Ignaz Moscheles' Piano Septet in D Major dates from 1833. There were few examples of septets before his. Beethoven’s made the septet famous, but his Op.20 Septet is for strings and winds and not piano. And while those of Ferdinand Ries and Johann Nepomuk Hummel did include piano, they were for a different group of instruments. So it is fair to say that this septet was probably the first for this combination of instruments. Moscheles entitled it Grand Septet, which was a fairly common appellation in those days. It is in four movements and opens with an energetic Allegro con spirito. This is followed by a short, fleet footed Scherzo. The lovely third movement, Adagio con moto, is is a cross between a somber funeral march and a song without words. The rousing finale, Allegro con brio, is full of excitement and forward motion. As was common practice during this period, especially among pianist composers, the piano is not for the most part integrated into the ensemble, but used as a force against the combined winds and strings, who from time to time are given solos as well. Moscheles probably performed the work himself and a good pianist is required.
Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) was born in Prague. One of the top piano virtuosi of the first part of the 19th century, he first studied piano at the Prague Conservatory with Bedrich Weber and later in London with Muzio Clementi. He also studied composition, but in Vienna with Albrectsberger and Salieri. Besides his career as a touring soloist, he was also a renown teacher, Mendelssohn being one of his many students, and an esteemed composer. He was a friend of Mendelssohn and of Beethoven who admired his works and on friendly terms with Schumann and several other important musicians of the day and was himself one of the most prominent musicians of that era.
