which was originally composed to connect Themes 2 and 3 of the exposition, since their tonalities had been so diverse: Theme 2 in I and Theme 3 in V of V. The recapitulation begins with Theme 2 and includes all of the material from the exposition in order; but of course the transition connecting Themes 2 and 3 is no longer needed. A coda consisting of six items, some of which have already been heard, brings the movement to a satisfying close. Needless to say, the appearance of Theme 1 in the tonic at the start of the development,  puts this sonata form into the category of  those special sonata forms composed by Reicha where there is somewhat of a blur between recapitulation and development.

At this point, in the first of his Op. 100 quintets, it would appear that Reicha has retrenched. All real innovation here is centered in the construction of the scherzo. It remains to be seen what he will do next.