Quartet A major op. 51/3 (bis)

The quartet for four flutes op. 51 No. 3 (bis)* represents a respectful adaption of the quintet op. 51 No. 3 by Kuhlau which, in the original setting for flute, violin, two violas and violoncello – together with the quintets op. 51 No. 1 and No. 2 – was published in the year 1823 at Nikolaus Simrock in Bonn / Cologne.

It came quite early to some adaptions of these three quintets, which in the setting for two violas remind one of the late string quintets by Mozart. In 1828 the Kuhlau´s ten years younger scholar and friend Anton Keyper (†1861) presented a version for piano and flute as well as a version for piano for four hands of which number one was published at Lose in Copenhagen and the numbers two and three also at Simrock. Later a version for two flutes was published at Richault/Paris.

One can assume that arrangements – let them be more or less carefully done – suggest a particular quality and / or a particular popularity of an original version, one must also speak of an outstanding original work of the german-danish composer. In addition to the considered case Kuhlau wrote only one quartet for four flutes (op. 103) and exactly this setting presently enjoys great esteem, so that the basis for a requested extension of the late classical/early romantic quartet repertoire now is given which also absolutely justifies the reception in the “Uelzener Kuhlau-Edition”.

Since the key in A major was not changed and the figure of the first flute could be widely kept (except for a few changes of the octaves, chording, and alterations of the second flute), the performance of the original quintet version with strings is not hindered, which means, that the effort of rehearsing the part of the first flute concerning both versions is nearly the same and in any case very rewarding.