Ignaz Pleyel - String Quintets, B. 271-273 (Pettman Ensemble)

Information

Composer: Ignaz Pleyel

• String Quintet in C Major, B. 273
• String Quintet in E-Flat Major, B. 271
• String Quintet in G Minor, B. 272

Pettman Ensemble

    Curt Thompson, violin

    Oksana Murashova Thompson, violin

    Wenhong Luo, viola

    William Vyvyan Murray, viola

    Edith Salzmann, cello

Date: 2026

Label: Naxos

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Though primarily remembered today as a piano manufacturer, company founder Ignaz Pleyel, a former pupil of Haydn, was among the late 18th century’s most acclaimed composers. His twelve finely wrought String Quintets achieved immense success by balancing crackling energy with lyrical expansiveness. The three featured on this album notably inspired Mozart to compose his own celebrated quintets in C major and G minor. Characterized by their intrinsic lightness, grace, and sprightly humor, these highly accomplished, well-paced works remain just as capable of delighting modern audiences as they did listeners centuries ago.

Ignaz Pleyel (1757–1831) was a highly prolific Austrian-born composer and entrepreneur who studied under Vanhal and Joseph Haydn. Following appointments in Italy and at the Strasbourg Cathedral, he spent a successful 1791 season in London alongside Haydn. Settling in Paris in 1795, Pleyel diversified his career by establishing an influential music publishing house and, in 1807, a renowned piano manufacturing firm later continued by his son, Camille. His vast compositional catalog spans symphonies, concertos, vocal music, and extensive chamber works, including string quartets that famously earned rare and high praise from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Pettman Ensemble is a versatile touring chamber group comprised of Australian and New Zealand musicians dedicated to performing repertoire spanning from the early classical era to contemporary music. Led by core members Michael Endres, Uwe Grodd, Curt Thompson, and Edith Salzmann, the ensemble frequently collaborates with top young regional talent for larger-scale festival performances. They tour extensively across New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. Notably, their UK tours, prepared alongside the Pettman National Junior Academy, have earned critical acclaim at venues like St John’s Smith Square, the University of Glasgow, and via broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.