A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Quintet
QUINTET (Fr. Quintuor; Ital. Quintette). A composition for five instruments or voices with or without accompaniment.
I. Quintets for strings have been far less written than quartets, owing to the greater complexity demanded in the polyphony. Boccherini, however, published 125, of which 12 only were written for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 1 cello, the others having 2 cellos and 1 viola. The former is the more usual choice of instruments, probably because the lower parts are apt to be too heavy sounding with two cellos, owing to the greater body of tone in this instrument. Schubert's noble Quintet in C (op. 163), is for 2 cellos, but the first cello is used constantly in its upper octave, soaring above the viola. Onslow's—34 in number—are for a double bass and cello.
Beethoven's two Quintets, in E♭ and C, belong to his earlier periods, and have therefore none of the extraordinary features of the later quartets. Mendelssohn's Quintet in B♭ (op. 87), is so orchestral as to seem almost a symphony in disguise, but that in A (op. 18) is an exquisite specimen of what a string quintet should be.
Many other combinations of five instruments have found favour with musicians, mostly including a pianoforte. Thus there is Mozart's Quintet in E♭ for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano which the composer esteemed the best thing he ever wrote, the beautiful one for clarinet and strings, and another for the piquant combination of flute, oboe, viola, cello, and musical glasses. Perhaps the most effective association is that of piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass, as in Schubert's well-known 'Trout' Quintet (op. 114). Beethoven's Quintet for piano and wind instruments (op. 16), in E♭, is a noble representative of a very small class. Hummel has also written a well-known one.
II. In vocal music none who have ever heard it can forget the admirable quintet (for 2 soprani, contralto, tenor, and bass) which forms the finale to Act I of Spohr's 'Azor and Zemira.' In modern opera two most striking specimens occur in Goetz's 'Widerspänstige Zähmung,' and Wagner's 'Meistersinger.' Five-part harmony has a peculiarly rich effect, and deserves to be more practised than it is, especially in oratorio chorus. It is, however, by no means easy to write naturally.