Henri Brod (1799-1839)

Nationality: French

Born: June 13, 1799 Died: April 6, 1839 (age 39)

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Trio, Op. 5

(for oboe, bassoon and piano)

4:16	I.	Allegro maestoso
5:45	II.	Thême espagnol [con variazioni]. Andante
2:02	III.	Bolero. Moderato

Duration: 13 minutes (approximately)

Published: c. 1869

1 recording, 3 videos

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4:16

Bram Nolf, Luc Loubry, Hans Ryckelynck

I. Allegro maestoso

5:45

Bram Nolf, Luc Loubry, Hans Ryckelynck

II. Thême espagnol [con variazioni]. Andante

2:02

Bram Nolf, Luc Loubry, Hans Ryckelynck

III. Bolero. Moderato

From Kai Christiansen

Henri Brod, 1799-1838

Trio for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon, op. 5

For the typical chamber music enthusiast, Henri Brod is apt to be an obscure if not completely unknown composer. But to a player or lover of the oboe, Brod is a figure of considerable historical importance, a key influence on the instrument, its technique and, by extension, its repertoire. Brod was born in 1799 in Paris where he remained for his short but extremely busy life leading some scholars to suggest that the brevity of his lifespan was due to ceaseless activities on multiple fronts. Brod was, first, a virtuoso oboist who studied, performed and taught at the Paris Conservatoire. Pushing the mechanical limits of the oboe of his day, Brod then turned to the study and craft of instrument making resulting in several improvements. Perhaps to exercise his innovations in both the instrument and performance technique, Brod finally turned to composition, producing numerous studies and sonatas that included the Trio, Op. 5 featured in this evening's program. His scholarship ultimately produced an important work for the oboe, the Méthode pour le Hautbois, for which is he chiefly remembered today. His music is well regarded, noteworthy for the virtuosity of the parts particularly compared to the standards of his time.

glossary

allegro [I]—fast, lively tempo. From the Italian word for cheerful or gay.
andante [I]—moderately slow tempo (e.g. walking). Faster than adagio but slower than allegretto
chamber music, Kammermusik [G], musique de chambre [F], musica da camera [I], musica cameralis [L]—"Classical Music" for a small ensemble, generally 8 or fewer players with a canonical emphasis on 3-6 players. explore
maestoso—With dignity and nobility; majestic
moderato [I], moderamente, modéré [F], modérément [F]—moderately, at a moderate tempo, applying a touch of restraint to its related word(s), e.g. allegro moderato
opus [L], opera[pl], Op., Opp, WoO, Op. posth—work, as in a work of art. For unique identification, publishers/composers often assign an "opus number", abbreviated as "Op." (e.g. Op. 1). A range of works by opus number, uses the plural "opp." (e.g. "Opp. 1-3"). A single opus number may refer to a collection of works (e.g. a set of quartets) giving rise to designations like "Op. 1, No. 4". For misc. works without opus numbers, "WoO" is often used (e.g."Without Opus"). Posthumously assigned numbers may use "Op. posth". Opus numbers may not precisely reflect chronology (publication vs. composition), can be erroneous, sparse or duplicative. Thus, the works of some historically important composers may use separate catalog numbers (e.g. Bach, Haydn, Schubert). See wiki
tema con variazioni, con variazioni, Tema e variazioni, theme and variations, Thema mit Variationen [G], Thème varié [F]—a common movement form featuring an initial theme followed by a series of variations on that theme, each of which adjusts any number of parameters to achieve variety, e.g. tempo, rhythm, key, instrumentation, etc.A challenge to the composers ingenuity and a delight for the listener
trio (1)—an ensemble or work for 3 players
variation, variazione, variatio, variato, variata—a modified re-iteration of a previous theme, reprise, couplet, etc. The music is varied, embellished or creatively transformed for variety while maintaining a unity relationship with the original. See "Theme and Variations."