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Antoine-Joseph Reicha (1770-1836) published this work, the sixth of his Six Quintuors Op. 99, with the House of Simrock in 1822, the plate number being 2024. Nikolaus Simrock indicates that this is Quintet No. 18 in his series. The quintets themselves are entitled in Italian (Quintetto) within the parts, and in French (Quintuors) on the Frontispiece.

The instruments are given French names on the frontispiece: flûte, hautbois, clarinette, cor and bassoon; but again, Italian pervades the actual parts: flauto (traverso), oboe, clarinetto, corno, and fagotto. No scores are supplied by Simrock for any of the Op. 99 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 G and F crooks. I have supplied parts for the Bb Clarinet and Horn in F for all four movements, in order that modern players might avoid transposition at sight in such a complex work.

The Op. 99 Quintuors are set in the following keys:

No. 1 (13) Ut majeur
No. 2 (14) Fà mineur
No. 3 (15) La majeur (not Fà majeur as listed by Simrock)
No. 4 (16) Ré majeur
No. 5 (17) Sì mineur
No. 6 (18) Sol majeur

In the preface, which is signed by the five members of the original group which played these quintets, it is made clear that these wind players sought, through performing Reicha’s works, to remedy the overwhelming interest awarded to string instruments in chamber music of the day, at the expense of wind ensembles.

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: Andante [Quarter note=54] (80 is more like it); Allegro poco vivo [Half note=108] (Likewise, 80 seems to be more in the ballpark).

After a rather lengthy slow introduction featuring‘extravagant’ modulations, first to V then to bVI and back to V, a sonata form gets underway. Among the five primary and and four secondary themes of the exposition, two are built over ostinati: one (Theme 2) is supported at first by the overtone series of the horn, the other (Transition to Theme 3) is underpinned by the bassoon. The development is comprised principally of Themes 1, 2 and the closing theme attached to Theme 4, moving through the expected modulatory realm and eventually settling on a pedal point over the dominant. The recapitulation is initiated by Theme 3 followed Theme 1a. Reicha then progresses through transitory material including the transition formerly attached to Theme 3 before he reaches Theme 4. He then proceeds in order: Themes 4, 4k, and 5 but then injects Theme 2 and Theme 1b before ending with two closing themes, 4k and 5k2. If this seems confusing, it is! In essence, Reicha is attempting to reverse the order of three of his primary themes, namely Themes 1, 2, and 3; basically he comes up with 3, 1a, 2, 1b. Therefore, if the recapitulation ends up looking like a development section, minus the complex modulatory scheme, we should not be surprised, since this composer is simply reinforcing his belief that the second half of a sonata form is a development/recapitulation.

Second Movement
Metronomic markings are as follows: Air en Fantaisie. Andante [Eighth note=92].

The rubric preceding the tempo marking at the head of this Andante might be loosely translated:‘Aria in the Style of a Fantasy’. The overall movement is set in the subdominant, C major, but three sections involving a third-relationship are included: an E major section, a third above C major (for the first appearance of Theme 3) and two sections involving the repetition of Theme 2 a third below the prevailing tonic center. I suppose such ideas might constitute fantasy; but the basic structure of this aria is none other than sonata form with four themes, minus a development section.

Third Movement
Metronomic markings are as follows: Menuetto. Allegro [Dotted half note=96] (80 is more realistic).

After several experimental structures for the scherzo, one is surprised to see the final quintet of the Op. 99 end with a fairly straightforward example. The outer identical sections are set in rounded binary form, while the trio is built over an eight-measure ostinato played 12 times in the oboe; there are similar examples of the latter concept in the scherzi of Quintet No. 5 in the Op. 88 quintets and of Quintet No. 2 in the Op. 91 quintets. The inverted‘pyramid’ which Reicha utilizes at the initiation of Theme 1 is a novel effect, sounding very much a notated sforzato.

Fourth Movement
Metronomic markings are as follows: Finale. Allegro vivo [Half note=100] (88 is a better choice).

Triple subdivision gigue figuration permeates the finale; and some of it must be brought off by way of triple tonguing. The structure of this movement is yet another masterful sonata form, and a fitting ending to this great opus. The exposition contains three primary themes and three tonicizing closing themes. The transition following Theme 2 and the conclusion of Theme 2 itself are both comprised of unusual sets of chromatic chord progressions; one wonders if Reicha knew J.S. Bach’s Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903. The transition set is used two more times, both in the development and recapitulation. The latter two sections of this sonata form are, for a change, fairly uneventful. The recapitulation does begin with Theme 3, but then Reicha proceeds in order with Themes 1, 2, 3, 3k1, 3k2. Then he inserts the chromatic transition in order to get to an additional set of closing themes, 3k4 in IV and 3k5 in I, before ending with 3k3. Theme 3, structured ABA, is of the 'Alma mater' variety; and Theme 3k3 is simply the A section of it. So, one hears the A section of Theme 3 three times in the exposition, once in the development, and five times in the recapitulation. It must have been a  tune close to Reicha's heart: fortunately, it wears well.