Boccherini: Guitar Quintet No. 4 In D Major, G.448 'Fandango'

Introduction

This quintet for guitar and string quartet is one of a dozen that Boccherini arranged from earlier works in 1798 and 1799 for François de Borgia, Marquis of Benavente. The earlier works in this instance are the String Quintet in D major, Op. 10/6 (G. 270) of 1771 and the String Quintet in D major, Op. 40/2 (G. 341) of 1788. The opening two movements of the guitar quintet come from the opening movements of the earlier string quintet. The first, Pastorale, features muted strings playing a delicate, sweet, flowing melody with the guitar rippling along with them. The livelier second movement, Allegro maestoso, gives the guitar a secondary role, while the cello, Boccherini's own instrument, takes the lead, contrasting soloistic outbursts with more lyrical passages. The remainder of the quintet is taken from the later String Quintet and is not really two separate movements, but an introduction marked Grave assai and a Fandango, from which the quintet takes its nickname. The introduction is serious, beginning in the major mode, the same as the first two movements, but it ends in the minor, the mode of the final dance. The Spanish dance's rhythm repeats continually as the instruments trade the melody, the complexity of layers builds, and the speed gradually increases. Halfway through, Boccherini throws in the sistrum and castanets to provide percussive accents as the players rush toward the end.

Parts/Movements

1. Pastorale (transcription of the first movement of the quintet in D major, Op. 10/6)
2. Allegro maestoso (transcription of the second movement of the same quintet)
3. Grave assai (transcription of the first movement of the quintet in D major, Op. 40/2)
4. Fandango (transcription of the second movement of the same quintet)