The Boccherini Quintet was a string quintet

String quintet

A string quintet is a musical composition for a standard string quartet supplemented by a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola or a second cello , but occasionally a double bass. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who favoured addition of a viola, is considered a pioneer of the form...

 founded in Rome in 1949 when two of its original members, Arturo Bonucci and Pina Carmirelli

Pina Carmirelli

Pina Carmirelli was an Italian violinist.She started studying music and playing in public when she was very young. She was a pupil of Michelangelo Abbado, and graduated from the Milan Conservatory in violin and composition . She won the Premio Stradivari in 1937 and the Premio Paganini in 1940...

, discovered and bought, in Paris, a complete collection of the first edition of Luigi Boccherini

Luigi Boccherini

Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical era composer and cellist whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is most widely known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No...

's 141 string quintets, and set about to promote this long neglected music. Since then, they performed all over Italy and Europe and in many parts of the world, including thirteen tours of North America.

After the death of the two founders, the violist Luigi Sagrati

Luigi Sagrati

Luigi Sagrati was an Italian violist.He began studying the violin very young, and graduated cum laude from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. In the immediate postwar period he began an intensive concert activity in Italy and abroad...

 became the main organizer of the quintet's recording and performing activities until the mid-nineties, when he had to quit public performances because of old age.

The quintet has recorded many LPs in Italy and abroad, mainly of music by Luigi Boccherini but also string quintets by Antonio Bazzini

Antonio Bazzini

Antonio Joseph Bazzini was an Italian violinist, composer and teacher. As a composer his most enduring work is his chamber music which has earned him a central place in the Italian instrumental renaissance of the 19th century...

, Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...

 and Luigi Cherubini

Luigi Cherubini

Luigi Cherubini was an Italian composer who spent most of his working life in France. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethoven regarded Cherubini as the greatest of his contemporaries....

. Their records have been published by various recording houses like His Master's Voice, Fonit Cetra - Italia, Ensayo, EMI - Angel Records

Angel Records

Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...

.

Many musicians played in the Quintet over the years. In addition to the two aforementioned founders, the original Quintetto included Dino Asciolla (who alternated with Carmirelli as first violin), Renzo Sabatini (viola) and Nerio Brunelli (second violin). Among the most notable of the several other players one recalls Guido Mozzato, Montserrat Cervera, Arrigo Pelliccia, Marco Fiorini and Paolo Buccarella (violin); Marco Scano (first cello); Piero Stella (second cello); and Luigi Sagrati

Luigi Sagrati

Luigi Sagrati was an Italian violist.He began studying the violin very young, and graduated cum laude from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. In the immediate postwar period he began an intensive concert activity in Italy and abroad...

 (viola).

A two-record album, played by Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella, and entirely dedicated to Boccherini's quintets, and issued by the Spanish recording house Ensayo in 1976, won the Grand Prix du Disque

Grand Prix du Disque

The Grand Prix du Disque is the premier French award for musical recordings. The award was inaugurated by l'Académie Charles Cros in 1948 and offers prizes in various categories. The categories vary from year to year, and multiple awards are often made in any one category in the same year...

 of L'Académie Charles Cros

L'Académie Charles Cros

The Académie Charles-Cros, is an organization in France that acts as an intermediary between government cultural policy makers and professionals in music and the recording industry....

. Some of the quintet's recordings have been re-issued on CD in the UK by Testament Records

Testament Records (UK)

The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...

 at the beginning of the 21st century.

Discography

Works by Antonio Bazzini

Antonio Bazzini

Antonio Joseph Bazzini was an Italian violinist, composer and teacher. As a composer his most enduring work is his chamber music which has earned him a central place in the Italian instrumental renaissance of the 19th century...

:

• Quintet in A major, Italia Fonit Cetra ITL 70046, 1978 (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano, Stella).

Works by Luigi Boccherini

Luigi Boccherini

Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical era composer and cellist whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is most widely known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No...

:

• Largo from Quintet in A, op.10, n.1, HMV, ALP 1385, 1956, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45007, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• From the Quintet in A major, op.10, n.5, Allegretto, La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10140, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45006, 1956, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).
• Quintet in F, op.11, n.3, HMV, 1957, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished as CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in E, op.11, n.5, HMV ALP 1385, and La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
   QALP 10134, 1956, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished as CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
  , SBT 1243 in 2002.
• Quintet in D, op.11, n.4 (some sources indicate this as op. 11, n.6) "L'Uccelliera", HMV, ALP 1385, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45008, 1956 (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished as CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
  , SBT 1243, in 2002.
• Largo op.12, n.1, La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10134, 1956, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).
• Andante sostenuto, from Quintet in E major, op.13, n.2, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45011, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).
• Quintetto in F major, op.13, n.3, HMV, ALP 1332, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45009 and La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10130, 1956, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).
• Quintet in E major op.13, n.5, including the famous "minuetto"; La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10134, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45007, 1956 (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); recorded again by Ensayo, ENY 706, 1975 (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella).
• Quintet in C minor, op.18, n.1 "Di Dina", HMV ALP 1332, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45009 and by La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10130, 1957, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished in CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   SBT 1244, 2002.
• Quintet in D minor, op.18, n.5, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45011, 1954, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished in CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in F major op. 20, n.3, Ensayo, (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella), Ensayo, ENY 706, 1975..
• Quintet in D minor, op.25, n.1, HMV, ALP 1406, 1956, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
  , 45010. (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli), republished as CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in C, op.25, n.3, HMV, ALP 1406, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45010, 1956 (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished as CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in A major op. 28, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45006, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).
• Quintet in A, op.28, n.2 "Della Disgrazia", HMV, 1956, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
  , 45011, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in C minor op. 29, n.1 , Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45008, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sabatini, Bonucci, Brunelli); and PDU, 1976. (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella).
• Quintet in C minor, op.29, n.2, HMV, 1954 (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sabatini, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in A, op.29, n.4, HMV, 1956, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• From the Quintet op.29, n.6: Ballo Tedesco La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10140, and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
  , 45006, 1956, and Largo Cantabile, op.29, n.6, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45010, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).
• Quintettino op.30, n.6 "Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid
  Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid
  Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid , Opus 30 No. 6 , is a quintettino for stringed instruments Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid (Night Music of the Streets of Madrid,), Opus 30 No. 6 (G. 324), is a quintettino (quintet) for stringed instruments Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid...
  
  " (translated as the "Night Music of the Streets of Madrid"), Ensayo ENY 707, 1975, (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella).
• Quintet in E flat, op.31, n.1, HMV, 1956 (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in D major op.37, n.2, Ensayo ENY 707, 1975, (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella).
• Quintet in D, op.40, n.2 "Del Fandango", HMV, 1954 and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
  , 45011, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002. Also recorded in 1976 with Ensayo, (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella), ENY 707, 1975.
• Quintet in A major, op.40, n.4, HMV, ALP 1385, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45007, 1956, also La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10134, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Grave in D minor op.41, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45007 and La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone
  La voce del padrone was the Italian label for the His Master's Voice recording house. The house belonged to The Gramophone Company Ltd., of Hayes which owned several labels in Italy, like Columbia, Marconiphone, Angel Records and Grammofono....
  
  , QALP 10134, 1956, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).
• Quintet in F, op.41, n.2, HMV ALP1361, Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45006 and in Italy QALP 10140, 1956, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   SBT 1245, in 2002. Recorded again as LP by PDU, 1976, (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella).
• Quintet in C, op.42, n.2, HMV, 1956 (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli); republished by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.
• Quintet in D major, op.50, n.2, "In the style of the Spanish Seguidilla", Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
  , 45011, and "Del Fandango", Ensayo ENY 707, 1975, (Cervera, Buccarella, Sagrati, Scano and Stella).
• Quintet in G major, op.60, n.5, HMV, 1954, (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sabatini, Bonucci, Brunelli), HMV, 1956; and Angel Records
  Angel Records
  Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
  
   45008 republished as CD by Testament Records
  Testament Records (UK)
  The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
  
   in 2002.

Works by Luigi Cherubini

Luigi Cherubini

Luigi Cherubini was an Italian composer who spent most of his working life in France. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethoven regarded Cherubini as the greatest of his contemporaries....

:

• String Quintet (revised by Piero Spada) and Souvenir pour son cher Baillot (strng quartet), LP issued by Italia Fonit Cetra, ITL 70008, 1977.

Works by Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...

:

• Quintet in C major, op. 163, D.956, HMV ALP 1373, no date printed. (Pelliccia, Mozzato, Sagrati, Bonucci, Brunelli).